Texas early voting begins ahead of contentious March 3 primary elections

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Early voting ahead of Texas' March 3 primary contests runs from Tuesday, Feb. 17 through Friday, Feb. 27, according to the Texas secretary of state.

The Lone Star State's Republican and Democratic U.S. Senate primaries are being watched nationally, as the GOP seeks to cling to its majority in the chamber.

Incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn is facing primary challengers, including notable figures like Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.

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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, walks through the halls of the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 12, 2026, in Washington, D.C.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Cornyn has served in the U.S. Senate for more than two decades — he took office in late 2002.

The top contenders in the Democratic primary are U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Texas state Rep. James Talarico.

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaks during the 17th Annual Soulful Christmas hosted by The Maiden Foundation at Winspear Opera House on Dec. 19, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.  ( Omar Vega/Getty Images)

"While people don’t know if their loved ones will come home because they’ve been disappeared by ICE or if there will be accountability for the despicable things in the Epstein files or if they will be choosing between rent, healthcare, or food… some would suggest let’s just do politics as usual… THAT is the exact thinking that got us here," Crockett wrote in a Monday post on X. 

People are shown outside the polling place at the Richard & Meg Weekley Community Center in Cypress, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.  (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

"Tomorrow is the first day of early voting, It’s time for the people to be heard, loudly & clearly!" she declared in the post.

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Erik Muñoz, a Republican precinct chair in Pasadena, helps set up a polling place at a Baker Ripley center in Houston, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

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If no candidate were to win a majority in a race, there would be primary runoff in May.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.