Overview
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a joint motion with the Republican Party of Texas asking a federal court to strike election-code provisions that allow crossover voting in GOP primaries.
- Secretary of State Jane Nelson’s office says it received less than an hour’s notice of Paxton’s move and has retained the Underwood Law Firm and Clement & Murphy to represent the office in court.
- The case is filed in Amarillo before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, and the parties submitted a proposed order that could declare open-primary provisions unconstitutional if signed.
- Paxton urged the Secretary of State to implement a consent decree to close GOP primaries, while the office says it is proceeding with March 3, 2026 primary preparations under current law.
- Paxton’s stance aligns with the RPT’s argument that crossover voting skews GOP outcomes and comes as he campaigns in the 2026 Senate primary against Sen. John Cornyn.