San Antonio Voters Face Crowded March 5 Primary With Senate, Congressional and Statehouse Contests

Texas voters head to the polls on Tuesday, March 5, for a primary election that will help set the field for a high-stakes November. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Beyond the presidential contest, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is seeking re-election, and a large group of Democrats is competing for the chance to face him.

The primary also doubles as a test of strength between Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Abbott is backing candidates who would help advance his school voucher agenda, while Paxton is endorsing challengers to lawmakers who voted to impeach him.

Voters should bring a valid ID, such as a Texas driver license, a Texas personal identification card or a Texas handgun license, all issued by the Department of Public Safety, or a U.S. military ID with a photograph. Those without photo ID have other options. Voters who need help at the polls may choose a person to assist them, though not their employer, an employer's representative, or a union officer or representative. Anyone unable to enter a polling place can vote curbside by sending someone inside to ask a worker to come to the curb; those arriving alone should call their county elections office ahead of time.

Texas primaries are open, so voters need not declare a party affiliation, but they may use only one ballot, Democratic or Republican.

In the U.S. Senate race, Cruz is seeking a third term and faces Republican challengers R E (Rufus) Lopez, a San Antonio attorney, and Holland "Redd" Gibson. Nine Democrats are running, including Dallas Congressman Colin Allred and San Antonio state Sen. Roland Gutierrez. Allred, a former NFL player and civil rights attorney, has nearly $8 million on hand, more than the under $6 million held by Cruz. Gutierrez has less than $400,000. The Cook Political Report rates the seat as likely to stay Republican. UTSA political scientist Sharon Navarro said both leading Democrats lack name recognition, but called Cruz "vulnerable," noting that Beto O'Rourke came within two percentage points of beating him in the last Senate election. Mark Jones of Rice University's Baker Institute said a recent poll showed Cruz holding a steady edge over Allred and that President Joe Biden's unpopularity in Texas hurts Democrats' prospects. If no Democrat tops 50%, the two leading finishers advance to a late-May runoff.

Several congressional races touch the San Antonio area. In District 15, Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, who beat Democrat Michelle Vallejo by more than 8% in 2022, faces Vangela Churchill in the primary, while Vallejo faces John Villareal Rigney. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Vallejo to its "Red to Blue" program in January. In District 23, Rep. Tony Gonzales, censured by the Republican Party of Texas in March 2023, faces Julie Clark, Victor Avila, Brandon Herrera and Francisco Lopez. The National Republican Congressional Committee says it will keep supporting him. Democrats Lee Bausinger and Santos Limon are also running.

Other incumbents face lighter primaries. Joaquin Castro in District 20, Chip Roy in District 21 and Henry Cuellar in District 28 are unopposed in their own primaries, as is Vicente Gonzalez in District 34, where former Rep. Mayra Flores, endorsed by Donald Trump, is among four Republicans seeking a 2022 rematch. In District 35, Democratic Rep. Greg Casar is seeking a second term, and five Republicans are competing to challenge him.

In the Legislature, Republican state Sen. Donna Campbell, who is seeking a fourth term in District 25, is unopposed, as is Democrat Merrie Fox. In the Texas House, Trey Martinez Fischer (District 116) and Philip Cortez (District 117) are unopposed in their primaries. District 118 features a Democratic contest between Kristian Carranza and Carlos Quezada to face Republican John Lujan III, who won a November 2021 special election by 3.6 percentage points. In District 119, Democratic Rep. Elizabeth "Liz" Campos faces a primary challenge from Charles Fuentes.