For the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Texas, the main candidates currently running are Republican Sen. John Cornyn, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt, and on the Democratic side Rep. Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico. The race is considered one of the higher‑profile Senate contests of the 2026 cycle.

Key candidates for Texas U.S. Senate

  • John Cornyn (R) – Long‑time incumbent U.S. Senator from Texas, first elected in 2002, now seeking another term in 2026. He faces significant opposition within his own party.
  • Ken Paxton (R) – Texas Attorney General who has launched a primary challenge against Cornyn, making the Republican primary highly competitive.
  • Wesley Hunt (R) – U.S. Representative from the Houston area who entered the GOP primary, positioning himself as an alternative to both Cornyn and Paxton.

Democratic contenders

  • Jasmine Crockett (D) – U.S. Representative from Dallas who entered the race after Colin Allred withdrew; she is now a leading Democratic candidate for the seat.
  • James Talarico (D) – State Representative from the Austin area who is running in the Democratic primary and has been campaigning as a younger, progressive‑leaning voice in the race.
  • Colin Allred (D) – withdrew – Former Democratic Senate nominee and U.S. Representative who initially entered the 2026 race but has since dropped out, reshaping the Democratic field.

Snapshot of the race

  • The Republican primary is a high‑stakes showdown among an entrenched incumbent (Cornyn), a polarizing statewide official (Paxton), and a rising congressman (Hunt).
  • The Democratic primary now centers on Crockett and Talarico after Allred’s exit, with both trying to build statewide name recognition in a historically Republican‑leaning state.
  • Early polling shows tight margins in the GOP primary and a competitive general election environment, drawing national attention to Texas as a potential Senate battleground in 2026.

Simple HTML table of main candidates

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Candidate Party Current/Recent Office Status in 2026 race
John Cornyn Republican U.S. Senator from Texas Incumbent running for re‑election in GOP primary.
Ken Paxton Republican Texas Attorney General Challenger in GOP primary.
Wesley Hunt Republican U.S. Representative (Houston‑area district) GOP primary candidate.
Jasmine Crockett Democrat U.S. Representative from Dallas Democratic primary candidate after Allred’s withdrawal.
James Talarico Democrat Texas State Representative Democratic primary candidate.
Colin Allred Democrat Former U.S. Representative Initially declared, later withdrew from the race.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.