The 2026 midterm election season kicked off Tuesday with primaries in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas, featuring several high-profile contests that will set the tone for November as voters weigh in on President Donald Trump’s second administration and Democrats debate their party’s direction.
Republicans are defending a razor-thin majority in the House, and they have tried to bolster their efforts by redrawing congressional maps in several GOP-controlled states. Tuesday’s elections put a spotlight on those new maps in Texas and North Carolina, where the party has targeted six Democratic-held seats and prompted some bruising intraparty battles in the process.