More Texas voters are turning out to cast ballots in the Democratic primary than the Republican primary during early voting.

Why it matters: Typically, Republican turnout exceeds Democratic turnout in Texas.

• A Democrat last won statewide office in Texas in 1994, the longest statewide Democratic election drought in the nation.

The big picture: More than 1.2 million Texans had cast ballots in person or via mail as of Monday — setting a pace that could surpass turnout during the last gubernatorial primary in 2022.

• Through the first eight days of early voting, Democratic turnout is nearing the party's total turnout during the 2024 presidential primary.

Catch up quick: The primaries determine the Republican and Democratic candidates for November's election for U.S. Senate, all 38 members of the U.S. House, governor, Texas attorney general, and other statewide positions, including the judiciary.

• The marquee matchups are for U.S. Senate. On the Republican side, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is facing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Houston). On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) is facing state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin).

By the numbers: Almost 34,000 more Texans are registered to vote during the primaries than were registered during the 2024 presidential election.

• More than 638,000 Texans have voted in the Democratic primary.
• Nearly 594,000 voters have cast ballots in the Republican primary.

Zoom in: In Travis County, 53,281 votes had been cast in the Democratic primary in person or by mail-in ballot as of Monday, or roughly 5.8% of registered voters.

• In the Republican primary, 13,590 votes were cast in person or by mail-in ballot as of Monday.

Zoom out: The Democratic primary turnout in Travis, Bexar and Harris counties is more than twice as much as in the GOP primary.

• In Tarrant County, where Democrats recently flipped a Republican state Senate seat, 22,600 more ballots have been cast in the Democratic primary than in the GOP primary.

What's next: Friday is the last day to vote early.

• Election day is March 3.

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"Survivor" launches its 50th season (!) starting today on CBS, and we caught up with Austin's Colby Donaldson, one of 24 players in the all-returnee season, filmed in Fiji.

• A West Texas native — he grew up just south of San Angelo — Donaldson was runner-up on "Survivor: The Australian Outback" (2001). He also appeared in "Survivor" seasons in 2003 and 2009 while working in the television business in California.

Background: Donaldson now lives in Circle C, in Southwest Austin, working as a welder and tinkering with hot rods — and travels regularly to his family ranch in Sutton County, about three hours west of town.

Our interview is condensed for clarity.

Have you enjoyed the celebrity that comes with "Survivor"?

"Actually, I've enjoyed slipping back into complete anonymity the last decade and a half. Moving back to Texas, that was part of it — even though my encounters with fans of the show have always been positive. I just prefer to be a quiet, off-the-grid person."

So what lured you back?

"The invitation to come back and play on such a historic season was very flattering."

It wasn't about the money?

"I have a long shot at winning the money, longer shot than most, and I'd need a little luck on the way."

Why longer than most?

"At 51, it's not easy to go back and do physically what you did at 25 — when I was much faster and stronger — though it helps that I'm not perceived as a threat."

One more question

📉 Home sales in the Lake Travis and Westlake areas fell 35% in January, signaling a shift in the local housing market. (Community Impact)

🚗 Waymo has dispatched robotaxis in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio after testing its ride-hailing service through Uber in Austin. (KXAN)

💰 Chipmaker AMD, which has a major presence in Central Texas, will sell artificial intelligence chips to Meta in a $100 billion deal. (Axios)

🎵 Singer Charley Crockett, an Austin resident, canceled his Canadian tour after being denied entry to the country over his past felony conviction. (Rolling Stone)

Many independent restaurants say they've hit a pricing ceiling — even as sales and traffic stabilize, according to the James Beard Foundation's annual industry report.

Why it matters: Survival tactics of the past few years — higher prices and delivery expansion — are losing effectiveness, leading operators to reset the math.

Between the lines: Restaurants that raised prices more than 10% in 2025 were most likely to report lower profits — down from a 15% threshold in last year's report.

• "There's just not a lot of elasticity left," Anne McBride, VP of impact at the James Beard Foundation, the nonprofit behind the James Beard Awards, tells Axios.
• Operators say diners are pushing back — skipping second drinks, sharing desserts and trimming add-ons to manage the final check.

Zoom in: Texas mirrors the national squeeze.

• The Texas Restaurant Association reported in October that 88% of restaurants had seen food costs rise since the previous quarter and 66% reported increased labor costs. At the same time, 52% saw traffic decrease.

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How you pronounce certain words may determine how Texan you are, according to Texans Kelly Clarkson and Matthew McConaughey.

Driving the news: Clarkson and McConaughey pronounce Washington as "Washinton," New Orleans as "New Or-lins" and the word poem as "pome."

What they're saying: McConaughey is a professor, so we'll have to take his word for it.

• "We sound uneducated but we're so lovely," Clarkson told him when he appeared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" last year. The show reshared the clip on social media this month.

Zoom out: Their conversation made us wonder: How do you pronounce words like coyote, library, pecan, Guadalupe, Whataburger and Pedernales?

✍️ What other words sound better with Texas twang? Reply to this email and let us know.