Polls have closed in three states in a set of Tuesday primary elections that mark the start of the 2026 midterm cycle — and could highlight internal debates among both Democrats and Republicans over the future of their parties.
The primaries in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas come as Democrats seek to retake the House and Senate, while Republicans vie to hold onto — or possibly expand — their narrow majorities. Republicans are facing historical headwinds as the party that controls the White House traditionally loses ground in the House during midterms, though Democrats are contending with a challenging Senate map this year.
In Texas, the longtime incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn is fighting to hold onto his seat amid primary challenges from Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has questioned Cornyn's conservative credentials, and Rep. Wesley Hunt, who has cast Cornyn as a "career politician."
In the Texas Senate contest, Democrats are also choosing between state Rep. James Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, both of whom are trying to convince primary voters that they're capable of being the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas since the mid-1990s.
A handful of House districts in Texas also have competitive primaries. GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing a repeat primary challenge from hard-right gun advocate Brandon Herrera that has been shaken up in recent weeks due to an alleged affair between Gonzales and a staffer who later died by suicide. Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw is also trying to fend off a primary challenge from state Rep. Steve Toth.
And on the Democratic side, Tejano musician Bobby Pulido is facing off against emergency physician Ada Cuellar for the party's nomination in the heavily GOP-leaning 15th district, while 11-term incumbent Rep. Al Green is running against newly elected Rep. Christian Menefee in a Houston-area district that was reshaped by last year's redistricting efforts in Texas.
Meanwhile in North Carolina, former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley won their parties' Senate nominations, CBS News projected, as the GOP fights to hold onto the seat in what could be one of the country's most heavily contested Senate primaries. And there's a crowded field for the GOP nomination in the state's 1st House district, which was redrawn and made more challenging for Democrats.
In Arkansas, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was running unopposed for the Republican nomination and two Democrats were facing off to take her on.
