STATEWIDE TEXAS RUNOFFS candidates

May 26, 2026 Runoff Election

U.S. Senate — Republican Runoff

• John Cornyn

• Ken Paxton

Texas Attorney General — Republican Runoff

• Chip Roy

• Mayes Middleton

Texas Attorney General — Democratic Runoff

• Nathan Johnson

• Joe Jaworski

Texas Lieutenant Governor — Democratic Runoff

• Vikki Goodwin

• Marcos Velez

Texas Railroad Commissioner — Republican Runoff

• Jim Wright

• Bo French

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 — Republican Runoff

• Alison Fox

• Thomas Smith

MAJOR CONGRESSIONAL RUNOFFS

Congressional District 18 — Democratic Runoff

• Al Green

• Christian Menefee

Congressional District 33 — Democratic Runoff

• Colin Allred

• Julie Johnson

Congressional District 35 — Democratic Runoff

• Johnny Garcia

• Maureen Galindo

Congressional District 23 — Republican Runoff

• Tony Gonzales

• Brandon Herrera

MAJOR COUNTY RUNOFFS

Harris County Judge — Democratic Runoff

• Annise Parker

• Letitia Plummer

Harris County Judge — Republican Runoff

• Orlando Sanchez

• Warren Howell

Harris County District Clerk — Democratic Runoff

• Darryl Jordan

• Alex Maldonado

Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 2 — Democratic Runoff

• Amanda Arizola

• Jared Williams

Bexar County District Attorney — Democratic Runoff

• Luz Elena Chapa

• Jane Davis

Bexar County Clerk — Democratic Runoff

• Lucy Adame-Clark

• Cynthia Castro

IMPORTANT DATES

Early Voting

May 18–22, 2026

Election Day

May 26, 2026

Sources:

• Ballotpedia Texas Elections 2026

• Texas Tribune Runoff Election Guide

Texas Primary Runoff Election 2026: What Texas South Asian Voters Need to Know

Texas Primary Runoff Elections 2026

Frequently Asked Questions for South Asian Voters

“Wait… Why Are Texans Voting Again?”

Texas is holding a Primary Runoff Election because some races in the March primary election did not have a candidate receive more than 50% of the vote.

When that happens, the top two candidates move into a runoff election to determine the final nominee for their political party.

These runoff elections help decide who will appear on the November ballot and who could ultimately hold office across Texas.

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR BALLOT

“When Is the Texas Primary Runoff Election?”

Early Voting

May 18–22, 2026

Election Day

May 26, 2026

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR BALLOT

“What Is a Primary Runoff Election?”

A primary runoff election is essentially a “final round” election between the top two candidates after the primary election.

Texas law requires candidates to receive over 50% of the vote to win outright.

If nobody reaches that number, voters return to decide between the remaining candidates.

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR BALLOT

“What Offices Are on the Ballot?”

Depending on where you live, Texas voters may see runoff races for:

• U.S. Senate

• Lieutenant Governor

• Attorney General

• U.S. House

• Texas Senate

• Texas House

• County Offices

• Judicial Positions

• Local Offices and Municipal Races

• Some counties may also have local runoff elections for city council, mayor, school board, or other municipal positions.

• CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR BALLOT

“Why Should I Vote in a Runoff Election?”

Runoff elections are often decided by very small margins.

That means a smaller number of voters can have a much larger impact on the outcome.

These elections help determine:

• who represents Texas,

• who shapes public policy,

• who oversees courts,

• and who makes decisions affecting schools, healthcare, infrastructure, public safety, and local communities.

• CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR BALLOT

Even though runoff elections receive less attention, they can have long-term consequences for communities across Texas.

“Why Does This Matter for South Asian Voters?”

Texas has one of the fastest-growing South Asian populations in the country.

South Asian communities contribute to Texas through:

• small businesses,

• healthcare,

• education,

• technology,

• public service,

• and civic leadership.

• CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR BALLOT

Participating in runoff elections is one way communities continue building civic representation and ensuring our voices are included in decisions affecting our daily lives.

Political influence grows through consistent participation — not only during presidential elections.

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR BALLOT

“Can I Vote in Any Party’s Runoff?”

Texas uses an open primary system, but there are important rules:

• If you voted in the March primary election, you must vote in the same party’s runoff.

• If you did not vote in the March primary, you may choose which party’s runoff to participate in.

• You may only vote in one party’s runoff election.

• CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR BALLOT

“What Happens If I Skip the Runoff?”

When turnout is low, a very small number of voters can end up deciding important races.

Runoff elections often determine candidates who later win office in November — especially in districts heavily dominated by one political party.

That means these elections can quietly shape leadership across Texas long before the general election.

“How Do I Prepare to Vote?”

Before voting:

✅ Check your voter registration
✅ Review your ballot
✅ Plan your voting day
✅ Bring an accepted photo ID
✅ Encourage family and friends to participate

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR BALLOT

“Where Can I Learn More?”

SAAVETX Education Fund is committed to helping South Asian communities across Texas stay informed and civically engaged.

Visit our Civic Center resources to:

• learn about upcoming elections,

• understand what’s on your ballot,

• and access nonpartisan voting information.

Every election matters — and runoff elections are often where political power is decided quietly.

As Texans prepare for the Texas Primary Runoff Election 2026, many voters are searching for information about the Texas runoff election, including Texas early voting dates, the Texas runoff ballot, and who is on the Texas runoff ballot before the May 26 election. From the high-profile Texas Senate runoff between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton to the Texas Attorney General runoff, and Nathan Johnson Texas”

Joe Jaworsk ivoters across the state are looking for a reliable Texas voter guide and answers to questions like how do Texas runoff elections work, can I vote in the Texas runoff, and where to find their Texas sample ballot and polling location. As turnout in the Texas primary runoff is often much lower than in presidential elections, understanding the Texas primary election rules, reviewing Texas runoff races, and making a plan to vote during Texas early voting can have a major impact on who advances to the general election in November.

HOW TO USE OUR CIVIC CENTER FOR ALL YOUR ELECTION NEEDS 2026 PRIMARIES

Our Civic Center is a useful tool to prepare for the elections. Find out if and where you are registered to vote, who are your elected officials, who is on your ballot, and how to make a plan to vote in one easy location. This is a short guide to find out how to best use our Civic Center for your election needs.

how to get to our civic center

1. Go to https://saavetxeducationfund.org/civics or click here to access our civic center.

2. Enter your first name, last name, email, phone number, and address.

HOW TO CHECK IF YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE

1. Once you have inputted your information, go to the box called Check your voter registration.

2. Click Check my voter registration status, then verify your first and last name.

3. If you need to get registered to vote, click Register to vote to figure out the best way to do so.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR BALLOT

HOW TO SEE WHO YOUR CANDIDATES ARE

1. In the Civic Center, go to Research your ballot. There, you will be able to see what/who are all the positions and candidates for the upcoming elections for your specific address. Included are descriptions both of the office position and the candidates.

how to make a sample ballot

1. As you are looking at candidates under Research your ballot, you will be able to add them to your ballot. Select Add to Ballot to do so.

2. Once you add candidates for every position on your ballot, you can select My Ballot to see who all you will be voting for in the upcoming election.

**NOTE: The video above does not reflect any political views of SAAVETX EF, and all actions in the video are solely for educational purposes.

HELP US REGISTER MORE SOUTH ASIANS

Why South Asians Need Volunteer Deputy Registrars (VDRs)

In Texas, voter registration is not automatic. Many members of our South Asian community face unique barriers to getting registered—language challenges, misinformation, or a lack of awareness about deadlines and requirements. That’s why we need you to step up and become a Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR)!How do I become a VDR?

What is a VDR and What Do They Do?

A Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR) is someone certified to help register voters in Texas. As a VDR, you’ll be empowered to:

• Engage with South Asians in your local community.

• Assist in filling out voter registration forms correctly.

• Submit the forms directly to your county’s elections office

1. Become a Volunteer Deputy Registrar in your county

   • Requires a quick training and test from your county, see links below to gets started with certification in your county. Most counties offer online training at the moment.

   • Each county requires a certification ( Simply click on the link for the county you reside in to register for the 1 hour training. Once certified, show your certification to election offices of neighboring counties to increase the territory you are able to empower.)

     Your certification in Texas must be renewed every odd-numbered year (ex: 2023, 2025, 2027, etc.)

     Bexar County Denton County Montgomery County

     Brazoria County Ft. Bend County Tarrant County

     Collin County Galveston County Travis County

     Dallas County Harris County Williamson County
     
     

     Why is This Important for South Asians?

     1. Our Numbers Don’t Match Our Influence
        South Asians are one of the fastest-growing communities in Texas, yet our voter registration and turnout rates don’t reflect our potential. By registering voters, you can directly strengthen our collective voice.

     2. Representation Matters
        Local school boards, city councils, and state legislatures make decisions that deeply affect our families—our children’s education, healthcare access, immigration policies, and safety. Yet, these boards often don’t reflect our values or needs. We need more South Asians voting to ensure fair representation.

     3. Language and Cultural Barriers
        Many in our community face challenges understanding English-only voter registration forms or navigating misinformation about voting rights. A culturally informed VDR can provide the support and trust needed to overcome these obstacles.

     4. Combatting Misinformation
        From voter eligibility confusion to misinformation about election laws, our community often falls prey to tactics designed to suppress our voices. VDRs can dispel myths and make sure every eligible voter knows their rights.

     Sign u now for Dallas Denton and Tarrant county

     Here South Asian events — SAAVETX EF

Why South Asian Voters Can Transform Texas—Starting with may 2025 Local Elections

VISIT OUR CIVIC CENTER TO VOTE

Every election counts—but municipal elections are where change begins. This year, South Asians in Texas have the power to shape the future of our schools, neighborhoods, and cities. We just need to show up.

What are we voting on?

In 2025, Texans will cast ballots for school board, city council, mayors, and more. These local races control the decisions that affect our kids’ education, public safety, transportation, affordable housing, and everyday quality of life.

Yet while South Asians in Texas have one of the highest turnout rates in presidential elections, our participation in municipal elections lags behind.

This isn’t just a missed opportunity.
It’s a missed source of power.

The Facts:

• Many local races in Texas are decided by fewer than 100 votes.

• South Asians in Texas make up over 320,000 registered AAPI voters—a significant and growing force. 70% turned out in 2024

• Our turnout for municipal elections is less than 10%

• If we turned out in our full strength, we could decide outcomes across Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and beyond.

• In cities with tight races, a single neighborhood of engaged South Asian voters can swing an election.

🎓 Why School Board Elections Matter Now More Than Ever

Local school boards are making these decisions right now, and if we don’t vote, others will choose for us.

Our public schools are under attack. State leaders continue to push voucher programs that divert public money from our classrooms to private schools—hurting the very institutions many South Asian families chose Texas for.

We need elected officials who:

• Protect public school funding

• Support inclusive curriculum

• Celebrate the diversity of our children and cultures

• Stand against book bans and censorship in the classroom

🛠️ How to Take Action—Easily

Click on our website and use our Civic Center:

We know local ballots can feel overwhelming, which is why we created the Civic Center:
A new, easy-to-use digital tool built for South Asian voters in Texas.

Just enter your name and address, and you’ll receive: ✅ A personalized ballot with candidates in your district
✅ Insight into where each candidate stands on key issues
✅ Access to candidates who responded to our South Asian voter survey
✅ Tools to make your voting plan, including reminders and polling locations
✅ Encouragement to reach out directly to candidates and ask where they stand on education, safety, housing, and inclusion

We believe that informed voting is empowered voting. Civic Center makes it easier than ever.

🗳️ Our Vote is Our Power

We came to Texas for opportunity—great schools, strong communities, and a better future for our families. Let’s protect that vision by voting in every election, not just the big ones.

We have the numbers.
We have the values.
Now, let’s show up and make our voices heard.

The future of our communities depends on it.

Board Member Sanjiv Sinha

Sanjiv Sinha is a veteran in the technology industry. He has global experience and has held leadership roles selling both software products and services.

He currently consults with small software companies looking to grow. He works with his clients on their go-to-market strategy, sales enablement and positioning.

He believes strongly in giving back and has been involved with a number of volunteer organizations and not-for-profits over the years. He has held positions on non-profit boards and believes his corporate experience helps him tremendously in helping build repeatable and scalable processes at non-profits.

Sanjiv has an undergraduate degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. He is married and has two grown daughters. He lives with his wife in Allen, TX, USA. He is an avid skier and hiker and enjoys singing and playing bass guitar in a band.

More on Sanjiv at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjivsinha1/

Borad member Shashi Bhatia

Shashi Bhatia – Business analyst at a Big Four accounting organization. Over 9 years of IT experience as a BA and QA Analyst for different projects in ecommerce, Retail, Healthcare, Financial/Banking, Credit Card Processing, and Tax domain. Extensive system design and project management experience, combined with expertise in providing consumers and users with necessary information and tools. Excellent understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Software Test Life Cycle (STLC), Agile, and Waterfall along with strong requirement gathering and documentation skills. Exposure to Configuration and Customization of the SAP Application with a focus on General Ledger (GL), Accounts Receivables (AR), Accounts Payable (AP), and Controlling (CO) modules in a technical classroom environment. Well rounded attitude for learning/mastering new concepts, assisting co-workers, and making every effort to be a team player.  Dedicated voting rights volunteer with the South Asian community in Texas

Board member Kavita Chopra

Kavita Khandekar Chopra - Officer. Kavita Khandekar Chopra (she/her) is the Managing Director, Strategy & Engagement for re:power - a national training organization building power with and for Black, Indigenous and People of Color organizers across the country.  In her role at re:power, Kavita oversees Development, Communications, and Strategic Initiatives for the organization. With fifteen years of experience in the non-profit sector, Kavita has expertise in fundraising, communications, operations and finance for both 501c3 and 501c4 organizations.  Kavita earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and her Masters of Science in Social Work from UT Austin, concentrating in Community and Administrative Leadership. She is passionate about developing responsive systems built with equity at the center and building BIPOC community power in Texas.  Kavita is the child of Indian immigrants, and a Mother of two.

Board Member Namrata Sharma

Namrata Sharma - Technology leader with expertise in Semiconductors and Telecom technologies. Has worked for some of the marquee names in tech, proven ability to incubate new businesses.  A frequently requested speaker at industry events on topics like leadership, innovation and technology trends. M.S in Computer Science and B.Tech in Electronics Engineering. Strong advocate of gender parity, actively engaged in creating awareness to promote gender diversity in the workplace and beyond. Engaged with SAAVETX since 2017 in various efforts including leading rallies and hosting events for voter empowerment.  Active in voter engagement in Collin County, Texas, key organizer for Rally against Racism in August 2022.

Board member Krisan Swaminathan

Krisan Patterson Swaminathan - Board Chair. Former attorney.  Assisted in the defense of campaign finance reform legislation before the U.S. District Court and U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Senators McCain, Feingold, et al. Experience with domestic violence, immigration, community organizing, and work with marginalized communities. Founding Chair of the Board of SAFE DC, Inc., a leading D.C. nonprofit addressing the needs of domestic violence survivors and their children. Former Court Appointed Special Advocate on behalf of foster children in New Jersey, March to the Polls volunteer high school educator, and Election Protection volunteer.