Democrats and Republicans Head to the Polls in Texas, North Carolina in First Primary Contests of 2026

The first primaries of the 2026 election will take place on Tuesday in two key states — Texas and North Carolina — where a number of races are set to be decided. In Texas, however, a series of runoff elections could take place two months from now if a candidate is unable to secure an outright majority in Tuesday’s contests. Both states are critical for a number of reasons — both will hold competitive elections for the United States Senate in November, both are home to intensely competitive primary campaigns for the two parties, and both states’ results could give political observers important insight into the ideological drift within the parties. Texas will be the most-watched state on Tuesday, with Democratic and Republican primaries in the Senate race. On the GOP side, Senator John Cornyn is trying to win a fifth term by fending off challenges from the hardline conservative state attorney general, Ken Paxton, and the more mainstream Republican, Congressman Wesley Hunt, who, at the age of 44, is trying to make an argument about passing the torch to a new generation. Mr. Cornyn is 74 and Mr. Paxton is 63. The race is almost certain to go to a second round, which will be held in May, as neither Mr. Cornyn nor Mr. Paxton are expected to win an outright majority. Mr. Paxton has largely been the polling leader, though he only takes a plurality. Mr. Cornyn is solidly in second place, while Mr. Hunt is in a distant third. Mr. Cornyn and the outside groups supporting him have spent tens of millions of dollars supporting him through the primary — a highly unusual act for a politician who has spent 35 years in statewide elected office. In response to Mr. Paxton’s allegations that he is a “RINO” insufficiently supportive of President Trump, Mr. Cornyn has gone after Mr. Paxton’s personal affairs. Mr. Paxton, during his time in office, has been indicted on securities fraud charges and is now going through a divorce after he allegedly had an affair. His wife, a state senator, is leaving him on “biblical grounds.”Mr. Cornyn’s most recent ad describes the Texas senator as a “workhorse,” while Mr. Paxton is referred to as “crooked Ken.”Democrats’ Senate primary is not nearly as bitter, though the dynamics are still painful. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, the Dallas firebrand, is facing off against state representative James Talarico, who says he can win over Republican voters in the state. Last month, the campaign took a surprising turn, with the conversation becoming less about policy differences and more about their skin color. The tension was kicked off by a social media influencer who claimed that Mr. Talarico described a former Senate candidate as a “mediocre Black man” — an accusation which Mr. Talarico denied. Polling in the Democratic primary has been all over the map, with recent surveys showing either candidate up either narrowly or by wide margins. With no other major primary candidate in the race, the Democratic nominee is likely to be chosen by the end of the day on Tuesday. On the House side, several lawmakers are facing competitive primaries. For Democratic, Congressman Al Greene and Congressman Christian Menefee have been forced to run against each other due to Republicans’ redistricting effort. That has become a proxy battle about generational differences, as Mr. Menefee is only 37 and Mr. Green is 78. For Republicans, Senator Ted Cruz is backing a Republican primary challenger to Congressman Dan Crenshaw. Another Republican, Congressman Tony Gonzales, will likely lose his primary to a pro-gun YouTuber, according to polls. Mr. Gonzales is embroiled in a sex scandal after text messages showed he demanded a “sexy” photograph from one of his aides who later committed suicide by lighting herself on fire. In North Carolina, the Senate matchup is all but confirmed, with the state’s former governor, Roy Cooper, expected to handily win the Democratic nomination. A former chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Whatley, was endorsed early by Mr. Trump, which kept all other major GOP challengers out of the race. The most important contest in the state, arguably, is between Congresswoman Valerie Foushee and a Durham County commissioner, Nida Allam, which is challenging Ms. Foushee from the left in the Democratic primary. Ms. Foushee has received millions of dollars in outside support from defense contractors and AI firms. Ms. Allam on Monday denounced Mr. Trump’s decision to launch an attack on Iran, and tied Ms. Foushee to the corporate donors who are involved with that war effort.

Democrats and Republicans Head to the Polls in Texas, North Carolina in First Primary Contests of 2026

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