U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is projected to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz in November after beating eight other Democrats in the party's primary.
With 96% of polling locations across Texas reporting results, Allred secured 58.85% of the vote. The third-term Dallas congressman and former NFL linebacker outperformed state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who received 16.67% of the vote.
If elected, Allred would be Texas's first Black U.S. senator. He faces steep odds—no Democrat has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994.
Cruz is seeking a third term as Texas’s junior U.S. senator. He collected 88.32% of the vote over two lesser-known candidates.
All results are unofficial until canvassed. Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide to see results from all state and local elections in your community.Updated 10:45 p.m. March 5
Incumbent Ted Cruz and Democrat Colin Allred are expected to face off in November in the race to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate.
Cruz is projected to win the Republican primary with 89% of the vote and 228 counties reporting results. Republican challenger Holland “Redd” Gibson has 6% of the vote, and R.E. "Rufus" Lopez has 5% of the vote.
"Never before has it been more important to unify and fight against the radical left who threaten to change what makes this state great," Cruz said in a social media post declaring victory. "I look forward to continuing to meet Texans in every corner of the state as we work together to ensure that we keep Texas, Texas."
Allred, a U.S. representative, is projected to win the Democratic primary nomination with 60% of the vote.
"Thank you, Texas! I am honored to be your Democratic nominee," Allred said in a social media post. "Together, we are going to beat Ted Cruz and give all Texans the leadership we need in the U.S. Senate."
Other candidates have the following portions of the vote:
- State Sen. Roland Gutierrez has 17% of the vote.
- Nueces County attorney Mark Gonzalez has 9% of the vote.
- Meri Gomez, a tax consultant from Mission, has 4% of the vote.
- State Rep. Carl Oscar Sherman has 3% of the vote.
- Attorney Steven J. Keough has 2% of the vote.
- Business owner A. "Robert" Hassan has 2% of the vote.
- Entrepreneur Heli Rodriguez Prilliman has 2% of the vote.
- Political organizer Thierry Tchenko has 1% of the vote.
Updated 9:50 p.m. March 5
With 205 of Texas' 254 counties reporting Republican primary results, incumbent Ted Cruz is leading the race for the Republican nomination to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate with 89% of the vote, or over 1 million votes. Republican challenger Holland “Redd” Gibson has 6% of the vote, and R.E. "Rufus" Lopez has 5% of the vote.
With 195 counties reporting, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is leading the Democratic primary race with 64% of the vote. Other candidates have the following portions of votes:
- State Sen. Roland Gutierrez has 18% of the vote.
- Meri Gomez, a tax consultant from Mission, has 4% of the vote.
- Nueces County attorney Mark Gonzalez has 3% of the vote.
- State Rep. Carl Oscar Sherman has 3% of the vote.
- Attorney Steven J. Keough has 2% of the vote.
- Entrepreneur Heli Rodriguez Prilliman has 2% of the vote.
- Business owner A. "Robert" Hassan has 2% of the vote.
- Political organizer Thierry Tchenko has 1% of the vote.
Posted 7:30 p.m. March 5
According to unofficial early results, incumbent Ted Cruz is leading the race for the Republican nomination to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate with 93% of the vote. With four of Texas 254 counties reporting, Republican challenger Holland “Redd” Gibson has 4% of the vote, and R.E. "Rufus" Lopez has 3% of the vote.
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is leading the Democratic primary race with 67% of the vote. Whoever wins this race will likely take on Cruz in November.
Other candidates have the following percentages of votes in the crowded Democratic primary:
- State Sen. Roland Gutierrez has 8% of the vote.
- Nueces County attorney Mark Gonzalez has 6% of the vote.
- Meri Gomez, a tax consultant from Mission, has 5% of the vote.
- State Rep. Carl Oscar Sherman has 4% of the vote.
- Attorney Steven J. Keough has 4% of the vote.
- Entrepreneur Heli Rodriguez Prilliman has 2% of the vote.
- Business owner A. "Robert" Hassan has 2% of the vote.
- Political organizer Thierry Tchenko has 2% of the vote.
Cruz is seeking a third term as Texas’ junior U.S. senator. He has authored over 90 laws while in office, according to his campaign website.
Lopez bills himself as a San Antonio attorney, while Republican Holland “Redd” Gibson identifies himself as a Houston retiree.
Allred, a third-term congressman from Dallas and former NFL linebacker, is the most well-funded candidate in the Democratic primary. Allred raised $4.8 million from October-December, according to his campaign, while Gutierrez reported raising around $433,000 during the same period.
The candidate who receives at least 50% of the vote in each race will advance to the November election. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, the two candidates with the highest percentage of the votes will compete in a runoff election May 28.
The context
Cruz currently serves alongside Republican Sen. John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate. Cruz secured his second term in 2018 after narrowly beating Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke, who later unsuccessfully ran for governor.
Democrats have not won a statewide office in Texas since 1994.
Stay tuned
Community Impact will update this article as more primary voting totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide to see results from all local elections in your community.
