On March 3, Texas will hold elections: they are the primary elections, the same ones that will determine where we will head in the November general elections. Across the country there is a lot at stake; from Washington, D.C., Donald Trump has acted and will continue to work to avoid losing the absolute power he currently wields by having the Republicans control the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, in other states, as in Texas, the opposition is working hard to regain control of these institutions. Voter opinions are divided and the polls still show a narrow margin as to how the balance will tilt.
Here, in the Lone Star State, there are important offices at stake, from the governor, a seat in the Senate, and several races for Congress.
If we go closer, here within Harris County, which is the third largest in the country and the largest in Texas, Democrats and Republicans will decide who will be their candidate to lead it. And with the retirement of the current Harris County judge, Lina Hidalgo, there are already several contenders.
On the Democratic side, there is the former mayor of Houston, Annise Parker, who has broad support among residents; she will face Letitia Plummer, former Houston City Council member.
The Republicans will have to decide between Marty Lancton, president of the local firefighters’ union; Aliza Dutt, mayor of Piney Point Village, a Houston suburb, and Orlando Sánchez.
Another one of the contests is for the Senate, which will definitely be decisive for the future of Trump’s administration.
The current Republican senator from Texas, John Cornyn, is seeking reelection, but faces intra-party competition; the current state attorney general, Ken Paxton, wants to become senator and appears to have a small lead. Joining them is the District 38 congressman, Wesley Hunt. Undoubtedly, it will be one of the tightest races heading to the general election.
The Democrats also face a difficult decision on whom to choose in the March primaries. State representative James Talarico has spent months campaigning to become the Democratic candidate. He will face Jasmine Crockett, the congresswoman representing District 30 in the Dallas area.
The Texas governorship is also at stake; the Republicans perhaps have the strongest candidate, Governor Greg Abbott, who is currently in his third term in this role; to him in the Republican party faces Pete “Doc” Chambers.
The Democrats will seek to choose between the representative Gina Hinojosa, who is leading in that party. She will face Chris Bell and Bobby Cole.
Within the Houston area and as part of the new district map for the Congress, one of the contests is for District 18, currently represented by the Democrat Christian Manefee, who won a special election following the death of Sylvester Turner.
Now several candidates will contest this district, including Manefee himself and also Al Green, who until now had served in District 9. Not counting the Republicans who also want this district.
The early voting has already begun and will run until February 27. The primary election is on March 3. Everyone who can, should go out to vote, but first check if you are registered.
