Austin, Texas - Texas voters are preparing to hit the polls in some of the earliest 2026 primary elections in the country. Here are the top races to watch in the Lone Star State.

Texas voters are gearing up for the state primaries on March 3, with early voting running from February 17-27.

The races will determine which Democratic and Republican candidates will appear on the ballot in the general election on November 3.

This year's elections are the first since Texas approved new maps designed to deliver five additional congressional seats to Republicans in 2026.

Here's what to know going into the closely watched primaries.

The longest-serving incumbent governor in the US, Greg Abbott (68) is seeking a fourth term in office.

Abbott has already secured the endorsement of Donald Trump and is the clear frontrunner in the Republican primary.

There are 10 other opponents in the GOP primary race.

On the Democratic side, state Representative Gina Hinojosa (52) is considered the top candidate on the primary ticket.

Hinojosa is one of nine contenders in the Democratic race. Others include former US representative Chris Bell (66) and rancher and retired firefighter Bobby Cole.

Texas has not had a Democratic governor since Ann Richards, who held the office from 1991-1995. She was defeated in the 1994 election by George W. Bush, who went on to become president.

With Ken Paxton seeking election to the US Senate, a number of candidates are vying to become Texas' next attorney general.

US Representative Chip Roy (53) is considered the frontrunner in the four-person GOP primary, which also includes state Senator Mayes Middleton (44), state Senator Joan Huffman (69), and former Assistant AG for the US Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy Aaron Reitz (38).

Roy, who is endorsed by US Senator Ted Cruz, is the policy chair of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Democratic candidates for the Texas AG office include state Senator Nathan Johnson (58), former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski (64), and attorney Tony Box (57).

Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will have a tough fight ahead in the general election. The last time a Democrat won the Texas AG's office was in 1994.

The primaries for US Senate are competitive for both major parties.

On the Republican side, incumbent John Cornyn (74) is facing a challenge from Texas' current Attorney General Ken Paxton (63) and from state Representative Wesley Hunt (44).

Paxton, who was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 on charges of corruption before being acquitted in the Senate, is currently leading Cornyn in the polls.

Trump has yet to make an endorsement in the race, which could very well go to a runoff.

The Democratic contest is also generating a lot of buzz, as US Representative Jasmine Crockett (44) takes on state Representative James Talarico (36) for the party nomination.

Crockett is ahead in the polls, but Talarico – a Presbyterian seminarian and former public school teacher – has been gaining a lot of attention in recent weeks. The race is expected to be close.

Republicans' mid-cycle redistricting push has shaken up the midterm congressional races.

In January, former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee (37) won the special election runoff to represent Texas' 18th congressional district in Houston. Now, he is already up for election again, facing off in the Democratic primary against long-time Congressman Al Green (78), who currently represents the state's ninth district.

In Texas' newly redrawn 33rd congressional district in Dallas County, progressive candidate Zeeshan Hafeez (42) is challenging former US Representative Colin Allred (42), current US Representative Julie Johnson (59), and community activist Carlos Quintanilla (68) for the Democratic nomination. Hafeez has called for an end to the genocide in Gaza, the abolition of ICE, Medicare for All, and a Green New Deal.

In the nearby 30th district, which covers much of Dallas, Justice Democrats-backed Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III (65) is aiming to succeed current Representative Jasmine Crockett, who is now running for US Senate. Other Democratic primary contenders include former state Representative Barbara Mallory Caraway (69) and pastor Rodney LaBruce (52).

Top Republican primaries include the crowded race to fill outgoing US Representative Chip Roy's seat in the 21st district, which stretches from San Antonio to Austin. Former MLB star Mark Teixeira (45) and former FEC commissioner Trey Trainor (52) are among the GOP primary candidates.

The 10th district, which runs from the northwestern part of Greater Houston to the Greater Austin area, has also become a major battleground after US Representative Michael McCaul announced he would not seek reelection. Republicans are lining up to fill his seat, including Lex Politica CEO Chris Gober, former Texas Real Estate Advocacy & Defense Coalition CEO Jessica Karlsruher, and retired US Army colonel Scott MacLeod. Blinn College professor Dawn Marshall, veterinary professional Bernie Reyna, and military veteran Caitlin Rourk are running in the Democratic primary.

From now through March 3, stay up to date on all the top Texas primary election updates with TAG24 NEWS!