Three states begin 2026 midterm elections with primaries
Voters in Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina will head to the polls to decide the Republican and Democratic candidates for November’s congressional elections.
The 2026 midterm elections are off to a busy start.
The primaries held in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas on Tuesday, March 3, are the first of many to be held across the country in 2026, and are a sign of the political climate in the midst of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Much of the attention was on the Texas results. The Lone Star State primary tested different Democratic and Republican styles and showed what kind of tone might appeal to voters in a historically red state with hot-button issues like immigration at hand.
Here are some notable results from Tuesday’s series of races in Texas.
Texas Senate Primary Results
democracy race
In Texas’ closely contested Democratic Senate primary, state Rep. James Talarico, who touts his Christian faith and has gained support among moderates with his populist-oriented message, defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a firebrand known for facing off against Republicans in Congress, in Texas’ close Democratic Senate primary, according to CNN and Decision Desk Headquarters.
According to the Associated Press and CNN, Talarico won with 52.8% of the state vote to Crockett’s 45.9%.
Early voting turnout on the Democratic side was more than double the previous two election cycles, according to reports.
“The number of young people who came out to vote in this election is unprecedented,” Talarico said in a speech in Austin late Tuesday. “The number of Texans who have never voted before but participated in this election is unprecedented. The number of independents and Republicans who voted in this Democratic primary is unprecedented. This is proof that something is happening in Texas.”
republican race
On the right, Texas incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and the state’s Attorney General Ken Paxton waged war in the state’s Republican Senate primary. Mr. Cornyn received 41.9% of the vote and Mr. Paxton received 40.7%, according to the Associated Press and CNN. The third candidate, U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, received 13.5%.
Cornyn and Paxton both received more than 50% of the vote and will advance to a runoff on May 26th. This sets up an expensive battle to win Texas Republican voters, with Cornyn touting old-school Republicanism and Paxton appealing to MAGA hardliners.
President Trump has not yet endorsed either. In Tuesday’s remarks, both men appealed to President Trump, with Cornyn saying he would “continue to do what we’ve been doing and talk to the president about his history of support and his policies.” Paxton also talked about his alliance with the president in a speech Tuesday, emphasizing his support for Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Notable house races
Texas Republican state Rep. Steve Toth defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw 55.8% to 40.7% in the newly planned 2nd Congressional District primary, one of the many U.S. House races in Texas, the Associated Press and CNN reported.
gubernatorial election
Republican gubernatorial race
Incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott won the primary with 81.8%, according to the Associated Press and CNN. He is the state’s longest-serving governor and has amassed more than $100 million in campaign contributions, according to the Texas Tribune.
Democratic Party gubernatorial election
Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa won the Democratic primary with 58.8% of the vote, according to the Associated Press and CNN. The Rio Grande Valley native faces a tough battle against Abbott’s home base in Texas.
“I was never afraid of Greg Abbott, and I’m never afraid of him now,” she said in a speech in English and Spanish late Tuesday.
Talarico and Crockett comment on ‘chaos’ at polling place
Talarico joined Crockett in calling out “voter suppression” in Texas following reports that some voters were refused access to polling places in two major counties. Officials in Dallas and Williamson counties, which cover parts of Austin’s northern suburbs, said the rule change was causing confusion at polling places. The Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked a judge’s earlier order extending voting by two hours in Dallas County, believed to be Crockett’s home state.
“There was a lot of confusion today,” Crockett said in a speech late Tuesday. “People were disenfranchised.”
Contributor: Phillip Bailey, USA TODAY
