Tuesday's Texas primary features four must-watch statewide races Voters in the state are casting the nation's first primary votes of 2018

Sid Miller, left, and Trey Blocker, right, candidates for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Sid Miller, left, and Trey Blocker, right, candidates for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Photo: Courtesy Photos Photo: Courtesy Photos Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Tuesday's Texas primary features four must-watch statewide races 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN — Texas voters will answer a lot of questions lingering over Texas politics in the country's first primary election Tuesday.

Who will face off against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in November? Will the Bush legacy continue with George P. Bush at the helm of the Texas Land Office? Will a man who took a "Jesus shot" hold on as agriculture commissioner?

On the ballot are all statewide offices, including governor, lieutenant governor, railroad commissioner and comptroller. Several of those races could all but be decided Tuesday. Republicans have held control of all of the state's top elected positions for more than two decades, rendering the Tuesday's primary one of the most important races in this year's election cycle.

Candidates must win more than 50 percent of the vote to get their name on the November ballot. If they fail to get enough votes, the two candidates with the most votes will face off in a run off election May 22.

Here's a breakdown of the four most-watched statewide races.

Governor

Greg Abbott is expected to easily win the Republican nomination to seek a second term as governor, even though he faces two other GOP candidates: Larry SECEDE Kilgore, a Air Force veteran from Arlington, and Barbara Krueger, a former chemistry teacher in Plano.

But the Democratic candidate who will challenge Abbott is an open question. The race is so crowded that the top two contenders are likely headed to a run off.

The front runners are former Dallas County Sheriff Guadalupe "Lupe" Valdez and Andrew White, son of late former Gov. Mark White. Others include: Austin businessman James Jolly Clark; former Balch Spring mayor Cedric Davis Sr.; former Beaumont restaurant owner Joe Mumbach; private equity firm principal Adrian Ocegueda; leather bar owner Jeffrey Payne; hospice business owner Tom Wakely; and former candidate for land commissioner and state treasurer Grady Yarbrough

READ MORE: Here are the 12 candidates running for Texas governor this primary election season

Agriculture Commissioner

Sid Miller, a rodeo cowboy and farmer, is asking Republican voters to reelect him to a second term. He's running against Trey Blocker, a former lobbyist and ethics attorney who hosts a conservative podcast, and Jim Hogan, a former insurance agent and farmer who won the Democratic nomination for the job four years ago.

The race is important because it will shed light on how much Republican voters care about Miller's various controversies. He took two personal trips using taxpayer money, increased fees, gave department employees hefty bonuses and made several controversial comments to his mammoth followings on social media, including a fake news story, a meme suggesting the U.S. detonate an atomic bomb on "the Muslim world."

READ MORE: A showdown for one of the most Texas political races

Land Commissioner

Land Commissioner George P. Bush is the only member of the Bush political dynasty in public office. But a fierce primary competitor threatens to derail Bush's political future.

Jerry Patterson served as Land Commissioner for 12 years before Bush took office in 2014, and now he wants the job back. Patterson has been highly critical of Bush's tenure, denouncing Bush's handling of Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts and the roll out of a plan to redevelop the land around the Alamo.

Bush, on the other hand, has had few public campaign events leading up to Tuesday, saying he is focused on the duties of his office. Still, he spent more than $2 million to show voters he is aligned with President Donald Trump and a staunch conservative who has made the General Land Office more efficient.

Bush is also facing challengers Davey Edwards, a land surveyor, and Rick Range, a retired school teacher.

While the General Land Office is a relatively obscure public office, it is currently a critical government agency for many areas around the state, including Houston. The office is in charge of housing recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

READ MORE: In final push for land commissioner, George P. Bush touts Trump's endorsement

Lieutenant governor

Incumbent Republican Dan Patrick, a former Houston radio talk show host, is asking GOP voters to send him back to Austin for four more years. His primary challenger, Scott Milder, an outspoken advocate of public education and former Rockwall city councilman, insists that it's time for Patrick to go because his views are too conservative for most Texans.

This race is being watched closely by political insiders to see whether Republican voters push back from Patrick's conservative agenda, especially his support of the controversial bathroom bill last year in the legislature. Recent polls have shown Patrick remains ahead of all challengers.

In the Democratic primary, retired Kingwood CPA and business executive Mike Collier and Fort Worth auto executive and pastor Michael Cooper want their party's primary voters to chose them to go up against Patrick in the November general election.

READ MORE: Here are the candidates running for lieutenant governor in Texas this primary election season





Andrea Zelinski writes about politics for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Send her tips at andrea.zelinski@chron.com.

Alejandra Matos covers politics, immigration and education policy. Follow her on Twitter. Send tips to alejandra.matos@chron.com.

Mike Ward writes about politics and the Executive Branch for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Send tips to mike.ward@chron.com.

