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The first primary races of this year's election cycle are kicking off this Tuesday in Texas, where voters will cast their ballots in the race for governor, attorney general and congressional seats.
The primaries in Texas will determine which Democratic and Republican candidates are selected to run in the midterm elections in November.
They are also a chance for both the Republican and Democrat parties to gauge the mood in their respective camps as well as assessing the local Texan electorate.
The Lone Star state has traditionally been a Republican stronghold, and has moved towards a more right-wing brand of conservatism in recent years under the gubernatorial leadership of Greg Abbott.
Tuesday's election will also allow the GOP to determine how much influence and support former president Donald Trump still holds over Texan Republicans, as many of the front runners have received endorsements from the former president or have publicly expressed support for him.
For the Democrats, the primaries provide a window into how other states may battle it out in November's midterm elections, and will be a chance to analyze their agenda to assess which issues are striking a chord, and which messaging is falling on deaf ears.
Turnout for the Texas primaries is not expected to be high, as it has been typically low in the past, and early voting figures thus far have remained in the single digits.
Texas is one of 18 states that will be holding elections under tougher voting rules this year as a result of the unfounded claims of fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election.
Here is a breakdown of the biggest races in the Texas primaries.
Race for Governor
The gubernatorial race in Texas has essentially boiled down to a two-horse race.
The incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbot is seeking his third term in office, while his challenger Beto O'Rourke is looking to become the first Democrat to run the state since 1995.
Nonetheless, there are another seven Republican candidates running, including former Florida congressman Allen West and former state Sen. Don Huffines. While an additional five of O'Rourke's fellow Democrats are vying for the gubernatorial seat.
Abbott, the favored contender, has entered the race with the endorsement of Trump and a staggering $56 million budget for his campaign. He has been in office since 2015, and has passed a number of legislations on controversial topics such as abortion, gun control, immigration, elections, and vaccination which have pushed the state further to the right.
O'Rourke, on the other hand, started off with a $7 million campaign budget and will hope to improve on his performance in the polls after narrowly losing to Ted Cruz in his 2018 run for Senate. He has shown to still have a solid base of support in the state.
Attorney General
The state's race for attorney general also features a sitting Republican seeking re-election.
Ken Paxton is chasing his third term in local office, though currently finds himself in hot water, as he is the subject of an FBI investigation into possible corruption and securities fraud charges.
The Republican attorney general has also been accused of misconduct by eight former high-ranking officials of his own office.
Paxton has so far denied all allegations.
Like Abbott, Paxton has the backing of former president Trump and has made a name for himself by seeking legal action against prominent names and industries; the Biden administration and Big Tech among them.
Going up against Paxton is George P. Bush, the latest political integrant of a household name in Texan as well as national politics.
Bush, son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and grandson of former president George H. W. Bush, is the current Texas Land Commissioner and is the only Bush family member still holding public office.
Other big name Republicans fighting for office are former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert.
There are five Democratic candidates vying for the nomination.
Congressional Race
Texan voters will also be having their say on which candidates will represent their districts, with two sitting representatives currently finding themselves against the ropes.
Nine-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is seeing his grip over his district challenged by progressive counterpart Jessica Cisneros, who previously ran against Cuellar in 2020.
Cuellar–who recently had his home raided by FBI agents as part of a federal investigation into business conducts with Azerbaijan–has been known for going against the grain of his Democratic fellows, having voted against local abortion rights and gun control in the past.
His challenger, Cisneros, is also his former intern and came only 4 percentage points short of unseating him in 2020.
Cuellar has denied allegations and has received no charges to date.
Meanwhile, in the Republican camp, Rep. Van Taylor has shaken his support base for speaking out against the January 6 insurrection, threatening his hold over his district.
Taylor also voted in favor of creating an independent commission to investigate the infamous attack on the Capitol.
Where can I vote?
Voters can find their nearest polling station and check their voting registration by visiting the the Texas secretary of state's Voter Portal, here.
If voting in person, Texans will be required to take one of the following forms of photo identification with them: Texas driver's license, passport, election identification certificate, personal identification card, license to carry a handgun, military ID card, or a citizenship certificate.
The new voting laws will require those posting their ballots through the mail to adhere by additional identification requirements. Voters will have to include the last four digits of their Social Security number or their driver's license number in their mail-in ballot. These will have to match the number on their vote-by-mail application.
