A bruising Texas Republican primary is advancing to a run-off vote, laying bare the struggle for control of US President Donald Trump’s party as the 2026 midterms began Tuesday, while Democrats sparred over their own direction.
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 their 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.
Republican Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton. Photo: AFP
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.