Elections

President Trump has endorsed state Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary runoff for the U.S. Senate. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider says the endorsement is likely to give Paxton a boost in his efforts to win the GOP nomination next Tuesday, but it could complicate Republican efforts to hold onto the Senate in the midterms. Several buildings on 34th Street were vandalized this past weekend, including Lubbock Meals on Wheels. According to a release from the nonprofit, damage included two windows – one of which was shattered. You can find more information on how to support the organization at lubbockmealsonwheels.org.

The Republican president had repeatedly teased his intention to endorse a candidate in the race, starting soon after Ken Paxton and John Cornyn emerged as the remaining contenders from the first round of primary voting in March.

The Republican primary battle between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which has raged for more than a year, will come to its conclusion on May 26.

Early voting in Texas’ joint primary runoff elections begins today and runs through Friday. The initial election took place in March, but the races that ended without a candidate receiving more than 50% of the votes are back on the ballot. Voters will determine which candidates will go on to represent their parties in the November general election. Our Samantha Larned reports on the races. Lubbock Animal Services is accepting newspapers donations to its shelter at 3323 Southeast Loop 289.

Early voting in Texas’ joint party primary runoff elections runs May 18-22. Democratic and Republican voters alike will be returning to the polls to determine their party’s nominees for the general election later this year. You can find races on both ballots and a list of early voting locations here.

Since many of the state’s congressional districts are drawn to favor one political party, Democratic and Republican voters this month can go a long way toward picking their next representatives in the U.S. House.

Election Day for Lubbock County’s municipal and school elections took place May 2. The City of Lubbock had four positions on the ballot and three of those representatives remain unchanged, including Lubbock’s mayor.

This weekend's election saw one of the lowest turnouts for a municipal election in Lubbock County, with less than 7% of the registered voters casting a ballot. Our Brad Burt reports on results for Lubbock's mayor and city council districts 1, 3, and 5. Slaton Independent School District had two bond elections on the ballot, only one of which passed.

Saturday, May 2 is Election Day for Lubbock County’s cities and school elections. You can find more on the races and polling locations here. Our Samantha Larned reports early voting had its lowest participation in 20 years. Texas advocates and families pleaded with the state this week to improve capacity and access in state hospitals that provide psychiatric care. The public hearing was part of assembling a long-range plan that would guide state hospitals for the next six years.

With two elections coming up in May, advocates say gaps in support services can make voting a time-consuming challenge for many people with disabilities, despite legal protections guaranteeing access.