Early voting for the March 3 primary election continues through February 28.
The early turnout numbers we report here are unofficial and subject to change. We noticed an increasing gap between the numbers a couple of counties have published to their websites and the corresponding numbers posted by the Secretary of State. One county clerk we reached out to said they reconciled some Day Two numbers that may be the cause.
So, unofficially, Republican primary turnout is running about 10K voters (8%) ahead of the record 2016 pace after Day Three (Thursday), while Democratic turnout is falling farther behind the record 2008 pace in the 15 counties with the most registered voters. Democratic turnout was 13% below 2008 through three days versus being 8% below after Day Two and 15% above after Day One. It remains the second-highest number of votes cast in those counties in a Democratic primary through three days of early voting.
Republican turnout statewide was around 1.75% of registered voters through Day 3, and Democratic turnout statewide was around 1.3%.
Unofficially, the counties with the highest Democratic turnout through three days were Zapata (14.6%), Starr (13.4%), La Salle (12.4%), Kenedy (10%), Zavala (10%), Culberson (8.8%), Jim Hogg (7.6%), Duval (7.4%), Somervell (7.3%), Frio (7.2%), Reeves (7.1%), Terrell (7.1%), Maverick (7%), Dimmit (6.8%), Willacy (6.7%) and Presidio (6.4%).
The counties with the highest Republican turnout through three days were Mason (13%), King (12.6%), Coleman (11%), Edwards (10.5%), Wheeler (10%), Roberts (9.9%), Sherman (8.7%), Delta (8.6%), Kinney (8.4%), Kimble (8.2%), Coke (8.1%), Hutchinson (8%), McCulloch (7.9%), Reagan (7.6%) and Wilbarger (7.5%).
RRC: The El Paso Times appeared to endorse Comm. Ryan Sitton (R) and Chrysta Castañeda (D) for their party’s respective nominations.
Courts: The El Paso Times appeared to endorse Amy Clark Meachum (SCCJ), Kathy Cheng (SC6), Brandy Voss (SC7), Gisela Triana (SC8), Elizabeth Frizzell (CCA3) and Tina Clinton (CCA4) for the Democratic nominations for their respective races.
SD13: The Houston Chronicle endorsed primary challenger Melissa Morris over Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston).
HD76: The El Paso Times appeared to endorse former El Paso council member Claudia Ordaz Perez for the Democratic nomination to succeed Rep. Cesar Blanco (D-El Paso).
HD138: The Houston Chronicle endorsed Josh Flynn for the Republican nomination to succeed Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston).
SEN: The Houston Chronicle endorsed Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R). The El Paso Times appeared to endorse Cornyn for re-nomination and M.J. Hegar for the Democratic nomination.
CD2: The Houston Chronicle endorsed Sima Ladjevardian for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Houston).
CD8: The Houston Chronicle endorsed Laura Jones for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands).
CD9: The Houston Chronicle endorsed U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-Houston) and Johnny Teague (R) for their respective party’s nominations.
CD10: The Houston Chronicle endorsed Mike Siegel for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Austin).
CD18: The Houston Chronicle endorsed U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) and Wendell Champion (R) for their respective party’s nominations.
CD23 open: The El Paso Times appeared to endorse Tony Gonzales II (R) and Gina Ortiz Jones (D) for their party’s respective nominations.
CD36: The Houston Chronicle endorsed U.S. Rep. Brian Babin (R-Woodville) for re-nomination.
PRES: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo (D) endorsed Elizabeth Warren.
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