(NewsNation) — Voters in Texas will cast their ballots Tuesday in some key races in the 2024 election.
Presidential race in Texas
US Senate race in Texas
Two-term GOP Sen. Ted Cruz is defending his seat in Republican-leaning Texas against Democratic challenger and former NFL linebacker Colin Allred, who sought to become the first Democrat to capture a U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1988.
Texas was a key state, along with Ohio and Montana, where Democrats poured in resources to help candidates hang on to or advance their positions.
The state has long been a safehold for Republican candidates but in recent years has begun trending purple as the electorate becomes more diversified, urban and suburban. Former President Donald Trump won Texas over President Joe Biden by 6.5 points, which is the closest margin of victory in the state since 1996.
US House race in Texas
Voters will also elect 38 candidates to serve in the House from each of the state’s congressional districts.
Several of the races are highly competitive and could tip the balance in the Republican stronghold.
The same candidates that faced off in 2022 will be running in Texas’ 15th and 34th Congressional Districts, with both parties spending heavily on the rematches.
In District 34, which holds parts of South Texas, Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez will square off once again against Mayra Flores, who briefly represented the district after winning a 2022 special election.
Gonzalez, an attorney, unseated Flores in 2022 after he had served three terms in the neighboring 15th District. He switched districts after the 15th District was redrawn to be more favorable to Republicans, reported the Texas Tribune.
Flores, who is Mexican-born, has drawn from her background as an immigrant to oppose illegal immigration, reported the Texas Tribune.
In the 15th District, Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz will fight to hold her seat against Democrat Michelle Vallejo, who is making another run.
Democrats largely blamed redistricting for costing them the 15th District by including more rural Republican voters, according to the outlet.
Republicans are fighting to replace Rep. Kay Granger in District 12 and Rep. Michael Burgess in District 26, both of whom are not seeking reelection.
Judicial races in Texas
Three of the nine seats on the Texas Supreme Court are up for election with Republican incumbents battling to reclaim their seats.
On Tuesday, 468 seats in the U.S. Congress (33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats) are up for election. These elections will determine who has control over the two branches of Congress, and ultimately, who sets the agenda for the next president’s term.
Texas has a massive 40 Electoral College votes contributing to the presidential race. The presidential election winner must earn 270 Electoral College votes to assume office.
Early voting runs between October 21 and November 1, and times for in-person voting vary by location.