DALLAS — A masked driver was arrested Tuesday evening outside Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s election watch party in Dallas, prompting a brief law enforcement response as voters awaited results in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate primaries.
Dallas police detained the man outside the Marriott Dallas Uptown, where Paxton supporters had gathered for the Republican primary election night event for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn.
Officers initiated a traffic stop after noticing the driver’s blue vehicle lacked a properly displayed license plate. Authorities said the man was wearing camouflage clothing, gloves, sunglasses, and a ski mask.
During a search of the vehicle, police discovered multiple boxes or magazines of ammunition.
The suspect was taken into custody on traffic violations and transported to the Dallas County Jail while investigators continued reviewing the circumstances.
Police later said the man had been attempting to deliver an item to a hotel employee, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Fox News continues:
The incident follows what officials are investigating as a terror-related mass shooting outside an Austin bar, by a man who was in possession of an Iranian flag and who was wearing a shirt that read “Property of Allah.” Video of the Tuesday early-evening incident shows ammo being placed on the hood of a car as they searched the vehicle in question. The suspect handcuffed can also be seen.
The arrest came after Dallas police officers were called to the 3000 block of Fairmount Street due to reports of a “suspicious individual,” according to authorities. The suspect reportedly entered a vehicle that did not have license plates properly displayed and proceeded to leave the area. Officers then conducted a traffic stop and the driver was subsequently arrested for traffic violations. After police searched the suspect’s vehicle, they found ammunition inside the car.
Tuesday marked the first major primary night of the 2026 midterms, which will culminate with a slew of general elections in November.
Event Continues Inside
Despite the police activity outside, the election night gathering inside the hotel proceeded without interruption.
Supporters of Paxton continued watching returns in the hotel ballroom as early results pointed to a tight race in the Republican primary.
The contest will now move to a runoff election after neither Paxton nor Cornyn secured the majority required to win the nomination outright.
A High-Stakes GOP Primary
With 94% of ballots counted, Cornyn held a narrow lead with 41.9% of the vote. Paxton followed closely with 40.7%, while U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston finished third with 13.5%.
Under Texas law, a candidate must win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. The top two finishers now advance to a May election that will determine the Republican nominee.
Paxton, Texas’ attorney general and a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, has cast himself as an insurgent challenger to Cornyn, a longtime Washington fixture.
The race has become one of the most expensive and intense primaries of the 2026 election cycle, highlighting tensions within the Republican Party between its establishment leaders and candidates aligned with Trump’s MAGA movement.
Democrats Set Their Nominee
While Republicans prepare for a runoff, Democrats settled their Senate nomination Tuesday night.
Texas state Rep. James Talarico, an Austin-area Democrat and former public school teacher, defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett to win the nomination outright.
Talarico secured just over half the vote, allowing him to avoid a runoff and move directly into the general election.
His campaign focused heavily on economic populism and faith-based messaging aimed at appealing to independent voters beyond the Democratic base. Party strategists hope the approach could improve Democratic competitiveness in a state where the party has not won a statewide race in decades.
Trump’s Influence Looms
Trump’s influence continues to loom over the Republican contest as Paxton and Cornyn prepare for the runoff.
Both candidates are expected to intensify their efforts to appeal to the GOP’s conservative base in the coming weeks, with the outcome likely to shape the ideological direction of the party in Texas.
The winner of the Republican runoff will face Talarico in the November 2026 general election.
What Comes Next
- May 26: Republican runoff between Paxton and Cornyn
- November 2026: General election between Talarico and the GOP nominee
Meanwhile, Dallas police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the arrest outside Paxton’s watch party, which briefly heightened security concerns during an already tense political evening.
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