Key takeaways from first primaries of 2026 U.S. midterm elections Voters are poised to challenge multiple House incumbents in the 2026 midterms, but the race for Texas Senate seat remains a key focus. Four-term Senator John Cornyn(R-Texas) received a boost from primary voters, avoiding a potential defeat by Attorney General Ken Paxton in a May 26 runoff. While Paxton narrowly edged Cornyn in early voting, the outcome avoided a GOP nightmare scenario where Paxton could have secured an outright win. The Democratic Senate primary in Texas faced its own controversies. Representative Jasmine Crockett accused voters in Dallas County of being "disenfranchised" over polling place confusion and announced plans to sue. Despite her claims, she trailed state representative James Talarico by over 100,000 votes as of early Wednesday. Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, positioned himself as a candidate who could appeal to Trump voters by focusing on issues like opposing billionaires and challenging Big Pharma. National Republicans expressed concerns about Paxton’s potential impact in the general election, fearing he could force the party to invest heavily in a traditionally red state. The primary race between Cornyn and Paxton has already cost the GOP nearly $100 million, with both candidates vying for President Trump’s endorsement. Rep. Wesley Hunt(R-Texas) finished far behind in the race. The primary also highlighted challenges for older Democratic incumbents. Redistricting in Texas contributed to GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s loss to state Rep. Steve Toth. In North Carolina, 69-year-old Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee narrowly leads 32-year-old county commissioner Nida Allam in a race too close to call. A runoff is also likely for Texas Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson, who trails former Rep. Colin Allred by double digits.#john_cornyn #ken_paxton #james_talarico #valerie_foushee #colin_allred
