Live updates for the 2022 Texas midterm election
Tuesday was the last day to vote in the 2022 midterm elections. Here are the updated results:
Tuesday is Election Day in Texas and there are several key races on the ballot for voters to consider, including governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. Locally, Austin voters will elect a new mayor, five City Council seats, five Austin school board seats and three bond proposals (see more information below.)
Follow along for live updates and results for key statewide and local races.
2022 Texas midterm election results:Find key state, Travis County, Austin races here.
Andrew Gonzales defeats Austin school district board president
Updated 1:05 a.m.
Andrew Gonzales unseated Austin school board president Geronimo Rodriguez, who was seeking reelection after five years on the board, according to the unofficial election results.
Gonzales, a former district teacher who taught history at Travis High School and Lively Middle School, received 66% of the vote compared to Rodriguez’s 34%.
In the District 1 race, former district teacher Candace Hunter received 64% of the vote, defeating Roxanne Evans, a former American-Statesman education reporter who had also worked for the Austin district, who received 36% of the vote.
Hunter hosts a podcast about the district and has served on numerous district committees. She works with Austin Community College certifying teachers and as an English as a second language teacher.
In District 4, Kathryn Whitley Chu, a former accountant and teacher, easily won against home builder Clint Small, according to the unofficial results. Chu received 71% of the vote compared to Small’s 29%.
District 9 incumbent Arati Singh fended off a challenge by interior designer Heather Toolin with 67% of the vote. Toolin received 33% of the vote for the at-large position. Singh is the board secretary and has served for four years.
David Kauffman, who ran unopposed, cruised to the District 7 seat. He is replacing board vice president Yasmin Wagner.
- Keri Heath
Voters give strong approval to Austin school bonds
Updated 12:55 a.m.
Austin school district voters overwhelmingly approved the largest school bond package in district history, paving the way for two dozen school remodels, technology investment and renovations to athletic facilities.
District officials and supporters erupted in applause early in the evening when they learned of early voting totals, already favoring the bond's passage, during a watch party for the $2.4 billion bond at Easy Tiger on South Lamar Boulevard. People hugged and slapped each other on the back.
Proposition A, which will update campuses, sailed to passage with 72.6% of the 259,897 votes cast and Proposition B, which will improve technology, got 72.1% of 257,670 votes.
Proposition C, which will improve athletic facilities, passed with 58.1% of 256,132 votes.
"It tells me that we value education," interim superintendent Anthony Mays said. "It tells me we love our kids. It tells me that we want to see great things happen in Austin ISD. This is good. This is huge."
- Keri Heath
Austin City Council: two incumbents win and three races go to runoffs
Updated 12:55 a.m.
Incumbents Natasha-Harper Madison in District 1 and Paige Ellis in District 8 both won reelection, according to unofficial final results.
Harper Madison, who faced off against three opponents, received 53.2% of the vote. Ellis, who also had three opponents, received 57.8% of the vote.
Seats in District 3, District 5 and District 9 will go to a runoff because none of the candidates received over 50% of the votes. The runoff will be held on Dec. 13.
In District 3, José Velásquez had the most votes — 36.4%. He was followed by Daniela Silva who received 34.4% of the votes.
District 5 candidates Stephanie Bazan and Ryan Alter will head to a runoff after receiving 29.3% and 24.2% of the early votes, respectively.
In District 9 Zohaib Qadri led the field of eight candidates with 29.9% of the vote and will go to a runoff. Unofficial final results show Linda Guerrero also headed to a runoff with 22.3%. Ben Leffler followed close behind with 21.2%.
— Sarah Asch
Central Texas State Senate incumbents are in the lead
Updated 12:30 a.m.
With 65% of polling locations reporting, Austin-area state Senate incumbents are fending off challenges to their reelection bids, according to data from the secretary of state’s office.
In Senate District 5, which covers part of Round Rock, Georgetown and stretches east toward Bryan, Republican incumbent Charles Schwertner has received 72% of the vote compared to Libertarian Tommy Estes’ 28%. There is no Democrat running in the race.
Schwertner, who has served in the Legislature since 2011, tweeted: “I am humbled and honored to be returning for another term as the Senator for SD 5 to keep Texas Strong and Conservative. Thanks for everyone that turned out to vote. Keep Texas Red!”
In Senate District 14, incumbent Democrat Sarah Eckhardt has received 84% of the votes against Libertarian Steven Haskett, who has received 16%. There is no Republican in this race.
After redistricting, the district was consolidated to include central Austin and Pflugerville. Eckhardt previously served two terms as Travis County judge. Her top issues are public health, economic recovery, criminal justice reform and climate change, according to her website.
In Senate District 21, incumbent Democrat Judith Zaffirini is leading with 63% of the vote. Republican Julie Dahlberg has received 35% of the vote and Libertarian Arthur Dibianca has garnered 3%.
Zaffirini is currently the second-highest ranking senator. She was first elected to the Senate in 1987 and has served for decades.
In the open Senate District 24 race, Republican Pete Flores, a former leader in Texas Parks and Wildlife enforcement, leads with 67% of the vote. Democrat Kathy Jones-Hospod has received 33% of the vote.
The seat became open after Republican state Senator Dawn Buckingham decided against reelection and opted instead to run for land commissioner.
In Senate District 25, incumbent Republican Donna Campbell leads with 62% of the vote, compared to Democrat Robert Walsh’s 38%.
District 25 has been expanded to include Blanco, Johnson City and Lakeway. Campbell, a New Braunfels-based physician, was first elected to the Senate in 2013.
- Nusaiba Mizan and Niki Griswold
Railroad commission remains under GOP control
Updated 12:20 p.m.
Republican Railroad commissioner Wayne Christian won a second term Tuesday night, defeating Democrat Luke Warford.
With about two thirds of polling locations reporting shortly after midnight, Christian held 56.9% of the vote and Warford had 39.3%.
A former gospel singer and financial advisor for turning to politics in the mid-1990s, Christian heads the three-person Railroad Commission that’s responsible for regulating Texas’ oil and gas industry.
— Skye Seipp
Party advantages hold strong in Central Texas House districts with open seats
Updated 11:59 p.m.
As vote counts continue to roll in on election night, Democratic and Republican party advantages continue to hold strong in several Texas House districts in Central Texas with open seats.
In reliably blue House District 51, based in East Austin, Democratic newcomer Maria Luisa “Lulu” Flores is leading Republican Robert Reynolds by 87.3% to 12.7%. Incumbent Democrat Eddie Rodriguez has represented the district since 2003, but decided against running for re-election, instead opting to run for the 35th Congressional District. Rodriguez ultimately lost the Democratic nomination to former Austin City Council Member Greg Casar, who won the congressional seat Tuesday.
In North Austin’s solidly Democratic-leaning House District 50, Democrat James Talarico is declaring victory on Twitter against Republican Victor Johnson and Libertarian Ted Brown. According to the Texas Secretary of State’s office, Talarico currently has 79.7% of the vote, while Johnson has 18% and Brown has 2.3%.
“One year ago Republicans tried to gerrymander me out of the House. But tonight the people had the last word. We just won a third term!!!” Talarico tweeted Tuesday night. Talarico had previously represented House District 52, encompassing Round Rock, Hutto, and Taylor, but in the recent redistricting cycle Republicans redrew the district to give Republicans a significant advantage. When HD 50 Democratic incumbent Celia Israel chose against running for reelection and to seek the Austin mayoral seat, Talarico decided to run for her soon-to-be-vacant seat instead.
In Talarico’s former district, House District 52, Republican and political newcomer Caroline Harris is ahead of Democrat Luis Echegaray 54.4% to 45.6%. Harris spent the past five years as a policy advisor for state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who endorsed her campaign.
Three other Central Texas House districts with open seats, drawn to ensure Republican advantages, are also showing the Republican candidates leading in their races.
In House District 73, which covers New Braunfels up to Wimberley and Dripping Springs, Republican candidate Carrie Isaac, a nonprofit executive and wife of former state Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, is ahead of Democrat Justin Calhoun 69.9% to 30.1%. The district has been represented by Republican Kyle Biedermann since 2017, who decided against running for reelection.
In House District 19, which covers Blanco, Johnson City, Horseshoe Bay, and Burnet, Republican candidate Ellen Troxclair, a former Austin City Council Member, is ahead of Democrat Pam Baggett 72.7% to 27.4%. The district was previously located just north of Beaumont, but in 2020 redistricting moved the district to just west of Austin and Round Rock. Republican James White represented the district from 2011 to 2022, but chose to run for Texas Agriculture Commissioner rather than run for reelection, but lost to incumbent Sid Miller in the Republican primary.
In the race for House District 17, which comprises Bastrop, Caldwell, Lee, Burleson and Milam counties, Republican candidate Stan Gerdes is ahead of Democrat Madeline Eden 66.1% to 29.7%. Independent Linda Curtis currently has 4.2% of the vote. Republican John Cyrier represented the district from 2015 to 2022, but decided against running for reelection. In mid-August, Gerdes filed a suit to remove Curtis from the November ballot, but a state district judge ultimately ruled against Gerdes.
- Niki Griswold
All GOP incumbents reelected to state's highest courts
Updated 11:59 p.m.
Voters in Tuesday's election returned three incumbents to the Texas Supreme Court and two sitting judges to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
For the Supreme Court, Justice Debra Lehrmann, a member of the state's highest civil court since 2010, defeated Democrat Erin Nowell.Justice Rebeca Huddle, appointed to the court by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2020, beat Democrat Amanda Reichek, and Justice Evan Young, the court's newest justice after he was appointed by Abbott one year ago, defeated Democrat Julia Maldonado.
On the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's highest criminal court, Judge Scott Walker won a second six-year term, defeating Democrat Dana Huffman, and Judge Jesse McClure III, appointed to the court in 2020, beat Democrat Robert Johnson.
A third Republican incumbent, Judge Mary Lou Keel, had no opponent in the 2020 election and was previously declared the winner of a second term on the court.
— Chuck Lindell
Hegar poised to take third term as Texas' chief financial officer
Updated 11:45 p.m.
Glenn Hegar, the incumbent Republican state comptroller, is presumably cruising to reelection for a third term after Democratic challenger Janet T. Dudding conceded Tuesday night.
With 54% of polling locations reporting, Hegar commands a 17 percentage-point lead over Dudding at 57-40, according to the secretary of state’s office.
The state comptroller is largely responsible for telling Texas legislators how much money they can spend when drafting the budget, writing checks and overseeing tax collections.
— Skye Seipp
Dan Patrick defeats Democrat Mike Collier in lieutenant governor race
Updated 11:45 p.m.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick surged to a comfortable victory over Democrat Mike Collier in Tuesday's election.
Patrick, a conservative Republican and close political ally to former President Donald Trump, won a third four-year term as the powerful presiding officer over the Texas Senate — filling committees, selecting chairmen and deciding which bills get a vote on the Senate floor.
Collier, an accountant and former oil company chief financial officer, made protecting the power grid a focus of his campaign. He also challenged Patrick in 2018 but was defeated by 4.8 points.
With just over half of polling locations reporting Tuesday night, Patrick was leading Collier, 55% to 42.6%.
- Chuck Lindell
Buckingham declares victory in Texas land commissioner race
Updated 11:40 p.m.
Former state senator Dawn Buckingham declared victory Tuesday night in the race for Texas land commissioner, presumably becoming the first woman elected to the position.
Buckingham, an Austin-area eye doctor, has a sizable lead with 57% of the vote over Democratic challenger Jay Kleberg who received 41%, according to the secretary of state’s website which shows with 51% of polling locations reporting.
The land commissioner manages about 13 million acres of state-owned lands and collects the income from oil and gas produced on those lands. That money is then put into the Permanent School Fund, which totals about $48 billion and helps fund Texas’ public schools. The commissioner also oversees the Alamo, the distribution of disaster relief funds and Texas coasts.
The position was the only seat up for grabs in the nonjudicial statewide elections after current commissioner George P. Bush decided against reelection and opted instead to launch an unsuccessful bid for attorney general. With a victory, Buckingham would be the only woman elected to an executive statewide position, aside from Christi Craddick, who sits on the three-person Railroad Commission.
— Skye Seipp
Ken Paxton declares victory over Democrat Rochelle Garza
Updated 11:35 p.m.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared victory over Democrat Rochelle Garza on Tuesday night, saying "reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated."
Paxton overcame Garza's focus on his legal troubles, including criminal indictments and an FBI investigation, to win a third four-year term.
With just over half of polling locations reporting, Paxton held a strong lead with 55% of the vote to Garza's 43%.
— Chuck Lindell
AP: Rep. Chip Roy reelected to Congress
Updated 11:35 p.m.
The Associated Press declared U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Hays County, the winner against Democrat Claudia Zapata in the 21st Congressional District, which runs from southern Travis County to San Antonio and encompasses much of the Hill Country.
Zapata told the American-Statesman Tuesday that regardless of election results, her ultimate goal was to uplift people to participate in the electoral process and community building.
“I’m feeling hopeful knowing that the work that we have put in over the course of the last year and a half is laying down the foundational electoral infrastructure, as well as building long-term trust in some of these extremely low-income, underrepresented communities in the Hill Country,” Zapata said. “So I am extremely proud of our campaign regardless of the election results.”
Organizations including Americans for Prosperity Action and FreedomWorks for America congratulated Roy on Twitter.
- Nusaiba Mizan
Uvalde County votes for Republicans despite backlash from Robb Elementary mass shooting
Updated 11:15pm
Final voting tallies from all precincts in Uvalde County show that voters overwhelmingly supported statewide Republican candidates, despite the backlash over the state’s handling of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary on May 24.
The massacre, which left 19 children and two teachers dead, is the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, and sparked a wave of activism from the families of the victims to advocate for increased gun control measures.
Several families of victims vocally supported Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s challenge to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott, even appearing in statewide campaign ads for the Democrat, after Abbott refused to call a special session to raise the minimum age required to purchase AR-15-style rifles like the one used in the Uvalde mass shooting, implement red flag laws, and require universal background checks for gun purchases.
But despite those families’ efforts, Uvalde County voted for Gov. Greg Abbott over Beto O’Rourke 60.2% to 38.3%. Republicans running for statewide, district, and judicial seats all the way down the ballot also have leads with double digit margins in Uvalde County.
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, who represents Uvalde, has been a vocal advocate for transparency in the Texas Department of Public Safety's investigation into the Uvalde massacre and for the rest of the victims’ families’ demands for accountability, and has pledged to dedicate his efforts in the next legislative sessions to their cause.
Nonetheless, Gutierrez’s Republican challenger Robert Garza led Gutierrez in Uvalde County 58.9% to 41.1%, although Gutierrez continues to hold an overall lead in the district, 56.7% to 43.3%.
- Niki Griswold
Republican Gregory Klaus wins Bastrop County judge’s race
Updated 11:15 p.m.
Political newcomer Gregory Klaus secured the Bastrop County judge’s seat Tuesday night after defeating two seasoned office holders, according to the unofficial election results.
Klaus, a Republican, received 49.76% of the total vote compared Democrat Dock Jackson’s 32.26% and independent Ronnie McDonald’s 17.98%.
Klaus, 72, a retired heating and air conditioning business owner and Vietnam War veteran, campaigned on fighting crime and making the county safer by bolstering support for the sheriff’s department, 911 communications and emergency services. He said he would work with the Texas Department of Transportation to improve highways and overpasses in the county and to help alleviate congestion on county farm-to-market roads.
“We can’t stop the growth in Bastrop County, but if elected as your county judge, I will work hard with our county commissioners to keep our taxes as low as possible while providing the necessary funding to our vital agencies throughout the county,” Klaus told the Advertiser last month. “We will work together to strengthen our county departments to provide the best services to our citizens.”
Jackson, 69, a fifth-generation Bastropian who was the first African American council member elected in Bastrop in at least the past century, hoped to convince voters to elect him based on his experience, which includes serving 27 years on the Bastrop City Council at different times.
McDonald, 51, who in 1998 became the first African American elected to serve as Bastrop County judge and at 27 years old was the youngest person elected to serve as a county judge in Texas, said he was running for the top administrative job because he has the experience, heart and passion to serve.
The election results will not become official until the Commissioners Court canvasses them.
Republican candidates dominated the Commissioners Court races with incumbent Clara Beckett defeating a challenge by Democrat Willy Ray Culberson for the Precinct 2 seat, and David Glass beating Democrat Cheryl Reese for the Precinct 4 seat.
Beckett received 64.8% of the vote, compared to Culberson’s 35.2%. Glass received 54.4% of the vote, compared to Reese’s 45.6%.
- Andy Sevilla
Austin Community College results: $770M bond package approved; Jackobs holds lead for trustee seat
Updated 10:25 p.m.
Austin Community College is projecting voters have approved a record $770 million bond package based on unofficial election results.
As of 10:25 p.m., about 70% of voters had voted in favor of the bond package, which will provide funding for new construction, campus upgrades and student support services. However, Caldwell and Lee County still had not reported their election day results.
“ACC should be very proud of this election and what the community is saying to us,” said Nan McRaven, the chair of the ACC Board of Trustees. “That they trust us, that we can deliver and that we will deliver on our promise for this $770 million bond initiative.”
Steve Jackobs has held his lead throughout the night over Nathaniel Hellman for a contested at-large seat on the college’s board. Jackobs had tallied 148,384 votes, or 58%, while Hellman had 108,586 votes, or 42%.
Incumbents Sean Hassan and Manny Gonzalez both ran unopposed for their respective seats on Place 4 and Place 5.
- Megan Menchaca
AP: Rep. Michael McCaul wins reelection to U.S. House District 10
Updated 10:15 p.m.
The Associated Press declared incumbent Republican Michael McCaul the winner against Democrat Linda Nuno in the U.S. House race for District 10. This will be McCaul’s 10th term in congress.
District 10 stretches from North Austin to the Houston suburbs.
McCaul, based in Austin, focused on the economy and his track record as part of his campaign. McCaul is the GOP leader of the Foreign Affairs Committee and former chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.
“I have spent my entire career bringing people together to get good things done for the American people,” McCaul said in a news release. “The residents of this district, from Austin to Brenham to the Brazos Valley, know that I will do right by them and make sure their voices are heard.”
- Nusaiba Mizan
Democrats holding on to lead in Travis County offices
Updated 9:55 p.m.
Preliminary election results for Travis County offices continue to favor Democrats on Tuesday night. Of the 887,000 registered voters, only about 377,000 ballots have been cast:
County judge: Incumbent Democrat Andy Brown continues to lead with 266,699 votes (73%). Republican challenger Rupal Chaudhari has 97,259 votes (27%).
County clerk: Democrat Dyana Limon-Mercado is keeping the lead with 263,647 votes (73%). Republican Susan Haynes has garnered 98,537 votes (27%).
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2: Democrat Randall Slagle continues to lead the race with 70,129 votes (74%). Libertarian Christopher David was trailing behind with 24,699 votes (26%).
— Claire Lawrence
Abbott cruises to third term over O'Rourke
Updated 10:05 p.m.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has easily defeated Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke for a third term.
With unofficial and incomplete returns reported by the Texas secretary of state office at 10 p.m. Abbott was leading by 56.8% to 42.1%. The Associated Press called the race for Abbott shortly before 10 p.m.
Abbott declared a "resounding victory for my reelection" at a celebration in McAllen.
Abbott, who who turns 65 on Sunday, campaigned aggressively on his efforts to secure Texas' border with Mexico. He sought to tie O'Rourke to the Democratic Biden administration's immigration policies that polls showed played well across the Lone Star State's political landscape.
Massive Dripping Springs school bond failing in early tallies
Updated 9:35 p.m.
A proposed $481 bond package, presented in three separate propositions, was put before voters to address explosive growth in Hays County. But the package appeared to be failing among voters, according to early voting results.
Proposition A: The $199 million allocation, which will address renovations and maintenance to existing campuses as well as a new elementary school, could be rejected with 50.61% of voters so far opposing it.
Proposition B: This is the largest of the three bond proposals. It calls for more than $275 million to build a second high school. So far, 52.86% of voters were opposing it.
Proposition C: The $6.5 million would pay for the district's plan to replace technology devices for students, staff members and classrooms with Chromebooks, Dell desktops and interactive panels. Prop C was failing with 52.2% of the vote rejecting the measure.
— Luz Moreno-Lozano
Race is on for last GOP seat on 3rd Court of Appeals
Updated 9:30 p.m.
The last remaining seat held by a Republican on the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals was in play in Tuesday night's early election returns.
With a string of election victories over the past few cycles, Democrats came into the 2022 election holding five of six seats on the appeals court.
Only one place on the court is up for election this year, an open seat after Republican Justice Melissa Goodwin declined to seek reelection.
With 9% of precincts reporting, Democrat Rosa Lopez Theofanis, an Austin appellate lawyer, was leading Republican Lesli Fitzpatrick, a criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor, 56.7% to 43.3% Tuesday night.
The 3rd Court hears criminal and civil appeals from 24 Central Texas counties.
- Chuck Lindell
GOP judges leading in Court of Criminal Appeals races
Updated 9:20 p.m.
Two Republican incumbents on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's highest criminal court, were leading their Democratic opponents in early election returns Tuesday night.
Judge Scott Walker, seeking a second six-year term, was leading Democrat Dana Huffman 57% to 43% with 17% of precincts reporting statewide.
Judge Jesse McClure III, appointed to the court in 2020, was ahead of Democrat Robert Johnson 57% to 43%.
A third Republican incumbent, Judge Mary Lou Keel, had no opponent in the 2020 election and was previously declared the winner of a second term on the court.
— Chuck Lindell
Texas Supreme Court's GOP incumbents jump to early lead
Updated 9:20 p.m.
Three Republican incumbents on the Texas Supreme Court were leading in early election returns.
Justice Debra Lehrmann, a member of the state's highest civil court since 2010, was leading Democrat Erin Nowell 56% to 42% with 15% of polling locations reporting.
Justice Rebeca Huddle, appointed to the court by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2020, was ahead of Democrat Amanda Reichek, 57% to 43%.
Justice Evan Young, the court's newest justice after he was appointed by Abbott one year ago, was leading Democrat Julia Maldonado 56% to 44%.
— Chuck Lindell
Incumbents in Central Texas House districts take early lead
Updated 9:15 p.m.
As ballots are tallied, incumbent lawmakers in Texas House districts in Central Texas appear to be taking an early lead in their respective races.
In House District 20, which covers central Cedar Park, Leander and Georgetown, Republican incumbent Terry Wilson is leading Democratic challenger Raul Camacho 57.46% to 42.54%. Wilson first took office in 2017.
In Austin-area House Districts 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, and 136, the Democratic incumbents are holding significant early leads ahead of their Republican opponents.
In House District 45, Democratic incumbent Erin Zwiener is ahead of Republican Michelle Lopez 60.75% to 39.25%. Zwiener has been in office since 2019.
In House District 46, Democratic incumbent Sheryl Cole is ahead of Republican Samuel Strasser 78.79% to 19.06%. Cole has been in office since 2019, and served on the Austin City Council from 2006 to 2015.
In House District 47, Democratic incumbent Vikki Goodwin is ahead of Republican Rob McCarthy 63.62% to 36.38%. Goodwin has been in office since 2019.
In House District 48, Democratic incumbent Donna Howard is not facing a Republican challenger, and is ahead of Libertarian Daniel McCarthy 81.54% to 18.46%. Howard has been in office since 2006.
In House District 49, Democratic incumbent Gina Hinojosa is ahead of Republican challenger Katherine Griffin 85.93% to 12.5%. Libertarian candidate David Roberson currently has 1.57% of the vote. Hinojosa has been in office since 2017.
In House District 136, Democratic incumbent John Bucy III has already declared victory on his Twitter page, saying, “Thank you to the people of HD 136 for again electing me to serve you in the Legislature! I am humbled by your overwhelming support and the trust you’ve placed in me. There is so much work to do and I’m committed to continuing to fight every day for our families and our community.”
Based on early voting numbers Bucy was ahead of Republican challenger Michelle Evans 64.08% to 33.9%. Libertarian candidate Burton Culley has so far garnered 2.02% of the vote. Bucy has been in office since 2019.
- Niki Griswold
Incumbent Glenn Hegar takes early lead in race for state’s top accountant
Updated 9:15 p.m.
Republican incumbent Glenn Hegar has an early lead against Democratic challenger Janet T. Dudding and libertarian V. Alonzo Echevarria-Garza in the race for state comptroller, according to unofficial early election results.
Hegar has received 56% of the vote with 80% of precincts reporting, according to the secretary of state’s office. Dudding received 41% of the vote and Echevarria-Garza has 2%.
A former state senator, Hegar is looking to claim his third reelection as state comptroller, who is largely responsible for telling Texas legislators how much money they can spend when drafting the budget, writing checks and overseeing tax collections.
The candidates largely ran quiet campaigns, but as the election drew closer Hegar began making threats to companies he said were against oil and gas along with other conservative threats, according to The Texas Tribune.
- Skye Seipp
Marijuana decriminalization favored in early San Marcos vote
Updated 9:10 p.m.
According to early voting results, San Marcos voters heavily favor the decriminalization of marijuana. Meanwhile, San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson and Council Member Saul Gonzales are both leading in their races for another term on the city council. Incumbent Maxfield Baker, however, is narrowly trailing behind in the race for Place 1.
Mayor: Incumbent Jane Hughson is leading with 62.47% of the vote. Challenger John Thomaides has 37.53%.
Place 1: Matthew Mendoza has an early lead with 51.67% of the vote over incumbent Maxfield Baker, who is following closely at 48.33%.
Place 2: Incumbent Saul Gonzales is likely to be reelected, so far earning 76.1% of the vote. Challenger Atom Von Arndt has 23.9%.
Proposition A: The vote to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession has overwhelming support from voters with 81.26% in favor.
- Luz Moreno-Lozano
Former Austin City Council member Greg Casar wins congressional seat
Updated 9:00 p.m.
The Associated Press declared Democrat Greg Casar the winner of the 35th Congressional District over Republican candidate Dan McQueen.
The candidates competed for an open seat as Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, is running in the newly created 37th Congressional District.
Casar, a former Austin City Council member, left the council in November to run for Congress. He ran with a progressive platform centering on abortion access, expanding Medicaid, and comprehensive immigration reform.
The 35th District runs from eastern Travis County to the east side of San Antonio along a narrow section of Interstate 35.
Casar claimed victory at an evening election party.
“Texas is not a red state,” Casar said. “We are an under-organized state — and today’s win demonstrates how our movement can build long-term power. This is only the beginning, because I’m not headed to Congress by myself. I’m taking our movement for Texas working families with me.”
- Nusaiba Mizan
Incumbent Rizo trails in Kyle City Council race; Prop A winning
Updated 8:50 p.m.
Based on results from early voting ballots, the Kyle City Council could see two new faces. The District 1 race appears to be headed for a runoff because no one in the six-candidate field has so far garnered more than 50% of the vote. In District 3, incumbent Robert Rizo is trailing challenger Miguel A. Zuniga.
District 1: Front runners Amanda Stark has earned 29.63% of the vote and Bear Heiser has 20%. Close behind is Marc McKinney with 19.18% of the vote. Marina Tupikov has 15.28% of the vote, Nick Madsen has 10.1% and Neal Breen has 5.82%.
District 3: Incumbent Robert Rizo, with 47.63% of the vote, is trailing challenger Miguel A. Zuniga, who has 52.37%.
Proposition A: Voters appear to favor the $294.4 million road bond with 65.45% approval.
— Luz Moreno-Lozano
Republican Gregory Klaus leading opponents early in Bastrop County judge race
Update: 8:45 p.m.
Republican Gregory Klaus has an early lead against Democrat Dock Jackson and independent Ronnie McDonald in the race for Bastrop County judge, according to the early election results.
Klaus received 47% of the early vote compared to Jackson’s 35% and McDonald’s 18%. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the total vote, the top two vote-getters will head to a runoff.
In the Precinct 2 commissioner’s race, Republican incumbent Clara Beckett is ahead of Democratic challenger Willy Ray Culberson after the early vote was tallied. Beckett received 61% of the early vote compared to Culberson’s 39%.
In the open Precinct 4 commissioner’s race, Republican David Glass is narrowly leading Democrat Cheryl Reese, according to the early results.
Glass received 52% of the early vote compared to Reese’s 48%.
The seat became open after Donna Snowden decided against reelection.
- Andy Sevilla
Sid Miller leads in bid for third term as Agriculture Commissioner
Updated 8:40 p.m.
As early voting tallies come in, Republican incumbent Sid Miller pulled ahead of Democratic challenger Susan Hays in early returns to lead the state’s agricultural future, control school lunches and manage the state’s rural healthcare.
When it comes to farming and ranching, the chief of the Texas Department of Agriculture is responsible for marketing Texas products across the country and state, regulating scales and food inspections, and overseeing a $6 billion budget. But the job also entails roles outside of farming and ranching, such as control over school lunches, fuel pumps, rural hospitals and hemp growing licenses.
Seeking his third term in office, Miller, a rodeo cowboy and former state representative, is no stranger to controversy, with the latest involving his former political consultant for selling $100 hemp licenses for over $150,000. Hays built her campaign largely on fighting the “ethically challenged” incumbent.
- Skye Seipp
Buckingham with an early lead over Kleberg in Land Commissioner race
Updated 8:40 p.m.
In the bid for control of state lands, the Alamo and disaster relief allocations, former Republican senator Dawn Buckingham leads Democratic challenger Jay Kleberg in early returns.
The commissioner of the General Land Office, currently headed by George P. Bush who lost a runoff bid against Ken Paxton for attorney general, manages about 13 million acres of state-owned lands and collects the income from oil and gas produced on those lands. That money is then put into the Permanent School Fund, which totals about $48 billion and helps fund Texas’ public schools.
Other responsibilities for the land commissioner include overseeing the state’s coasts, distributing disaster relief funds, managing the Alamo and overseeing the Veterans Land Board, which is responsible for the nine state veteran homes and four veteran cemeteries.
Buckingham, an eye doctor, ran a campaign centered around “securing” Texas’s borders, “fighting” inflation — two things not in the purview of the office — and expanding the state's school fund and energy production. Kleberg, a land conservationist and documentary filmmaker, vowed to diversify energy production on state lands to aid in the fight against climate change if elected.
Bush’s office came under scrutiny during his tenure for not distributing disaster aid to the city of Houston and Harris County following Hurricane Harvey. Both candidates said they would fix the state’s disaster response if elected.
- Skye Seipp
Christian pulls ahead in Railroad Commissioner race
Updated 8:40 p.m.
Republican railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian leads his Democratic challenger Luke Warford in early returns.
Christian, a former gospel singer and financial advisor before turning to politics in the mid-1990s, is seeking his third term to the state Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry. Christian’s platform includes expanding oil and gas production and reducing regulations.
Warford, a former business consultant and Democratic Party employee, ran his campaign on “Keeping the Lights On” in reference to Texas’ deadly winter freeze in 2021 that knocked out power to millions in the state largely due to the failure of natural gas.
The position has nothing to do with railroads, and this race has drawn in celebrity support from people such as the actor and activist Jane Fonda as it’s been deemed one of the country's most crucial climate change positions. Current commissioners have drawn scrutiny for their connections to the oil and gas industry, mainly through large amounts of fundraising.
— Skye Seipp
Becerra has narrow lead in early vote for Hays County judge
Updated 8:30 p.m.
Incumbent Ruben Becerra has an early lead in the race for county judge over challenger and longtime County Commissioner Mark Jones. Michelle Gutierrez Cohen and County Commissioner Walt Smith also have early leads in their respective Commissioner's Court races, according to unofficial results from early voting.
County judge: Democratic incumbent Ruben Becerra is leading with 51.76% of the vote. Republican Mark Jones has 48.24%.
Commissioner, Precinct 2: Democrat Michelle Gutierrez Cohen has a large lead with 63.51% of the vote over Republican challenger Mike Gonzalez, who has 36.49%.
Commissioner Precinct 4: Incumbent Walt Smith, a Republican, leads with 52.1% of the vote. Susan Cook, who ran as an independent, is trailing close behind with 47.9%.
- Luz Moreno-Lozano
Ken Paxton leading Rochelle Garza in race for Texas AG
Updated 8:20 p.m.
In the race for Texas attorney general, incumbent Republican Ken Paxton was leading Democrat Rochelle Garza in the early stages of vote counting Tuesday night.
Paxton, hoping to shrug off legal trouble that has included criminal indictments and an FBI investigation, took a 55% to 42.3% lead over Garza with 5% of polling locations reporting. His totals were about 3 to 3.5 points behind most other Republicans running for statewide office.
- Chuck Lindell
Early totals promising for $2.4 billion Austin school bond
Updated 8:20 p.m.
Early results have Austin school officials optimistic that the largest bond package in the district's history will pass voter approval.
A strong majority of people who voted early approved all three propositions of the massive $2.4 billion bond package the district is proposing to modernize old campuses, improve technology and update athletic facilities.
In early voting, about 73 percent of early voters approved Proposition A and B, which would update campuses and technology respectively, and about 59 percent approved Proposition C, which would improve athletics facilities.
The results are exciting for the district and students, Interim Superintendent Anthony Mays said at a gathering of district employees awaiting election results at Easy Tiger: Austin Beer Garden and Bakery on South Lamar.
"It says we value education," Mays said. "It says we love our kids. We want to see great things happen in Austin ISD."
- Keri Heath
Austin school board president trailing challenger after early vote
Updated 8:20 p.m.
Austin school board president Geronimo Rodriguez is trailing challenger Andrew Gonzales in the District 4 race, according to the early vote totals.
Gonzales, a former district teacher who taught history at Travis High School and Lively Middle School, received 67% of the early vote, according to unofficial Travis County elections results.
Rodriguez, who has served on the board five years, received 33% support from the early ballots.
In the District 1 race, former district teacher Candace Hunter is ahead in early voting numbers, with 66% of the vote. Roxanne Evans, a former American-Statesman education reporter who had also worked for the Austin district, received 34% of the early vote.
In District 4, Kathryn Whitley Chu, a former accountant and teacher, is leading home builder Clint Small after the early vote was counted. Chu received 72% of the early ballots compared to Small’s 28%.
District 9 incumbent Arati Singh is fending off a challenge by interior designer Heather Toolin with 69% of the early vote, election results show. Toolin received 31% of the early vote.
Singh is the board secretary and has served for four years.
- Keri Heath
Incumbent Republican Dan Patrick leading Democrat Collier in early count
Updated 8:15 p.m.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took the lead over Democrat Mike Collier in early election returns.
Patrick, a conservative Republican and close political ally to former President Donald Trump, was seeking a third four-year term as the powerful presiding officer over the Texas Senate — filling committees, selecting chairmen and deciding which bills get a vote on the Senate floor.
Collier, an accountant and former oil company chief financial officer, made protecting the power grid a focus of his campaign. He also challenged Patrick in 2018 but was defeated by 4.8 points.
Tuesday night, Patrick led Collier, 55.5% to 42.2% with 5% of polling locations reporting.
- Chuck Lindell
Democrat Bell-Metereau takes lead in Texas State Board of Education race
Updated 8:10 p.m.
Democratic incumbent Rebecca Bell-Metereau took an initial lead over Republican Perla Muñoz Hopkins in the election for the District 5 seat on the Texas State Board of Education.
According to unofficial, partial early vote totals, Bell-Metereau, a film professor at Texas State University, had received about 70% of the vote in her race against Perla Muñoz Hopkins, a former Leander school district teacher, with 48% of counties reporting.
The State Board of Education approves curriculum and textbooks for public schools, oversees the Texas Permanent School Fund and has a say in rules for educator certificates and new charter school applications.
State lawmakers redrew district boundaries last year to create a Democratic advantage in District 5, which now encompasses all of Travis County. The previous map split Travis County between District 5 and the more rural District 6.
- Megan Menchaca
Steve Jackobs takes lead in election for Austin Community College at-large seat
Updated 8:05 p.m.
Steve Jackobs, the former executive director of Capital IDEA, took an early lead in the election for a seat on the Austin Community College Board of Trustees, according to unofficial early vote returns.
Jackobs had about 59% of the vote in his race for Place 6 on the board against Nathaniel Hellman, a real estate agent, based on early votes from Lee, Travis, Williamson and Hays counties. Early voting results from Bastrop and Caldwell counties were not available.
The seat is open following the end of Nora de Hoyos Comstock’s term on the board.
Trustees, who are unpaid and serve six-year terms, are responsible for setting ACC policies, governing the college’s educational programs and providing guidance to the college to ensure that it is serving ACC students, faculty and staff.
Two incumbents ran unopposed for the two remaining seats on the board that were up for election. Sean Hassan, the current board secretary, ran for Place 4, and board member Manny Gonzalez ran for Place 5.
- Megan Menchaca
Voters show initial support for $770M Austin Community College bond package
Updated 8:05 p.m.
Unofficial, partial early vote totals show more than 70% of early voters showing their support for the $770 million Austin Community College bond package.
About 72% of voters in Travis County, 69% of voters in Williamson County, 65% of Lee County and 63% of Hays County voters voted early in favor of the bond package. Early voting results from Bastrop and Caldwell were not available.
The bond, if given final approved, would provide funding for new construction, campus upgrades and student support services, such as child care and student health services. It would also help the college expand training capacity for jobs in health care and advanced manufacturing and would fund new sites in southeastern and southwestern Travis County.
The bond would not result in an increase in the tax rate, but with an expected increase in property values, ACC estimates that a taxpayer with a home worth $500,000 wouldpay up to $5 more per year over the first five years, maxing out at $25 per year at the current tax rate.
The referendum was open to people living in the ACC taxing district, which includes the city of Austin and the Austin, Del Valle, Elgin, Hays, Leander, Manor and Round Rock school districts.
- Megan Menchaca
Austin City Council early results indicate two incumbent victories, three runoffs
Updated 7:48 p.m.
Incumbents Natasha-Harper Madison in District 1 and Paige Ellis in District 8 are both ahead in early unofficial numbers released by Travis County around 7 p.m.
Harper Madison, who is facing off against three opponents, has 56.6% of the vote. Ellis, who is also facing three opponents, has 60.1% of the vote.
Seats in districts 3, 5 and 9 are open and all likely to go to a runoff. In races where neither candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held on Dec. 13 to decide the winner.
In District 3, José Velásquez had the most votes (38.1%) after early voting numbers were released. He was followed by Daniela Silva (33.9%).
District 5 candidates Stephanie Bazan and Ryan Alter currently lead a pack of six with 28.6% and 25.3% of the early votes, respectively.
District 9 has three candidates that could end up in a runoff depending on results from the rest of the night. Zohaib Qadri led the field of eight candidates with 30.1% of the vote. Filing behind were Linda Guerrero with 23% and Ben Leffler with 22.7%.
- Sarah Asch
Early vote totals show strong support for Austin's $350M housing bond
Updated 7:41 p.m.
With results from early voting counted, it looks like Austin taxpayers will pay $350 million to help the city develop more affordable housing.
On Proposition A, 73% of votes cast in Travis County favored the housing bond measure, the largest in Austin's history, and 27% opposed it. Early voting results from Williamson and Hays counties were not available.
The vote reflects the 216,000 votes counted in Travis County during the two-week early voting window. Votes submitted on Tuesday are still being tallied.
The housing bond, which generated no organized opposition, will go not only to buying land and building homes but to repairing existing homes for low-income residents.
If approved, the typical Austin home will pay an additional $46 a year.
- Ryan Autullo
Early returns from secretary of state show Abbott with lead
Updated 7:40 p.m.
The initial unofficial returns from the Texas secretary of state's office show Gov. Greg Abbott and the rest of the Republican statewide ticket with big leads.
But it's still an incomplete picture as several of the state's most populated counties are posting their results before the state website has put them up. In most of the urban counties, Democrat Beto O'Rourke and his statewide ticket mates were showing comfortable leads. Many of the larger suburban counties were showing Abbott and his fellow Republican statewide candidates ahead, but by smaller margins.
In Williamson County, north of Austin, it was tight in the early returns with the Democratic ticket ahead by just a couple of percentage points.
- John C. Moritz
Israel grabs early lead in Austin mayor's race; runoff with Watson likely
Updated 7:30 p.m.
Austin's next mayor is unlikely to be decided Tuesday, based on early voting results in Travis County that show a tight race between Kirk Watson and Celia Israel.
Results from Williamson and Hays counties — parts of Austin extend into both counties — were not yet available.
To win the race outright and avoid a runoff, Texas elections require a candidate to earn more than half of all votes. In the two-week early voting period, Watson and Israel fell short of that mark. Israel took 41% and Watson 36% of the vote. Jennifer Virden, the only other candidate who conducted a significant campaign, earned nearly 17%.
Three other candidates received limited support. Phil Brual, Gary Spellman, and Anthony Bradshaw each received 1%.
The early voting totals were announced shortly after 7 p.m. Ballots cast on Election Day are still being counted.
Heading into the day, political insiders who analyzed the election said they expected the mayor's race to go to a runoff, as voters seemed split between Watson, the former Austin mayor and state senator, and Israel, a sitting state representative.
- Ryan Autullo
Early votes favor Democrats for Travis County offices
Updated 7:30 p.m.
Election results for Travis County offices were favoring Democrats Tuesday night. With only early votes counted:
County judge: Incumbent Democrat Andy Brown leads with 74% of the vote. Republican challenger Rupal Chaudhari trials behind with 26% of the vote.
County clerk: Democrat Dyana Limon-Mercado leads with 74% of mail-in ballots, early voting and provisional ballots. Republican Susan Haynes has garnered 26% of the vote.
Justice of the peace, Precinct 2: Democrat Randall Slagle leads the race with 75% of votes. Libertarian Christopher David currently sits at 25%.
- Claire Lawrence
AP: Rep. Lloyd Doggett defeats GOP challenger for Texas District 37
Updated 7:28 p.m.
The Associated Press declared U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett as winner for the 37th Congressional District against Republican Jenny Garcia Sharon at 7:13 p.m.
Doggett, who currently represents District 35, is running for the newly created District 37 — one of two additional U.S. House seats Texas gained after the 2020 U.S. Census because of its population growth. Doggett told the American-Statesman when he announced his run that he wanted to represent the neighborhoods he grew up in.
Doggett has served in Congress since 1995.
- Nusaiba Mizan
Runoff looks likely in Austin City Council District 5
Updated 7:20 p.m.
In the Austin City Council District 5 race, early results suggest a runoff is likely, with three candidates in striking distance of advancing to the runoff election. According to unofficial results from early voting, Stephanie Bazan was in the lead with 28.6% of the vote, followed by Ryan Alter with 25.3%, according to the Travis County election office. Ken Craig was third in the race with 19.9% of the vote.
If no candidate claims a majority of the votes, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff in December.
The vote percentages for the other candidates in the race were: Bill Welch (14.4%), Aaron Webman (9.5%) and Brian Anderson (2.3%).
Complete results won't be available until later Tuesday.
The winner in the South Austin district will succeed two-term Council Member Ann Kitchen, who had endorsed Craig, her longtime policy advisor.
- Ryan Autullo
Polls close in Travis County, most locations in Texas at 7 p.m.
The polls closed in Travis County Polls at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Anyone who was in line by 7 p.m. can still vote if they stay in line.
According to the Travis County Clerk, more than 120,000 people voted in-person on Election Day.
- Megan Menchaca
What's on the ballot?
Key statewide races
Key local races
Statesman Editorial Board:Endorsements in the November 2022 election
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Get live Election Day updates, results for Austin, Texas races
