Supporters of Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, gather for a primary election watch party on Tuesday.Eric Gay/The Associated Press
U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will square off in a high-stakes runoff for the state’s Republican nomination for Senate, pitting a longtime member of the party’s establishment against an insurgent hardliner as the midterm elections kicked off on Tuesday.
Neither man was able to exceed the 50% threshold necessary to win outright in Tuesday’s voting, ensuring that the most expensive Senate primary in history will extend another 12 weeks into May. The scandal-scarred Paxton, a firebrand ally of President Donald Trump, has some Republican leaders worried his nomination could endanger a typically safe seat.
The victor will face off against Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state lawmaker, who narrowly beat out U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett in another bruising contest that similarly underscored the divides in the Democratic Party.
Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian who has made headlines for his regular use of scripture on the campaign trail, has explicitly appealed to independents and moderates in a state that has long been dominated by Republicans.
Crockett, whose fiery denunciations of President Donald Trump have built her a national profile, had argued her candidacy would excite less frequent Democratic voters.
In North Carolina, a marquee Senate matchup was set when former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley won their party’s nominations for an open seat in the battleground state. The race is a must-win for Democrats’ slim hopes of gaining a Senate majority.
Tuesday’s contests kick off a seven-month primary season in all 50 states ahead of November’s general election, which will determine which party controls Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate’s 100 seats will be at stake.
The day’s elections offered an early indication of how each party was responding to the chaos of Donald Trump’s presidency.
With votes still being counted in Texas, Democrats had cast about 1.5 million ballots compared with about 1.4 million for Republicans, according to the Associated Press, in a state that Trump carried in 2024 by 1.5 million votes. The early turnout figures suggest Democratic enthusiasm remains high, following the party’s strong performances in dozens of state-level elections since Trump took office a year ago.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) speaks to members of the media at an event in Austin on Tuesday.Brandon Bell/Getty Images
The elections took place days after the U.S. attacked Iran, a move some White House aides privately worry could pose political risks for Trump and Republicans at a time when voters have made it clear they are more concerned with domestic issues, including affordability and immigration.
November’s battle for the U.S. House of Representatives will be particularly hard-fought, with Democrats needing to flip only three Republican-held seats to capture a majority in the chamber.
Trump’s approval ratings have fallen, and the president’s party typically loses seats in midterm elections. A Democratic House or Senate could block much of Trump’s legislative agenda and open damaging investigations into his administration.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks during a watch party Tuesday, in Dallas.Julio Cortez/The Associated Press
The twin Texas Senate contests underscored the divides roiling each party while shattering spending records for a Senate primary.
Republican leaders have openly worried that a victory for Paxton, a MAGA diehard, could turn a safe Republican seat into a competitive race and imperil the party’s slim Senate majority. Cornyn’s allies have poured some $69 million into the race, compared with just $4 million backing Paxton, according to the advertisement tracking firm AdImpact.
“I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton risk everything we’ve worked so hard to build over these many years,” Cornyn said in a speech to supporters Tuesday night. “There is simply too much at stake in this midterm election for our state and for our country.”
Both Cornyn and Paxton have tried to tie themselves as closely to Trump as possible, including backing the military strikes in Iran. The president has not made a formal endorsement, which could easily swing the race.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks during a primary election watch party in Dallas.Tony Gutierrez/The Associated Press
On the Democratic side, Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian who has put his Christian faith at the center of his campaign, has explicitly appealed to independent and Republican voters. By contrast, Crockett, whose fiery denunciations of Trump have gained her a national following, has argued that her nomination could expand the Democratic base by exciting less-frequent voters.
Democrats have long harbored hopes of turning Texas blue, but the party has not won a statewide race since 1994. Nevertheless, party leaders argue Paxton – who has survived an impeachment by Republican lawmakers, a securities fraud indictment and a messy divorce – could prove vulnerable in November.
New maps
Tuesday’s contests will also mark the first time that new congressional maps are used in Texas and North Carolina, after Republican lawmakers last year redrew the states’ U.S. House district lines at Trump’s behest to try to gain more Republican seats, igniting a nationwide redistricting fight.
The new Texas map already prompted two Democratic incumbents whose districts were eliminated to retire. In the Houston area, two sitting Democratic congress members, Al Green and Christian Menefee, are facing each other after the new map dismantled Green’s previous seat.
Republican Tony Gonzales, who was already facing a stiff challenge from a conservative YouTuber, also is in danger of losing his seat following allegations that he had a relationship with a female staffer who later died by suicide. He has denied wrongdoing but has faced bipartisan calls to resign.