Early results released Tuesday night showed Democrats ahead in several major Texas races, including U.S. Senate and governor, according to The Associated Press. More than 7.7 million votes were cast before Election Day, including mail ballots, according to the Texas Secretary of State's Office and AP. That is over 40% of the state's 19 million registered voters.
As of 9 p.m., Democrat James Talarico had 59% of the vote in the U.S. Senate race, compared with about 39% for Republican Ken Paxton, according to AP. Libertarian Ted Brown had 1.5%. The winner will replace Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who has held the seat since 2002.
In the governor's race, Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa had just over 56% of the reported vote, compared with about 42% for Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, according to AP. Libertarian Pat Dixon had 1.3%. Abbott is seeking a fourth term.