Early voting began in Bexar County on the first day of the 2026 midterm election. The county reported a significant increase in early voting turnout compared to the 2022 midterm election's first day.
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Early voting is underway in the 2026 midterm elections. In Texas, Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico and Republican nominee Ken Paxton are campaigning on economic concerns as they focus on the closely watched Senate race.
James Talarico, Democratic Senate nominee; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate nominee; Donald Trump, President, campaigning for Republican candidates
Early voting started in Smith County on Monday, October 19, with long lines reported at The Hub in downtown Tyler. The county reported 5,859 ballots cast in-person and 1,301 mail-in ballots received on the first day, totaling 7,160 votes.
Smith County, county election authority; Smith County Pct. 1 Constable's Office, traffic patrol assistance
Republican incumbent Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham faces Democratic challenger Benjamin Flores in the November 2026 election. Buckingham, a former state senator and physician, has served as land commissioner since 2023. Flores says disaster recovery and transparent land management are priorities.
$nearly $890,000 for campaign funds raised in most recent reporting period
Dawn Buckingham, Republican candidate, incumbent Texas Land Commissioner; Benjamin Flores, Democratic candidate for Texas Land Commissioner
El Paso County reported its second-highest first-day early voting turnout for a midterm election, with more than 22,000 ballots cast, 90% higher than 2022. Dallas County broke its all-time first-day early voting record with 76,079 voters. Both counties surpassed previous midterm records.
Lisa Wise, El Paso County Elections Administrator; Clay Jenkins, Dallas County judge
Democratic Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico did not attend a Monday rally headlined by Sen. Bernie Sanders in El Paso, instead holding campaign events hundreds of miles away in North Texas as his race against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton entered its final weeks before the 2026 midterm elections.
James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate; Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator who headlined rally
An Indian-American voter posted on social media supporting Democrat James Talarico for U.S. Senate in Texas, citing concerns about xenophobia and racial resentment. The post received about 857,000 views within seven hours, drawing criticism from conservative commentators. Early voting is underway ahead of the November 3 election.
Vasant Bhatt, Indian-American voter; James Talarico, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas; Patrick Casey, Conservative commentator
President Trump will hold campaign rallies in Lubbock and Waco on October 27 to support Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton. The Texas Senate race between Paxton and Democratic State Rep. James Talarico is described as a dead heat.
Donald Trump, US President; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General; James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and State Rep. and 3 more
A University of Houston poll released in October 2026 found Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race. The same poll showed Republican Greg Abbott leading Democrat Gina Hinojosa in the governor's race.
James Talarico, Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate; Ted Brown, Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate and 4 more