U.S. Air Force Col. Terry Virts, a former F-16 fighter pilot and NASA astronaut, is the other Democrat in the race.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leading incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in most polls in the Republican Senate primary. But a recent poll on the 2026 general election shows former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred,

Paxton, the Texas attorney general, is leading incumbent U.S. Sen. Cornyn in most polls in the Republican Senate primary. But the most recent poll on the 2026 general election shows former U.S. Rep. Allred within striking distance of beating Paxton if he ends up being the GOP candidate.