Primaries set up big races in Texas, North Carolina

What happened

The 2026 midterms kicked off Tuesday with primary elections in three states, including closely watched Senate contests in Texas and North Carolina. In Texas, Democratic state Rep. James Talarico defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett and will face the winner of a May 26 runoff between Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton. In North Carolina, Republicans chose Michael Whatley, a former RNC chair, as their candidate to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R), while Democrats selected former Gov.