Federal Judge Pauses Texas GOP Lawsuit To Close Primaries - Texas Scorecard

The judge made the call because Texas lawmakers are expected to take up legislation next session that would close primaries statewide, so the court decided to wait and see what the Legislature does before ruling. Right now Texas law requires open primaries, meaning the Republican Party has to let any eligible voter, regardless of party affiliation, cast a ballot in its nominating contests. That includes every primary race on the ballot in Lubbock County, from courthouse seats to legislative districts.

Party leaders say open primaries let non-Republicans pick GOP nominees, which they argue waters down the party's platform and sidelines its own conservative voters. In response, the party adopted Rule 46, pushing toward a closed system where only registered Republicans could vote in Republican primaries. That fight is now the subject of the paused lawsuit.

For Lubbock voters, this means nothing changes yet. The 2026 primary season should run under the same open rules Texans have always known, since the pause pushes any resolution past that election cycle. Independent and crossover voters here keep their ability to weigh in on GOP nominees for now.