Talarico beats Crockett in Texas as GOP heads to runoff: Key takeaways

Texas state Rep. James Talarico topped Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) in an expensive and fiercely contested Senate Democratic primary on Tuesday, while longtime Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) head to a runoff in May in a race that's expected to get increasingly nasty.

Voters in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas headed to the polls Tuesday to kick start the 2026 midterm cycle. Texas held competitive primaries for Senate, state attorney general and a number of House districts, which included several awkward Democratic matchups.

The Tar Heel State, meanwhile, weighed in on the primaries to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) in addition to a heated House race between an establishment Democrat and younger progressive challenger.

Here are six takeaways from the year's first primary elections: