2026 Texas midterm election results come in as key races take shape

In the Tarrant County judge race, Alisa Simmons, 57.6 percent, compared to Republican incumbent Tim O’Hare’s 42.4 percent. Simmons said O’Hare called her to concede the race.

“It’s looking really good right now,” Simmons said. “It looks like the Tarrant County Commissioners Court has flipped…And I told Judge O’Hare that when he called; he called an hour ago to congratulate me.”

The race has not yet been projected.

CBS News Texas has reached out to O’Hare for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Conversations with Latino voters in Texas reveal concerns about immigration policies and the rising cost of living.

Housing, groceries and other daily expenses are among the issues weighing on voters this election.

CBS News now classifies the Texas Senate race and the Texas governor’s race as “lean Democratic.”

No Democrat has won the Texas Senate seat since 1988. That year, incumbent Democrat Lloyd Bentsen won the election.

Political science professor Álvaro J. Corral discusses rising voter turnout in South Texas, where some counties exceeded their 2024 total turnout in early voting.

Dallas County’s Proposition A, the Homeless, Mental Health and Housing Property Tax Increase, is currently tight, based on early voting results as of 8:20 p.m.

At 8 p.m. CT, CBS News considers Texas’ redrawn 32nd District to be lean Democratic.

Texas Republicans dramatically changed district boundaries to favor the Republican Party, transforming the once solidly Democratic seat into one where only 41% of the electorate supported Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

Democratic candidate Dan Barrios is currently leading Republican candidate Jace Yarbrough.

CBS News is now calling the Texas Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico a toss-up.

The Texas Senate race is now the costliest non-presidential race on record – with ad spending reaching $544.5 million. In the general election, AdImpact Politics said Friday, Republicans spent $274.1 million on political ads for Paxton, while Democrats spent $133.4 million on political ads for Talarico.

Monday night, Paxton said most polls show the race “is going to go down to the wire.”

The fight between Paxton and Talarico could determine control of the U.S. Senate.

With 42% of the votes returned, CBS News is now calling the governor’s race a toss-up.

Previous polls have shown that Gov. Greg Abbott has a huge advantage over Democrat Gina Hinojosa in political ad spending: nearly $111 million for his campaign, while her campaign spent $22 million.

Two senior Republican Party officials involved in the party’s mid-term strategy told CBS News The election results are causing growing concern within key Senate Republican circles.

“It looks biblically bad,” one of the agents told CBS News.

Another senior Republican Party official directly involved in the Senate’s midterm strategy was equally blunt.

“Dude,” the strategist said. “Bloodbath.”

If elected, Hinojosa would be only the third woman to serve as governor of Texas after Ma Ferguson and Ann Richards. She would also be the first Democratic governor since Richards left office in 1995 and the first Latina, as well as the first Hispanic to hold the office.

Long lines were spotted outside Democrat James Talarico’s election night party in Austin. Meanwhile, Republican Ken Paxton’s campaign is holding its election night in Dallas.

CBS News projects Democrat Frederick Douglas Haynes III, a longtime Dallas pastor and civil rights advocate, to defeat Republican Everett Jackson for Texas’ 30th Congressional District.

Learn more here.

CBS News projects Democrat Colin Allred to win Texas’ 33rd Congressional District race, defeating Patrick Gillespie.

Learn more here.

President Trump has said he would use his veto to block Democratic legislation if Democrats take control of the House or Senate.

In an exclusive interview with CBS News, he adopted the nickname “Mr. Veto,” signaling his willingness to challenge a Democratic-controlled Congress.

Pollsters were predicting losses for the Republican Party, and in late October, a CBS News poll suggested that Republicans might be on track to win. lose control of the House.

Learn more here.

About six in 10 people say President Trump is a factor in their vote for the House, according to CBS News exit polls.

Midterm elections have often been a referendum on the sitting president.

About nine in 10 voters nationally say government corruption is a major factor in their vote, along with the cost of living, and about six in 10 think the president puts personal interests ahead of the country.

Neither political party is viewed favorably by the majority of voters.

Read more about the exit poll results here.

With less than an hour until polls close in most parts of Texas, voters who received mail-in ballots are also approaching an important deadline.

Completed absentee ballots generally must be received by county election officials by 7 p.m. on Tuesday. However, ballots postmarked before 7 p.m. on Election Day can still be counted if they arrive before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 4. Different deadlines apply to certain military and overseas voters.

Voters who still have their completed absentee ballots can hand-deliver them to their county’s early voting office before polls close at 7 p.m. They must present acceptable identification.

Voters can also check the status of their absentee ballots through the Texas Secretary of State’s ballot tracking system.

With polls set to close at 7 p.m. Tuesday in most of North Texas, voters are less than an hour away from seeing the first results of several closely watched midterm elections.

However, Texas spans two time zones. While polls close at 7 p.m. in most of the state, voting will continue until 7 p.m. Mountain Time or 8 p.m. Central Time in the El Paso area.

Counties are expected to begin reporting early voting results shortly after their polls close, followed by ballots cast on Election Day. Results will continue to be updated throughout the night as additional votes are counted.

Some races could be decided Tuesday evening, while others could take longer to determine whether margins are tight or whether additional ballots remain outstanding. Statewide races cannot be called until all polling places are closed throughout Texas.

CBS News Texas will provide live election results, updates and analysis throughout the evening as voters decide key races for U.S. Senate, governor, Congress and other offices.

Polls in North Texas are expected to end in about an hour at 7 p.m. Tuesday, giving voters just one more hour to cast their ballots in the 2026 midterm elections.

If you’re still planning to vote, you can vote as long as you’re in line before 7 p.m. Voters already waiting when polling stations close must be allowed to vote, even if they do not arrive at the voting booth until after 7 p.m.

Before you leave, make sure you know your designated polling location. Dallas, Collin and Tarrant counties allow voters to vote at any authorized voting center on Election Day within their county, while Denton County voters must use their assigned polling location.

Voters can find additional information on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.