Houston residents head to the polls as early voting begins in Texas

Описание: (18 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Houston, Texas, February 17, 2026
1. Various of artist, Tra Slaughter sitting next to his painting on West Grey Street, Houston
2. Mid of person walking past campaign signs near an early voting center
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Fred Rhodes, voter:
"I think the world's taking a look at Texas elections because in some ways Texas politics has become so radicalized. The Republican party, “MAGA”, has taken over the entire state legislature and the government. They've now set an agenda that I think is uncomfortable to people in Texas. It's uncomfortable to people around the world. And I think they're wondering what the heck we're doing here."
4. Mid of man walking past campaign signs
5. Mid of voters walking into the voting center
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Scott Wharton, voter:
"I voted in the democratic primary because I believe nowadays we need to make a change because we look at who's in power now, they ain’t the Democrat. It's just trying to make a change I think people need to get involved."
7. Mid of early voting center
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Brian Wice, voter:
"I still don't think that we're within the realm of probability for a Democrat to win a statewide race. I think that we're still probably several election cycles away from that."
9. Various of people walking past campaign signs
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ingrid Bond, voter"
"Texas has been the incubator for a lot of these harsh and cruel policies that have been implemented by the national administration. And we saw the downgrading of our rights."
11. Bottom-to-top tilt of campaign signs
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ingrid Bond, voter:
"And now everything that Texas started six to ten years ago is being implemented in the whole country. So people are looking to us to see where the future is going. And I'm hopeful that the country is gonna decide, and Texans will decide, that this has gone too far and that there'll be a change in the direction of our policies."
13. Mid of voters walking past campaign signs as they head to vote
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Scott Wharton, voter:
“Elections have consequences and if you want freedom and you want civil rights and you want justice you have to be active and you have to be a participant. Elections are not always easy but they're necessary."
15. Mid of campaign signs
STORYLINE:
Early voting began on Tuesday in Texas’ primary elections with a contested Senate race for both parties.

Fred Rhodes, a lawyer who lives in Houston, cast his ballot on Tuesday during early voting. He voted for James Talarico even though he belives that in Texas, no Democrat will win a statewide race.

"I think the world's taking a look at Texas elections because in some ways Texas politics has become so radicalized," he said.

On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton headlined his first scheduled campaign rally since entering the race. He's running against longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Republican Senator John Cornyn held a campaign event in Austin, Texas on Tuesday as he steps up his campaign against Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.

On the Democrat side, Rep. Jasmine Crockett met with voters as they took part in early voting in Dallas.

Ingrid Bond, a Houston voter, said, "people are looking to us to see where the future is going and I'm hopeful that the country is gonna decide, and Texans will decide, that this has gone too far and that there'll be a change in the direction of our policies."

AP video by Lekan Oyekanmi

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