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The Texas Rangers are starting the 2026 season on the road Thursday in Philadelphia, where they will reunite with Adolis García.

Why it matters: The long, not very cold winter is over.

Driving the news: The season opens at 3:15pm at the Bank in Philly with 2023 World Series star Nathan Eovaldi on the mound. The game will be aired on Rangers Sports Network, which can be streamed on Victory+.

The team is off Friday but finishes the opening series against the Phillies over the weekend. Ace pitcher Jacob deGrom is expected to start Saturday afternoon.

Phillies fans are calling the Opening Day clash "Ranger Danger." Rangers fans should expect lots of energy from the Phillies and their rowdy fans.

The big picture: Though familiar faces return this season, the team is again entering a new era. Former World Series-winning manager Bruce Bochy retired in the offseason, and the Rangers hired Skip Schumaker to manage the team through 2029.

The intrigue: The Rangers have struggled since they finally won the World Series in 2023. They were just OK last season, finishing with a middling 81-81 record.

Meanwhile, their greatest foe in their division is no longer the Houston Astros. The Seattle Mariners went deep into the postseason and are projected to perform well this season too.

Catch up quick: Outfielder García is among the well-known Rangers to join new teams this year. The Phillies signed the free agent to a one-year, $10 million contract in December.

Second baseman Marcus Semien was dealt to the New York Mets in November in exchange for outfielder Brandon Nimmo.

How to fake it: Shortstop Corey Seager is still a Ranger. Even the most casual fans should know his name. He has been the World Series MVP twice: in 2020 with the Dodgers and 2023 with the Rangers.

Outfielder Wyatt Langford was the fourth overall draft pick when the Rangers nabbed him in 2023. In two regular seasons, he had a .247 batting average, but at 24, he's likely to only get better.

Josh Smith had been a fill-in player before becoming an almost daily player in the past two seasons, coming in clutch when others missed games due to injury. He's small but can be mighty. Expect to see him at second base.

Know your pitchers: The Rangers have two ace pitchers in deGrom and Eovaldi.

Eovaldi had a great 1.73 ERA last season, with 11 wins and just three losses.

DeGrom pitched a full season as a Ranger for the first time after missing most of the previous two due to elbow surgery. His ERA was 2.97 last season, and he notched 12 wins and eight losses.

What's next: The Rangers play the Cincinnati Reds in the home opener at 3:05pm on April 3.

Nathan Eovaldi to pitch Texas Rangers opener in Philly

Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi wears a blue jersey while throwing a pitch with his right artm 

Nathan Eovaldi is your Opening Day starting pitcher. Photo: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Texas Rangers are starting the 2026 season on the road Thursday in Philadelphia, where they will reunite with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Adolis García" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2023/10/27/adolis-garca-texas-rangers-world-series" data-vars-content-id="64036667-200c-4bd4-9ffc-5b4f6674fb7d" data-vars-headline="Nathan Eovaldi to pitch Texas Rangers opener in Philly" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2023/10/27/adolis-garca-texas-rangers-world-series" target="_self">Adolis García</a>.Why it matters: The long, not very cold winter is over.

News

Sports

Republican candidates in Tuesday's primary have called the weekend mass shooting in Austin an act of terror motivated by radical Islam, even as the FBI has yet to draw conclusions.

Why it matters: The statements issued by candidates at the top of the Republican ballot follow GOP efforts to target sharia law in Texas and label a prominent Muslim civil rights group as a terrorist organization.

Driving the news: The gunman in Sunday's shooting was wearing a "property of Allah" sweatshirt when he opened fire outside an Austin bar, killing two and injuring 14 others, according to law enforcement.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who is running for a fourth term, called it an "act of terror." U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said, "Radical Islam has no place in Texas and our country." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging Cornyn, said the shooter could've been part of an Iranian "sleeper cell."

The FBI said on the day of the shooting that it was investigating the violence as a possible terrorism incident but didn't elaborate.

The big picture: Republican candidates across the state are running on platforms to ban sharia law. 

U.S. Reps. Keith Self (R-McKinney) and Chip Roy (R-Austin), who are both on Texas ballots Tuesday, launched the Sharia Free America Caucus in December.

Catch up quick: Abbott designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group, and the Muslim Brotherhood "foreign terrorist" organizations late last year.

Paxton filed a lawsuit last month to stop both groups from operating in Texas.

Cornyn and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) introduced last month the Defeat Sharia Law in America Act, which would ban providing goods or services based on Muslim law as a violation of the Civil Rights Act.

"Preventing sharia law in Texas" was among Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's legislative priorities released in January.

The other side: CAIR Texas sent a letter to state senators in February asking them to oppose Patrick's legislative priority, saying that the state and the country are governed by the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution.

"There is no parallel judicial system operating in Texas," the organization wrote, adding that a sharia law takeover does not exist.

What they're saying: "The Texas state government repeatedly singling out Islamic religious practices and communities does not strengthen constitutional protections. Instead, it manufactures a fictional threat and then legislates against it," CAIR Texas wrote.

Texas Democrats issued a statement last month condemning anti-Muslim rhetoric used by Abbott, Cornyn and Paxton.

"Such fear-based politics have real consequences for families, neighbors, and civil rights in our state," the party wrote.

Threat level: "The rhetoric comes before the violence. That's what I'm afraid of," CAIR Texas interim executive director Mustafaa Carroll tells Axios.

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GOP candidates link Austin shooting to radical Islam

Republican primary candidates have called the weekend mass shooting in Austin an act of terror motivated by radical Islam.

Illustration of a red book with the Islamic crescent and star cut out. 

Republican candidates in Tuesday&#x27;s primary have called the weekend mass shooting in Austin an act of terror motivated by radical Islam, even as the FBI has yet to draw conclusions.Why it matters: The statements issued by candidates at the top of the Republican ballot follow GOP efforts to target sharia law in Texas and label a prominent Muslim civil rights group as a terrorist organization.

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson are headed for a runoff in the Democratic primary for a redrawn North Texas seat.

Why it matters: Democrats were left fighting for fewer congressional seats in Texas after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texas to use an election map giving Republicans five more GOP-leaning seats.

Driving the news: With nearly all votes counted, neither Allred (44.5%) nor Johnson (34%) captured a majority of the vote in the Democratic primary for the 33rd Congressional District, and the Associated Press projected they will advance to a runoff.

Community activist Carlos Quintanilla got 12.1% of the vote. 

Catch up quick: U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth), who currently represents the 33rd, was drawn out of his district and isn't running for reelection.

Johnson, who currently represents Allred's previous seat in the 32nd District, decided to run in the 33rd after her district was redrawn to stretch into East Texas.

Allred dropped out of the U.S. Senate primary in December and set his sights on the 33rd. He left Congress shortly after he lost the 2024 Senate race to Sen. Ted Cruz.

Flashback: Allred flipped the 32nd District in 2018 after winning 52% of the vote over the incumbent, Republican Pete Sessions.

The former Republican stronghold was redrawn in 2022, making it more strongly Democratic.

The district remained geographically compact until last year's redistricting.

The intrigue: Johnson's 2024 win made her the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress from a Southern state.

Colin Allred and Julie Johnson are headed to a runoff in Democratic primary

They are running in the redrawn Dallas-area 33rd District.

Side-by-side photos of former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, on the left, and U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson. Allred wears a blue suit and smiles at a lectern. Johnson wears a red suit and speaks in front of several microphones.

Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (left) and U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images (left) and Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images (right).  

Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson are headed for a runoff in the Democratic primary for a redrawn North Texas seat.Why it matters: Democrats were left fighting for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fewer congressional seats" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2025/12/04/supreme-court-rules-texas-gop-redistricting-map" data-vars-content-id="af388de6-91c5-4257-8f01-3d389344cd58" data-vars-headline="Colin Allred and Julie Johnson are headed to a runoff in Democratic primary" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2025/12/04/supreme-court-rules-texas-gop-redistricting-map" target="_self">fewer congressional seats</a> in Texas after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texas to use an election map giving Republicans five more GOP-leaning seats.

Election

Politics

A former state district judge is on track to become Dallas County's next district attorney after pulling off an upset against incumbent John Creuzot.

Why it matters: The district attorney is the county's top prosecutor, often managing high-profile cases while overseeing hundreds of employees.

Driving the news: Creuzot, who has been the district attorney since 2019, conceded to former district judge Amber Givens Wednesday in the Democratic primary, clearing the way for her to take his position after the November general election.

State of play: Givens advocated for diversion programs and community justice councils during her campaign for DA. Her supporters included Christopher Scott, who spent 12 years in prison before being exonerated in a 1997 murder case.

"Justice must be transparent enough for the public to trust it," her campaign website says.

Yes, but: Givens' judicial term was contentious. She was reprimanded last year for letting a staff member stand in for her during a court proceeding in 2021 and treating attorneys poorly in her courtroom, allegations that she has denied and appealed.

The other side: Creuzot's loss has baffled many of his supporters. The former district judge served as Dallas County's DA for two terms and recently joined a coalition calling on the federal government to "fully investigate" agents suspected of killing someone without justification.

But, Creuzot's office also faced pushback in the case of a Coppell man whose family blamed his girlfriend for his death. The 2014 death was initially listed as a homicide but authorities never pursued criminal charges and didn't publicly explain why not.

What they're saying: "While the outcome was not what we had hoped for, I am proud of the work my team accomplished and the important conversations we advanced about justice, accountability and public safety in Dallas County," Creuzot said in a statement.

What we're watching: Whether Givens' win will fuel attrition at the DA's office.

Dallas County DA loses reelection bid

Former state district judge Amber Givens will become the next DA.

an lilustration of a voting booth with a large shadow of a gavel over it

A former state district judge is on track to become Dallas County&#x27;s next district attorney after pulling off an upset against incumbent John Creuzot.Why it matters: The district attorney is the county&#x27;s top prosecutor, often managing high-profile cases while overseeing hundreds of employees.

Data: Texas Secretary of State; Chart: Axios Visuals

Turnout during the 11 days of early voting in the Texas Democratic primary was higher than the Democratic turnout during the early voting period in recent midterm elections and outpaced Republican early turnout this year.

Why it matters: The turnout points to high interest in the race at the top of the Democratic ballot: U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) vs. state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) for U.S. Senate.  

Republican turnout has lagged far behind GOP turnout during early voting in recent previous elections. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is locked in an expensive reelection battle with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and polling indicates the race is likely headed to a runoff. 

The latest: It's Election Day and the final chance to decide Republican and Democratic candidates in November for federal, statewide and local races.

State of play: Democratic turnout tends to be lower than Republican turnout during the partisan primaries in Texas.

Early voting totals for this year's primaries show Democratic voter turnout (7.22%) one percentage point higher than Republican turnout (6.22%).

Zoom in: In the most populous counties of North Texas, Republican turnout was highest in Denton County (9.27%). Democratic turnout was 7.26%.

Turnout in the Democratic primary in Dallas (11.98%) and Tarrant (9.46%) counties outpaced Republican voting, 6.62% in Tarrant and 4.16% in Dallas.

Collin County's votes haven't been entirely tallied yet but Republican turnout was around 4.9% and Democratic voting was 4.7% as of Monday afternoon.

The fine print: Percentages include in-person voting and mail-in ballots tallied during early voting.

Democratic early voting turnout in Texas high

GOP turnout, meanwhile, is lower than in recent early voting periods.

A bar chart that shows early voting turnout in March primaries from 2018 to 2026, as of March 2, 2026. Democratic turnout ranges from 5.47% in 2024 to 12.92% in 2020. Republican turnout peaks at 12.94% in 2024 and is lowest at 6.23% in 2026. Turnout varies by party and year.

Turnout during the 11 days of early voting in the Texas Democratic primary was higher than the Democratic turnout during the early voting period in recent midterm elections and outpaced Republican early turnout this year.Why it matters: The turnout points to high interest in the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="race at the top" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/texas-senate-talarico-crockett-race-identity" data-vars-content-id="fb2676c3-87b9-423a-be21-c856d9901fad" data-vars-headline="Democratic early voting turnout in Texas high" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/texas-senate-talarico-crockett-race-identity" target="_self">race at the top</a> of the Democratic ballot: U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) vs. state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) for U.S. Senate.

Latino turnout surges in Dem primary in Texas, testing GOP gains

A grouped bar chart showing Texas primary election voter turnout for Democrats and Republicans from 2022 to 2026. For Democrats, statewide turnout increased from 6.3% in 2022 to 11.9% in 2026, with majority-Latino county turnout rising from 9.0% to 13.1%. Republicans showed a slight decrease from 11.4 in 2022 to 12.9 in 2024 to 11.1% in 2026, with majority-Latino counties going from 7.2% in 2022 to 7.3% in 2026.

Tasha Tsiaperas

Featured stories

Nathan Eovaldi to pitch Texas Rangers opener in Philly

Latino turnout surges in Dem primary in Texas, testing GOP gains

Dallas County DA loses reelection bid

Colin Allred and Julie Johnson are headed to a runoff in Democratic primary

GOP candidates link Austin shooting to radical Islam