Elections Today Shape November’s Tomorrow— Beginning With This Primary Election Happening Right Now
The joint 2026 Primary Elections are now underway in Bexar County and statewide which will determine which candidates appear on the November ballot.
Early voting runs through Friday, February 27. Election Day is March 3, 2026.
What We Are Watching in These Primaries
Several high stakes contests are unfolding that could reshape both local and statewide leadership.These pivotal elections will determine which Republicans and Democrats appear on the November ballot.
The San Antonio Observer will be tracking voter turnout and results as soon as the numbers start rolling in. Readers are encouraged to check back for continued coverage as results come in.
U.S. Senate
Texas has one U.S. Senate seat on the ballot, currently held by John Cornyn, who is seeking a fifth term.
Cornyn faces primary challenges from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt and five other Republican candidates.
On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico are competing for the nomination in a bid to become the first Democrat elected to statewide office in more than 30 years. Houston area businessman Ahmad R. Hassan is also on the Democratic ballot.
District 120 State House of Representatives
District 120
Jordan Brown
Bently Paiz
Barbara Gervin Hawkins
District 120 has drawn notable Eastside attention. Brown’s campaign has been visible across neighborhoods with yard signs and active door to door outreach. Incumbent Gervin Hawkins has taken a quieter approach, leaning on name recognition, while Paiz has maintained a limited public presence compared to his opponents.
Bexar County Judge
The most closely watched local contest is the Democratic primary for Bexar County judge. Incumbent Judge Peter Sakai faces former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
The winner will advance to face Republican Patrick Von Dohlen in November. Von Dohlen does not have a primary opponent.
Bexar County District Attorney
Other significant county races include District Attorney, another one of the several competitive contests on the Democratic primary ballot.
Eight Democratic candidates are seeking to replace Gonzales and political observers widely expect the contest to advance to a runoff given the size of the field.
Other significant county races include Justices of the Peace, judicial seats, County Clerk and District Clerk.
All U.S. House and Texas House seats are up for election in 2026.
Find Your Polling Location
Early voting is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. through Friday, February 27th, 2026. DEAFLINK services are available at all polling locations for voters who are hearing impaired.
Voting sites are available countywide, including:
Central / Downtown
• Bexar County Elections Department, 1103 S. Frio
• Bexar County Justice Center, 300 Dolorosa
• San Antonio College – Victory Center, 1819 N. Main Ave.
• Tobin Library at Oakwell, 4134 Harry Wurzbach
East Side
• Claude Black Community Center, 2805 E. Commerce
• Copernicus Community Center, 5003 Lord Rd.
• St. Philips College – William Hudgens (WAH) Rm. 100, 1801 Martin Luther King Dr.
• Schaefer Branch Library, 6322 US Hwy. 87 E.
West Side
• Las Palmas Branch Library, 515 Castroville Rd.
• Memorial Branch Library, 3222 Culebra Rd.
• Collins Garden Branch Library, 200 N. Park Blvd.
• Northside Activity Center, 7001 Culebra Rd.
North / Stone Oak / UTSA Area
• Brook Hollow Branch Library, 530 Heimer Rd.
• Parman Branch Library at Stone Oak, 20735 Wilderness Oak
• Thousand Oaks Branch Library, 4618 Thousand Oaks
• UTSA – Bexar Room, 1 UTSA Circle
• Northwest Vista College – Mountain Laurel Hall, 3535 N. Ellison Dr.
South Side
• Palo Alto College – Palomino Center Rm. 110, 1400 W. Villaret Blvd.
• Mission Branch Library, 3134 Roosevelt Ave.
• Mission Del Lago Community Room, 2301 Del Lago
• Precinct 1 Satellite Office, 3505 Pleasanton Rd.
Northeast / Suburban
• Semmes Branch Library, 15060 Judson Rd.
• Northeast Lakeview College – Medina CTE Rm. 104, 1201 Kitty Hawk Rd.
• Kirby City Hall, 112 Bauman
• Converse Community Event Center, 407 S. Seguin Rd.
Northwest / Suburban
• Helotes City Hall, 12951 Bandera Rd.
• Leon Valley Conference Center, 6427 Evers Rd.
• Shavano Park City Hall, 900 Saddletree Ct.
• Fair Oaks Ranch Police Dept. – Training Room, 7286 Dietz Elkhorn Dr.
Retail / Easy Access
• Wonderland of the Americas, 4522 Fredericksburg Rd.
• Woodlawn Pointe Center, 702 Donaldson Ave.
And dozens more locations countywide. For more locations visit bexar.org.
Our Chance Before November Elections
Primary elections often see significantly lower turnout than general elections, which means a smaller number of voters can determine outcomes that shape policy, budgets and the overall direction of the city and county.
However, early voting in the 2026 Primary Election is off to a stronger start in Texas and locally Bexar County compared to the previous midterm cycle.
During the first week of early voting, more than a million Texans cast early ballots for the March 3 party primaries.
According to the Bexar County Elections Office, 70,912 ballots were cast during the first five days of early voting, a 48 percent increase over the 33,936 votes recorded during the same period in the 2022 midterm primaries.
“Voters are showing up, and they are not slowing down,” said Michele Carew, Elections Administrator. “We’re consistently seeing nearly double the daily turnout compared to the previous midterm election. Our goal is for every voter to feel confident that their vote is safe and secure.”
With early voting ending Friday, this primary represents a critical opportunity for voters to influence who appears on the November ballot and who may hold office.
*Note: Voting times and polling locations subject to change per Bexar County Elections Department
