Texas voters are choosing their US Senate candidates. Photo / Ronaldo Schemidt, AFP
A bruising Texas Republican primary is advancing to a runoff vote, laying bare the struggle for control of US President Donald Trump’s party as the 2026 midterms begin.
Voters in the Lone Star State are choosing their US Senate candidates in races that have become a test of how both parties navigate the remainder of Trump’s second term – and a rehearsal of the internal clashes likely to shape November’s congressional elections.
Polls closed in the primary races, which have become an early gauge for both political parties of whether voters prefer steadiness and seniority or candidates who channel anger and confrontation, even at the cost of electability.
Texas anchored the opening slate of the primary season, with North Carolina and Arkansas also holding contests that will help shape the fight for control of Congress.
In November, voters will choose every member of the US House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats – contests that will determine whether Trump governs with a cooperative Congress or faces a Democratic majority empowered to block legislation and launch investigations.
Republicans enter the cycle defending a 53-47 Senate majority and a razor-thin House edge. Democrats are seeking to capitalise on any backlash against Trump’s agenda.
“Donald Trump is front and centre in all of these primaries, whether the candidates like it or not,” said Peter Loge, a professor of political communication at George Washington University.
The voting also came days after the United States entered a war alongside Israel against Iran, though it remained unclear whether the conflict would meaningfully shape turnout or voter sentiment so early in the campaign season.
The headline contest pitted four-term Republican Senator John Cornyn against Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton, a staunch Trump ally who has built a loyal following – despite years of ethics controversies and a 2023 impeachment trial – by channelling anti-Washington anger.
CNN and NBC News projected on Tuesday night the two candidates would head to a runoff vote in May, as neither surpassed the 50% vote threshold needed to clinch victory.
Cornyn, long viewed as secure, has warned that nominating Paxton could endanger a seat Republicans are expected to hold in November.
Congressman Wesley Hunt was trailing third, having courted pro-Trump voters who were uneasy with both frontrunners.
On the Democratic side, US Representative Jasmine Crockett was facing state Representative James Talarico in a race framed as a choice of strategy.
Crockett argues her combative, high-profile style can drive turnout in a state Democrats have not won statewide in three decades. Talarico presented himself as a candidate better positioned to attract moderates and disaffected Republicans.
Crockett told supporters late Tuesday that she didn’t expect a result in the race until the next day.
However, some projections reported by US media early Wednesday showed Talarico is likely to win the Democratic primary for US Senate in Texas.
Either race could fail to produce a majority winner on Tuesday, raising the prospect of May runoffs that could extend intraparty divisions and drain campaign funding resources.
In North Carolina, Democrats are targeting an open Senate seat they view as one of their strongest pickup opportunities.
Early vote projections showed Michael Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee, will face off against Roy Cooper, the state’s Democratic former governor from 2017-2025, in November’s general election.
- Agence France-Presse