Runoff elections are more important than people think

As this year’s runoff elections near the end in Texas, we’re once again reminded that the real finish line for many campaigns in many states isn’t the primary; it’s the runoff. Yet year after year, these critical elections see the lowest turnout, even though they often decide who will ultimately serve in office.

I know this reality all too well. In 2018, after months of intense campaigning, I advanced to the Republican primary runoff in Texas’ 5th Congressional District. Our team had poured everything into the campaign. Thousands of people had stood with us, believing in our vision and message. But when the runoff Election Day came, we lost.

I remember the heartbreak of that night. What made it even harder was knowing how many of our original voters simply didn’t come back. Some forgot. Others assumed we had the votes to win. But in a runoff, assumptions are dangerous. The truth is that voter participation usually drops by 20 to 30% between the primary and the runoff, and that gap can be the difference between victory and defeat.

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Runoffs are where the decision is truly made. In a crowded primary, multiple candidates may split the vote. The runoff brings it down to the final two, where every vote counts even more.

Texas is one of nine states that require a majority victory in primary elections, resulting in runoff elections if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and South Dakota also use this system. And across the board, these elections are under-attended.

Their significance can’t be overstated. These runoff elections determine who appears on the general election ballot for U.S. Senate seats, congressional districts, statewide offices, and local positions, such as city council and mayor. These runoff elections are foundational to the democratic process.

History has shown that the smallest margins decide some of the most important elections. In 2020, Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia won his seat in a runoff election by less than two percentage points in an outcome that shifted the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. In Texas, numerous city and school board races have been decided by the smallest margin of votes.

In 2020, Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) won over his primary opponent, Raul Reyes, by only 45 votes. In 2021, Fort Worth’s mayoral runoff was won by less than 7,000 votes in a city with nearly a million people.

These cases serve as powerful reminders of how one voter can be a significant force.

It’s not how we start but how we finish that determines our outcome. The same is true in elections. Some candidates are still running hard toward the finish line in runoff elections this year. They are campaigning, knocking on doors, speaking to voters, and sacrificing time with their families to serve their communities. If they’re willing to give everything until the end, the least we can do is show up and cast a ballot.

As Christians, we have a responsibility not only to pray for our leaders but to participate in the process that selects them. We often discuss spiritual stewardship, but civic stewardship is important too. Voting is a simple, powerful way to love our neighbors well and uphold justice in our communities.

If we believe in good governance and God-honoring leadership, we cannot afford to sit out the final stretch.

To those who voted in the primary and regular elections this year, thank you. But don’t assume the job is done. If the candidate you believe in is still running, they need you to run with them to the finish line.

I’ll never forget the pain of falling just short. But I also won’t forget the passion and the purpose that fueled that campaign. Even in loss, I knew that something eternal had been sown. It taught me that endurance matters, and so does every single vote.

Let’s be people who don’t just start the race but finish it. Let’s vote with intention, with endurance, and with faith that our civic duty is part of a bigger calling.