Embattled AG Ken Paxton defeats George P. Bush in Texas GOP primary runoff
Texas is holding primary runoff elections for a number of key statewide and congressional races. Polls close at 7 p.m. local time.
Follow Insider's live coverage of all of Tuesday night's primaries here.
The races and the stakes:
The most high-profile statewide primary runoff is the race between embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton, and George P. Bush. Paxton faced three primary challengers, including Bush and Rep. Louie Gohmert, in Texas' March primaries, but failed to clear the 50% of the vote necessary to avoid a runoff.
Paxton has been under indictment for securities fraud since 2015, but has yet to face trial, and has faced numerous scandals since. But he still holds President Donald Trump's endorsement over Bush, who is Texas' current Land Commissioner and the only member of the Bush political dynasty currently holding elected office.
Paxton also played a major role in aiding Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including filing a long-shot lawsuit in the Supreme Court to overturn election results in four states that voted for President Joe Biden, which failed.
On the Democratic side of the aisle, immigration attorney Rochelle Garza and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski are facing off in a runoff for their party's nomination to face either Paxton or Bush.
The biggest congressional primary runoffs of the night are taking place in South Texas. Incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar, one of the most conservative House Democrats and the only anti-abortion Democrat left in Congress, is facing off against a progressive primary challenger Jessica Cisneros in Texas' 28th District.
Meanwhile, Sandra Whitten and Cassy Garcia are facing off for the Republican nomination for the newly-redrawn 28th District, which would have voted for Biden by seven points in 2020, according to the Texas Tribune.
Next door in Texas' 15th District, Ruben Ramirez and Michelle Valejo are facing off for the Democratic nomination to face Monica De La Cruz Hernandez for an open congressional seat. The 15th and 28th Districts are likely to be Texas' most competitive seats in the November general election, according to election experts.
And in the safely-Democratic, Dallas-based 30th Congressional District, state Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Jane Hope Hamilton are competing for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, who has backed Crockett to replace her.