Nearly 4.5 million Texans voted in the Democratic and Republican primaries, according to The Texas Tribune, surpassing recent turnout numbers. A total of 2.3 million ballots were cast in the Democratic primary and 2.2 million in the Republican primary, marking the first time Democratic turnout was higher since 2020. Texas has approximately 18.7 million registered voters, so turnout was just under 25 percent.
Voters in both parties can return to the polls in May to decide primary winners in several runoff elections where no candidate garnered a majority:
There are also several runoffs slated in congressional and state house races. The runoffs will be held May 26, with early voting running from May 18-22. Voters cannot cross over to vote in a runoff, meaning if they voted in the Democratic primary, they cannot vote in a GOP runoff, and vice versa. Voters who didn’t cast ballots in either March primary can participate in the runoff of either party.
The price of gasoline rose nearly a dollar per gallon in some cities after the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran last week. The Dallas Morning News reported gas prices are now at their highest level since President Trump took office in January 2025. Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have been largely stalled, greatly reducing production by Asian refiners.
U.S. crude oil prices topped $89 late last week. Since the Friday before the attacks, Brent crude oil, the global benchmark for oil prices, has increased by 24 percent.
Trump said Friday there will not be a deal to end the U.S.-Iran war without an “unconditional surrender” by Iran.
Former state Sen. Don Huffines, who handily beat Gov. Greg Abbott’s handpicked candidate for state comptroller in the GOP primary, said he does not intend to change the state’s $1 billion voucher program if he wins election in November. Huffines, who challenged Abbott for the governorship in 2022, praised the current handling of the program, according to the Houston Chronicle.
“We’re not here to be disruptive,” Huffines said. “I don’t see a big disruption in the process that’s already started, as long as it’s going smoothly and being run effectively and managed.”
Huffines will face State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D- Austin, in the fall. The comptroller’s office has been tasked with overseeing the voucher program, which is in its first year.
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, withdrew from his re-election race after admitting to an extramarital affair with an aide who later died by suicide, The News reported.
“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Gonzales said in a statement posted on social media.
The House Ethics Committee announced a probe into his conduct after the primary ended. Gonzales finished second to challenger Brandon Herrera in the Republican primary for the state’s 23rd congressional district, but the race was headed to a runoff until Gonzales withdrew.
Herrera will face Democrat Katy Padilla Stout, an attorney, in the general election.
The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in a fight over whether counties can temporarily close a beach for a space flight, The Tribune reported. Rio Grande Valley environmentalists and indigenous groups have sued over a 2013 law that allows some counties to close a beach.
The dispute primarily concerns SpaceX, which operates a launch site near Boca Chica Beach in Cameron County. The Federal Aviation Administration has authorized the company to launch rockets up to 25 times a year, prompting the closure of roughly eight miles of beach adjacent to the launch pad.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs argued the Open Beaches Amendment to the state constitution grants the public an unrestricted right to use public beaches. The state contended that the amendment does not guarantee unlimited, unfettered access.
“It is a more limited right,” said Beth Klusmann, deputy solicitor general for the Texas Attorney General’s Office. “The question, of course, then is what are those limits.”
Spring break is upon us, and the Texas Department of Transportation is supporting community efforts across the state to stop impaired driving. The state last year saw a spike of drunk driving crashes in March, more than any other month.
There were 700 DUI-alcohol related traffic crashes in the state during the 2025 spring break period, leading to 36 fatalities and 63 serious injuries. During that time, 51 percent of all alcohol-related crashes in Texas involved young drivers aged 17–30.
Drivers are urged to never drive after consuming any amount of alcohol or drugs and to arrange for a sober ride beforehand.
Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.
