Texas Republicans head to runoff in Senate race as James Talarico wins Democratic nomination

Yesterday's primaries across three states saw incumbents wobble, general election matchups form and runoffs extend intraparty fights.

They also highlighted broader lessons about the state of national politics, from Trump’s enduring power over the GOP to the disagreements over ideology, generation and strategy that continue to divide Democrats.

In Texas, where the Republican Senate primary is heading to a May 26 runoff between four-term Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton, the question of whether Trump will finally take a side is swirling over the race after other races demonstrated his power.

Meanwhile, state Rep. James Talarico won the Democratic primary over Rep. Jasmine Crockett, NBC News projected early this morning. And a night of close calls and losses for House incumbents in both parties was full of nail-biting signs for other establishment figures preparing to go before voters later this year.

Here are key takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries.

James Talarico wins the Democrat Senate primary in Texas, NBC News projects.

See the latest results here.

State Rep. James Talarico spoke briefly to his supporters in Texas at midnight, saying all votes in the race need to be counted.

"We are still waiting for an official call, but we are confident in this movement we built together," he said in remarks that lasted about three minutes.

Talarico acknowledged the voting issues in Dallas and Williamson counties that Rep. Jasmine Crockett addressed earlier.

"Every vote must be counted. Every voice must be heard," he said. "The voter suppression in my home county and Congresswoman Crockett's home county underscores the gravity of this moment."

Rep. Tony Gonzales will face another round in his Republican primary after he was pulled into a runoff in Texas, NBC News projects, following a campaign shaped by allegations that he had an affair with a staffer in his congressional office who died by suicide last year.

Brandon Herrera, a pro-gun activist, advanced to a one-on-one runoff against Gonzales for the Republican nomination after no one in the primary got a majority. Herrera forced Gonzales to a runoff in 2024, in his first bid for office, but fell just a few hundred votes of toppling him.

While Gonzales had an endorsement from Trump this time to help him hang on to his seat, his political standing took a major hit after the affair allegation resurfaced last month.

Read the full story here.

Texas state Rep. Steve Toth defeated Rep. Dan Crenshaw in a Republican primary in Texas, NBC News projects, unseating Crenshaw after a race that centered on which candidate more closely aligned with Trump.

Crenshaw becomes the first member of Congress to lose renomination in the 2026 midterm election cycle.

Read the full story here.

Incumbent Henry Cuellar wins the Democratic primary in Texas' 28th Congressional District, NBC News projects.

Cuellar, who was indicted in 2024 on federal bribery, wire fraud and money laundering charges, was pardoned by Trump late last year. Trump later slammed Cuellar when he decided to seek re-election as a Democrat, characterizing his decision as “disloyalty” while adding that he had assumed Cuellar would not seek public office again.

Cuellar has said he did not make a deal with Trump in exchange for the pardon.

Trump endorsed Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, a Democrat-turned Republican, in the GOP primaryseat. NBC News projects Tijerina will advance to the general election.

See the latest results here.

North Carolina state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, who delivered a Republican-led redistricting effort, is down by two votes in his re-election campaign, according to unofficial state election results.

Berger faced Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, whom Trump called to offer a job so he wouldn't challenge Berger in the 26th Senate District.

Former Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, said on NBC News NOW that Berger, the "most powerful" state senator, is an example for top legislators who lose touch with their districts.

"It's probably an example even going back to a Mitch McConnell or some previous speakers when you spend too much time in the State Capitol gaining power, sometimes people back home go, 'You forgot us back home here in Rockingham County,'" McCrory said.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee called on GOP voters in a statement to support Cornyn in the runoff against Paxton after both advanced to the May contest.

The Democratic race between state Rep. James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett remains too early to call.

“John Cornyn remains the only candidate that guarantees Senator Talarico never becomes a reality, and ensures the fight for President Trump’s Senate Majority is waged in true battleground states, not Texas, ”NRSC spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement.

Trump has not endorsed a candidate in the GOP race.

Thousands of Democratic ballots cast in Dallas County have been called into question after voting was extended by two hours at some polling sites before the Texas Supreme Court ordered ballots cast by voters who were not in line before 7 p.m. local time to be separated from the rest of the day's ballots.

Texas Supreme Court blocks extended polling hours in Dallas County

03:06

What happened in Dallas County dates to last year, when Republicans said they wanted to hand-count their ballots. To do so, they needed to run all the elections at a precinct level. In Texas, political parties are responsible for running primary elections, adding another layer of complexity. So voters might have gone to a Republican polling site when they meant to go to a Democratic voting location.

There's a chance a court could throw out Democratic ballots cast after 7 p.m. local time, which are called provisional ballots.

The Senate Leadership Fund, which is aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., put out a statement tonight criticizing Rep. Wesley Hunt for his candidacy in the Texas Senate GOP primary, which is now projected to head to a runoff.

“Instead of fighting for President Trump and conservative priorities, Wesley launched a career-ending vanity tour without any substance or political reasoning,” the super PAC said. “While Wesley’s amateur consultants got wealthy on his senseless campaign, Republican voters are now forced to endure an even longer primary runoff election.”

Hunt's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Yesterday, on social media, Hunt said it was “time to term limit John Cornyn,” adding that it’s “time to turn the page on the establishment” and “time to show Washington that Texans choose their leaders, not insiders, not $100 million war chests.”

The Texas Supreme Court has ordered that all ballots cast by voters who were not in line to vote in Williamson County before 7 p.m. local time be separated from the rest of the day’s ballots in the Democratic primary.

This is exactly like what played out in Dallas County earlier tonight, also for the Democratic primary. As in Dallas County, a trial court in Williamson County issued an order requiring county election officials to extend voting hours past the scheduled 7 p.m. closing time.

“Votes cast by voters who were not in line to vote at 7pm should be separated,” the Texas Supreme Court later wrote.

The state attorney general’s office submitted two emergency petitions in Dallas and Williamson counties asking the state Supreme Court to strike down the lower courts’ rulings that polls stay open past 7 p.m. The petitions were signed by First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, Ken Paxton’s deputy.

Paxton spoke to a crowd of his supporters after he learned the Texas Senate GOP primary is headed to a runoff with Cornyn.

“Tonight, change was on the ballot," Paxton said. "Texans want new leadership.”

He also hit Cornyn over his campaign spending.

Paxton says primary results show 'Texans want new leadership'

03:07

"John Cornyn spent around 100 million trying to buy this seat," Paxton said. "But we proved something that they’ll never understand in Washington. Texas is not for sale."

NBC News reported that Cornyn and his allies have spent a combined $78.5 million on ads in the primary, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Paxton and his allied outside groups have spent $4.4 million, in comparison.

Cornyn told reporters this evening that Paxton would be a "dead weight to the top of the ticket for Republicans running all across this great state" if he were to advance to the general election after the projected runoff in May.

"I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton to risk everything we've worked so hard to build over these many years. There is simply too much at stake in this midterm election for our state and for our country," Cornyn said.

"If he's nominated, there's a high risk that Paxton would lose the Senate seat, taking five congressional seats down with him," Cornyn said. "Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it. Judgment Day is coming for Ken Paxton."

Cornyn blasts 'self-centered' Paxton after Texas GOP Senate race advances to runoff

02:06

Dallas County Elections Department Communications Director Nick Solorzano said tonight that anyone in line in Dallas County before 7 p.m. local time cast a regular ballot and anyone who joined the line after 7 p.m. cast a provisional ballot.

Crockett said earlier tonight that ballots cast in the county are key to the Senate Democratic primary results.

The GOP Senate primary race in Texas will go to runoff after none of the candidates met the required threshold to secure the nomination for the general election.

Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton will advance to a runoff in May.

Cornyn, Paxton head to runoff in Texas Senate Republican primary

05:05

Rep. Jasmine Crockett addressed her supporters and said she won't be speaking to them again this evening because “we won’t have election results tonight” if votes cast after 7 p.m. local time in Dallas County are not counted.

“We need to see the Dallas County votes to see where they are. I mean, if the early vote comes in, which we may have the early vote soon, if it comes in and I’m losing Dallas County, then we know kind of where this thing is going,” Crockett said, adding that she “fully” anticipates results won’t come in until tomorrow.

Crockett, whose home is Dallas County, cast blame on Republicans, arguing they specifically targeted the county, “and I think we all know why.”

“We’re not going to have election results tonight, in my opinion, based upon what specifically is taking place in Dallas County,” she said.

Rep. Crockett: ‘We’re not gonna have election results tonight in my opinion’

05:40

Chuck Rocha, a Democratic strategist and senior adviser to Talarico, told NBC News that he feels confident in Talarico's campaign, saying "voter turnout is through the roof."

"I've been running campaigns in Texas a long time, and I haven't seen anything quite like this," Rocha said.

Asked whether he's concerned that Crockett's turnout among Black voters could hurt Talarico's chances, Rocha said, "Whoever wins, we all got to come together, because Republicans are the opponent here, not each other."

"James Talarico was showing, and other campaigns are showing, that a lot of people are showing up to vote, a lot more than have ever voted before," he said. "You have to ride that wave to November while making your case to the American people and to the Texas voters about what to do to make their life better."

The Texas Supreme Court ordered all votes cast by voters who were not in line to vote in Dallas County before 7 p.m. local time to be separated from the rest of the day’s votes. 

“Voting should occur only as permitted by Texas Election Code Section 41.032,” the court wrote in an order pausing a Dallas County judge’s order, which extended the hours.

The judge had issued an order extending voting in the Democratic primary only two hours after the county Democratic Party chairman filed a lawsuit after thousands of voters showed up at the wrong location.

Unlike during the early voting period, voters can cast their Election Day ballots only at their specific precinct polling sites.

Dallas judge orders extended voting hours amid Texas polling site confusion

01:17

Rep. Christian Menefee, who is running against fellow Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green in a redrawn district, argued that voters should back him because people are not looking for “symbolic” or “cosmetic fights” but “fights that are really going to lead a change in people’s lives.”

Rep. Menefee reacts to early Texas primary results

05:59

“I’m the only candidate who fought back against Donald Trump during my time as county attorney for the third-largest county in the country. I took the Trump administration to court multiple times and beat them,” Menefee, 37, said in an interview tonight on NBC News NOW.

You know what's interesting about the difference in the purity test on the Republican side versus the purity test on the Democratic side? The Democratic side, it can be a little complicated. There are a lot of different issues and a lot of different boxes to win a Democratic purity test.

There's only one on the Republican side, and that's whether or not Donald Trump likes you. And for whatever reason, Dan Crenshaw has gotten sideways with Trump. Ukraine might be one of the reasons. There are some other examples of him not necessarily toeing the MAGA line. To be very clear, Crenshaw toes the Republican Party line. His voting record is as conservative as anybody's in Washington, but you can't run sideways at Trump.

Watching what's happening here today in this race with Crenshaw, the first person I'm thinking of is Kentucky and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie. And I know there is a very dedicated group of political operatives who are working to do this exact same thing to Massie in Kentucky.

Paxton is leading by 30 points in Montgomery County, the county that earned Trump his biggest plurality across the country in 2024, with 56% of the vote in there.

The county, which is north of Houston, is one of the most conservative, most politically active counties you're going to find anywhere.

Talarico is doing well in Texas counties with high numbers of Latino voters.

In Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, Talarico is leading but probably wants to be doing a little better. Crockett, meanwhile, is performing well in areas with large numbers of Black voters.

The race is still tight.

The “ShamWow guy” has sued the Republican Party of Texas and its chairman over the exclusion of his nickname on a Texas congressional ballot, arguing that state election code was violated.

Offer Vince Shlomi, a former infomercial pitchman for the ShamWow towel, announced his run for Congress in Texas in November, setting up a primary challenge against Rep. John Carter.

Shlomi alleges in the lawsuit that his initial application to appear on the ballot in the 31st Congressional District with his "well-known nickname" as Offer Vince "ShamWow" Shlomi was accepted. He was then notified on Jan. 9 that his name was being changed to remove the nickname.

"Suing the GOP Texas for deleting my nickname 'Shamwow' in the Primaries so they help the incumbent John Carter so the voters don’t recognize me," Shlomi said on X.

The state Republican Party did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Former RNC chair Michael Whatley thanked Trump in his victory speech tonight for his “strong and unwavering support in this race.”

“His leadership has changed our country, and I am proud to stand with him in the fight to secure our border, to strengthen our economy and put America first,” Whatley, who got Trump's endorsement, said in a speech to supporters.

Michael Whatley thanks Trump for ‘unwavering support’ in victory speech

00:37

Incumbent Sarah Huckabee Sanders wins the Republican primary for Arkansas governor, NBC News projects.

See the latest results here.

Incumbent Greg Abbott wins the Republican primary for Texas governor, NBC News projects.

See the latest results here.

Incumbents from both parties are under pressure as the polls begin to close in the first 2026 midterm primaries, as voters in North Carolina, Texas and Arkansas weigh in on the debates within their parties and set the stage for the battle for control of Washington this fall.

One incumbent is guaranteed to lose in these states, since redistricting forced Texas Democratic Reps. Al Green and Christian Menefee into a member-versus-member primary that’s being fought along generational lines. But other incumbents face serious primary challenges, too.

Read the full story here.

Incumbent Tom Cotton wins the Republican Senate primary in Arkansas, NBC News projects.

See the latest results here.

Republicans are worried about the Senate race in North Carolina, according to a senior GOP strategist who has worked on national races.

Michael Whatley, the former GOP chairman who secured Trump's endorsement, has not run a statewide race before but is a political operative who is trying to jump into elected office, a potentially risky move.

As he prepares to face off against Democrat Roy Cooper in November, Republicans are injecting money into the race as they hope to defend their majority in the Senate. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., is not seeking re-election.

Michael Whatley to face Roy Cooper in North Carolina Senate race, NBC News projects

05:04

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., blasted Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, his former colleague, for deciding to run again despite being accused of having had an affair with a former aide who later died by suicide.

"He should not have run for re-election," McCarthy told NBC News NOW this evening. "He will lose in the end. If he is victorious in this primary, he has a major ethics problem that, I think, will take him down, maybe even before the general election."

The allegations have roiled Gonzales' primary bid. While Gonzales denied the allegation months ago, he's now not engaged on that point, instead casting the allegations as politically motivated.

Trever Nehls, the identical twin brother of Republican Rep. Troy Nehls, won the Texas House primary to replace him in the 22nd Congressional District, NBC News projected.

The victory makes Nehls the favorite to win the GOP-leaning seat this fall. He has visited Capitol Hill in recent months, turning heads among colleagues and reporters who thought they were seeing double.

His brother, Troy Nehls, is one of the most effusive Trump supporters on Capitol Hill, having recently worn a tie with Trump’s face on it to the State of the Union address. Trump endorsed Trever Nehls after his brother decided he would retire after this session.

Michael Whatley has won the Republican Senate primary in North Carolina, NBC News projects.

Whatley is looking to replace retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who has broken with Trump in recent months. Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman who has Trump’s endorsement, easily fended off challenges from Republican activist Michele Morrow and Navy veteran Don Brown, showing Trump’s influence in the state.

See the latest results here.

Texas Democrats are seeing their most motivated electorate since former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 campaign for the Senate.

But the question remains whether it’ll be enough for Democrats in November, when they aim to seize a Senate seat.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett's argument is that there are enough Democrats in the state to win in November, while state Rep. James Talarico hopes to bring together voters from across the political spectrum.

Dallas police arrested a man outside Paxton's campaign headquarters tonight after they got calls about a "suspicious individual" in the area, the police department said in a statement.

The car was towed away after police removed ammunition from it in Dallas. Julio Cortez / AP

Police said the person entered a vehicle that did not display a proper license plate and left the area. Officers then arrested the suspect for traffic violations and found ammunition inside the vehicle, they said.

NBC News saw several Dallas police cars gathered right outside the campaign headquarters before they drove off. Shortly afterward, officers were seen towing a blue car from the scene.

Roy Cooper wins the Democratic Senate primary in North Carolina, NBC News projects.

Cooper was not facing any serious challenges for the nomination. He will be integral to Democrats’ hopes of flipping the Senate in November, as they seek to defend all of their Senate seats and flip four more. 

Roy Cooper celebrates projected win in North Carolina Senate primary

01:56

Cooper has won six statewide elections for attorney general and governor. He was first elected governor in 2016, defeating the Republican incumbent Pat McCrory, and was re-elected to a second term in 2020, despite Trump winning North Carolina in the presidential election both years. Cooper was term-limited from running for a third term in 2024.

See the latest results here.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, speaks to members of the media at a polling location in Dallas today. Antranik Tavitian / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Crockett is urging people to show up to vote, despite the confusion with polling locations in Dallas that led a judge to order that Democratic polling sites in that county stay open additional two hours.

“My heart is breaking. I’ve got people that are sending me emails. I have video recordings of voters that are crying and hurt. None of this should have happened,” Crockett said.

Crockett has accused Republicans of intentionally causing confusion to “disenfranchise and confuse voters.”

“I am asking you, I am begging you, to make sure that you go ahead and figure out where it is that you are supposed to vote, stand in line, wait in line. And if it means that I got to come out there with you, to wait with you, I will do that,” she added.

The first polls have closed in Texas, where voters are set to decide two hotly contested primaries for the Senate that could determine whether the state is in play in the general election.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks during a Get Out the Vote rally in The Woodlands, Texas, Feb. 28, 2026. Mark Felix / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Cornyn faces strong headwinds in his bid for a fifth term, with Paxton and Hunt challenging him in the GOP primary. If no candidate wins a majority of the primary vote, the race heads to a runoff May 26.

Read the full story here.

Polls are now starting to close across Texas.

Polls have now closed in Arkansas.

NBC News’ Steve Kornacki shares an overview of the competitive Senate primaries in Texas for both parties. On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is running against state Rep. James Talarico. Republican Sen. John Cornyn faces primary challenges from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Kornacki breaks down the high-stakes Texas primary races

01:43

A Dallas County judge has ordered that polling locations in the Democratic primary in the county specifically be kept open two additional hours, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time (8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET), after the Dallas County Democratic Party chairman filed legal action requesting the extension.

Dallas County Elections Communications Director Nick Solorzano told NBC News, “We just got an order telling us to keep the Democratic polling places open until 9 p.m.”

The judge’s chief of staff, Lauren Jenkins, confirmed that because parties run the primaries in Texas, the fact that the request came from the Democratic county chairman means it applies only to the Democrats. 

And the judge himself, Clay Jenkins, confirmed on X that it applies only to Democrats because Republicans have not asked for similar relief.

A person familiar with the White House’s thinking and strategy says it's now more likely than not that Trump does make an endorsement during the runoff period. Whom would Trump endorse? This person says that if Cornyn keeps it close tonight, Trump is likely to endorse him, as a Cornyn candidacy is seen as the low-risk, least-costly way to ensure a red seat stays red. Paxton’s personal scandals are seen as an unknown, which could still get worse. All three campaigns and their allies have aggressively lobbied for a Trump endorsement, to no avail. 

If Paxton surprises with a big win tonight — 10 points or more — that may change Trump’s view, as he is unlikely to endorse someone he doesn’t think can win.

Polls closed in North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET.

One precinct in Halifax County will remain open an extra hour, until 8:30 p.m. ET, after it did not open on time because of issues with its electronic poll books.

The State Board of Elections said it will not publish any statewide results until all polls are closed.

Sign up for an NBC News subscription for exclusive analysis and insight into tonight's primary races. Hallie Jackson will have a breakdown, and Kristen Welker, Steve Kornacki and our political experts will send you in-depth briefings throughout the week.

North Carolina Democrat running in GOP primary to protest gerrymandering

04:23

Kate Barr knowingly ran an unwinnable race as a Democrat for North Carolina’s state Senate in 2023. She’s back on the ballot again this year, now as a Republican, challenging Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C. NBC News legal affairs reporter Gary Grumbach reports on Barr’s long-shot campaign to shed light on partisan gerrymandering.

Two of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s top aides have resigned amid an ongoing probe of possible misconduct by officials in the Labor Department, according to a department official and another source familiar with the matter.

Chavez-DeRemer’s chief of staff, Jihun Han, and his deputy, Rebecca Wright, had been placed on administrative leave in mid-January while the Labor Department’s inspector general investigates possible “travel fraud.”

The staffers were given 24 hours to resign after they were informed that their positions had been terminated, the person familiar with the matter said.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. In January, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was aware of the inquiry and “stands by” Chavez-DeRemer.

Read the full story here.

Trump endorsed Aaron Flint, a conservative radio host and combat veteran, for the seat being vacated by GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana.

"Aaron Flint has my Complete and Total Endorsement," Trump said today on Truth Social.

"As your next Congressman, Aaron will work tirelessly to Champion our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Military/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment," Trump added.

Zinke, who has represented Montana's 1st Congressional District since 2023, announced yesterday that he would not seek re-election.

Thousands of voters in Dallas and Williamson counties showed up at the wrong location to vote today, according to the Texas Democratic Party.

Voters in line to cast ballots in Dallas, Texas today. LM Otero / AP

“Around one-third of the voters are having problems,” Texas Democratic Party Director Terri Burke said in a phone interview, adding that he believed redistricting and the move to precinct-based voting in the counties contributed to the confusion.

Read the full story here.

Students line up to cast their votes at University of Texas at El Paso today.  Jose Luis Gonzalez / Reuters

The three primary elections taking place today are in North Carolina, Texas and Arkansas. Polls close at:

• 7:30 p.m. ET in North Carolina
• 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET in Texas
• 8:30 p.m. ET in Arkansas

Republicans have sought to use the Trump administration’s attack on Iran to pressure Democrats to relent on their demands for funding the Department of Homeland Security.

But Democrats are quickly rejecting that push, making it clear they will continue to insist on changes to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as Customs and Border Protection, after federal agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis.

Read the full story here.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections extended voting by one hour, until 8:30 p.m. ET, in a precinct in Halifax County today after the precinct didn't open on time because of issues with its electronic poll books.

The board said it will not publish any vote counts until precincts are closed across the state.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to testify as part of the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the committee’s chair said on X.

Lutnick “has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee. I look forward to his testimony,” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., wrote. 

Read the full story here.

The leader of the California Democratic Party today called on candidates who “do not have a viable path” to the general election to drop out of the state’s crowded race for governor.

In an open letter, party Chair Rusty Hicks said the lengthy list of candidates in a race that uses a “jungle primary” system — in which candidates from all parties compete in the same primary and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election — could risk “locking out” any Democrat from the November ballot in the solidly blue state.

Read the full story here.

A pair of volatile Senate contests in Texas will headline the first primary night of the 2026 midterm season. And a few groups of voters are set to play critical roles deciding these races — and possibly hint at the keys to other campaigns to come this year.

The drama centers on the seat held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who is in the underdog role as he seeks his fifth term. Cornyn faces primary challenges from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. If Cornyn is defeated, he will be the first senator to be denied renomination by his or her own party since Republican Richard Lugar of Indiana back in 2012.

Read the full story here.

North Carolina elections director Sam Hayes said today that early voting in the state's primary is up about 25% compared with the 2022 midterm election primary.

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots on the last day of early voting in the North Carolina primary election in Durham on Saturday. Rachel Jessen / Bloomberg via Getty Images

"A total of 701,000 voters cast ballots during the early voting period for this primary. That’s up from 559,000 in 2022, which was the last midterm primary," Hayes said at a news conference.

Hayes also noted that early voting participation even surpassed the 2020 primary levels, "demonstrating strong engagement from North Carolina voters."

The Justice Department told an appeals court today that it wanted to continue its battle over executive orders going after law firms targeted by Trump, reversing course from a court filing it made only yesterday.

Justice Department officials had said just last night that they planned to drop their appeal, conceding to unanimous rulings from federal judges that found the orders violated the Constitution.

The targeted firms included Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Susman Godfrey and Jenner & Block. They had fought back against executive orders by Trump that took aim at their security clearances, government contracts and access to government buildings because of their clientele and hiring.

But the Justice Department filed a “motion to withdraw a motion to voluntarily dismiss appeals” in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia today. The New York Times first reported the planned reversal.

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing featuring Noem's testimony has concluded after about 4½ hours.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., grilled Noem about the $220 million ad campaign that Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asked her about earlier in the hearing.

Schiff asked whether it was a coincidence that some money from the contract went to a subtractor Noem worked with as governor of South Dakota, led by the husband of Noem’s former spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin. McLaughlin resigned last month.

Schiff said about the contract for the ad, "You say it was a competitive process, and yet this contract went to a company that didn’t exist two weeks before they got the contract," a reference to a firm named in the contract documents.

"The same process was followed for this media contract than any other media contract that happened," Noem replied.

Noem said in her answers that the ad campaign "was critical in telling the world and this country that we are enforcing the laws in the United States of America, that if you’re in your country illegally, then you should leave now.”

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., pressed Noem on her statements in the immediate aftermath of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Shortly after they were killed, Noem accused them of domestic terrorism, but she did not provide evidence in either case, and videos and eyewitnesses contradicted her accounts.

"Do you have any concern about misleading the whole country?" Schiff asked. "Don't you think in the immediate aftermath of a shooting that you should provide only vetted information to the public? How do you imagine you're going to gain the trust of American people if you're pushing out false information about the shooting of American citizens?"

Noem began to answer that she works "every day to get factual information to the American people," but Schiff cut her off, saying she did not put out factual information to the country on the days that Good and Pretti were shot.

"You weren't getting out good information, you were making a spurious claim that has caused endless injury to the victims' families on the basis of God knows what," he said.

In fiery remarks, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., accused the Department of Homeland Security of flouting court orders, targeting protesters and “terrorizing our children,” and called on Noem to resign.

Calling DHS “a reckless and out-of-control agency,” Booker criticized Noem for repeatedly saying during the Senate hearing on oversight of the department that she was unaware of the details surrounding specific allegations of ICE and Border Patrol abuses, arguing that such responses reflected a breakdown in leadership.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaks as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

“Either you are utterly incompetent or you are violating laws with impunity,” Booker said. “You should step down from your position. If you don’t, you should be removed by this president, and if not, Congress should impeach you.”

“I appreciate the encouragement,” Noem replied as Booker’s time expired.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., sharply criticized Noem for killing her dog, a decision she detailed in her 2024 book.

"You are a farmer, and you should know better," Tillis said, blasting Noem and asserting that the 14-month-old dog was "basically a teenager in dog years."

"You decided to kill that dog because you had not invested the appropriate time in training, and then you have the audacity to go into a book and say it's a leadership lesson about tough choices," he said.

As he blasted Noem for her leadership of DHS, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., reiterated his call for her to resign as secretary. He previously said in January that he thought Noem "should go," but he was more direct today.

Tillis pointed to a letter from the office of inspector general, citing "10 different instances under Ms. Noem's leadership where they've been misled and not allowed to pursue investigations that they think are critically important."

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., speaks as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

"Does anybody have any idea how bad it has to be for the OIG in this agency to come out and do this publicly?" he asked. "That is stonewalling. That's a failure of leadership, and that is why I've called for your resignation."

There was a smattering of applause, but Tillis asked people to not clap for him. If Noem did not respond to questions about her oversight of DHS, he said he would put a hold on "en bloc" nominations, a procedure allowing the Senate to confirm nominees as a group.

Tillis then went further, threatening to throw sand in the gears of committees to pressure Noem into responding to questions.

"In two weeks, if I don't get a response, I'm going to deny quorum and markup in as many committees as I can until I get a response," he said.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., unleashed his anger at Noem during his questioning, saying he was "disappointed" in her and ripping her over what he called the "disaster" under her leadership.

Tillis argued that DHS just wanted to tout the "numbers" of people deported.

"Numbers matter, right? No, they don't matter," he said, raising his voice. "Quality matters, not quantity. Quality."

"And what we've seen is a disaster under your leadership, Ms. Noem, a disaster," he shouted. "What we've seen is innocent people getting detained that turn out are American citizens."

Tillis he was giving Noem "a performance evaluation," and that "time after time after time" he has been disappointed in her.

Earlier in his comments, Tillis referred to a plaque that will be put up at the Capitol to honor police officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by Trump supporters.

"All those thugs have actually been pardoned, and yet we haven’t thanked the Capitol police officers for their work here," he said.

Tillis is not running for re-election, and he has repeatedly criticized the administration for its lethal immigration enforcement actions and other policies, such as cuts to Medicaid. His open seat is expected to be a top battleground race this fall.

'A disaster': Sen. Tillis criticizes Noem's leadership at DHS

06:36

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing has resumed after a short break.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., pressed Noem to answer questions about U.S. citizens detained or injured by federal immigration officers, including three attending the hearing. 

One of them, Marimar Martinez, a Chicago teacher, was shot five times last year by a Border Patrol agent who accused her of using her car to assault federal officers; prosecutors later dropped the charges with prejudice. Body camera video released last month showed agents inside a vehicle saying, “It’s time to get aggressive,” moments before a collision, and captures the sound of five gunshots — evidence her attorneys say undercuts DHS claims that Martinez deliberately rammed officers.

“Wouldn’t you agree that shooting Marimar Martinez on her way to donate clothing at her church, a United States citizen from Chicago, is wrong?” Blumenthal asked Noem.

“Sir, I don’t know the situation or the case,” Noem replied. “I’ll look into it.”

Marimar Martinez stands with two other American citizens who were previously detained by federal immigration officers at the hearing today. Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images

Noem pushed back on the line of questioning from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., criticizing him for not focusing on victims of crimes perpetrated by migrants who were illegally in the U.S., pointing specifically to the case of Angel Samaniego, who law enforcement investigators said was bound and shot to death at a motel in Connecticut.

"I haven't heard you say one victim's name from illegal immigrants that are here perpetuating violence against people," Noem said.

"I'd like to hear you say the name of one of our victims of illegal criminal activity and fight for one of those victims so that we can stop as many of them from being created in the future by people who should never be in this country to begin with," she added.

After Blumenthal's period of questioning ended, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., listed the names of several victims of crimes committed by people who were illegally in the U.S.

The Judiciary Committee with Noem is on a short recess.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., asked Noem repeatedly whether she would rule out the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to polling places during midterm elections.

"There are no plans to have ICE officers at our polling locations," Noem said, reiterating that sentiment multiple times during Coons' line of questioning.

Noem turned a question back to Coons, asking him whether he planned for "illegal aliens" to vote in the elections. Coons said he did not, and Noem responded that "then there should be no need to."

Late last month, NBC News reported that a senior DHS official told state election officials that immigration agents would not be present at polling locations. Federal law prohibits armed U.S. agents or troops from being present at polling locations.

Noem says there are no plans for agents to be at polling sites

02:04

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., grilled Noem over the detention of ChongLy Thao, a 56-year-old St. Paul resident and U.S. citizen who was taken by ICE agents after they broke down his door.

Thao, who was returned only after authorities determined they had the wrong person, was handcuffed and led outside in boxer shorts and sandals in 12-degree weather, a relative said.

“Do you agree that it is unacceptable for your agents to ram into someone’s door and drag someone out in their underwear in below-zero temperatures when they have the wrong guy?” Klobuchar said.

Without answering directly, Noem said ICE officers conduct targeted operations.

“You will not answer that you think that that’s wrong?” Klobuchar pressed.

Noem again didn’t answer directly, saying the officers were working to identify the man.

ChongLy Thao is detained in an immigration raid at his home in January. Leah Millis / Reuters

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., pressed Noem on her response to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom were shot to death by immigration agents in separate incidents in Minneapolis.

Klobuchar asked Noem if she had anything to say to Pretti's parents, criticizing the secretary for accusing him of domestic terrorism.

"I can't even imagine what they have gone through in the loss of their son and the loss of their family members," Noem replied.

Klobuchar pressed Noem to respond to her initial comments about domestic terrorism.

"I did not call him a domestic terrorist," Noem said. "I said it appeared to be an incident of."

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., criticized Noem over what he suggested was exorbitant spending on advertisements at DHS.

“How do you square that concern for waste, which I share, with the fact that you have spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you prominently?" Kennedy asked.

"Sir, the president tasked me with getting the message out to the country, and to other countries where we were seeing the invasion come from. with putting commercials out that told them that if they were in this country illegally, that they needed to leave, or we would detain them and remove them, and they’d not get the chance to come back to America," she said.

Noem said she discussed the plan to develop these ads with Trump before she was confirmed as secretary.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., pressed Noem on a luxury jet that has been leased by the Department of Homeland Security, which NBC News previously reported contained a bedroom, showers, a kitchen and even a bar.

Noem argued that pictures of the jet's bedroom, highlighted by Whitehouse, were inaccurate, adding that the department was using "long-range command and control aircraft."

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse pressed Noem on a luxury jet that has been leased by the Department of Homeland Security. Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Asked whether she has used a luxury jet with a bedroom in it, Noem said that "we used a 737, I've been on it once," adding that it was used by other administration officials.

NBC News reported ICE is seeking approval to buy the jet for $70 million, telling the White House’s Office of Management and Budget that it would be used for deportations and Cabinet officials' travel. A DHS official previously told NBC that "at least one of the bedrooms is currently being converted for seating to prepare the aircraft to meet the demands of its deportation mission set."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., began his remarks by blaming Democratic immigration and border policies for the deaths of U.S. citizens at the hands of undocumented migrants, echoing a continual refrain of Trump and senior administration officials.

"To all the people in the front row that have lost loved ones, I am sorry, your family members are a victim of an out-of-control Democratic-led effort to obliterate the border and every senator on this side of the aisle, that side of the aisle, did nothing about it," he said.

"I just want the country to know these men and women who are trying to solve this problem that was created by our Democratic colleagues, you have no idea of the mess they inherited," Graham continued. "This country was overrun by illegal immigrants, murderers, rapists and just average everyday people."

Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee, highlighted a judge who criticized the administration for failing to comply with court orders.

In January, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz in Minnesota called for acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to appear in court to answer questions about a man arrested by immigration enforcement who he said was not given a bond hearing or released from detention within a week, despite the judge's order. Schiltz added that the government had failed to comply with dozens of court orders in recent weeks.

Durbin asked Noem whether DHS is required to follow federal court orders.

"Yes sir, we do comply with federal court orders," Noem replied.

The senator continued, asking Noem if she believed the judges who accused the administration of flouting court orders were wrong.

"I'm not saying that they're wrong," Noem answered, adding that she couldn't speak to a judge's specific statement.

In his opening statement, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., criticized the care provided to immigrant children held with their parents at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas.

“Detained individuals, including children and infants, are subject to abusive conditions and inadequate medical care,” Durbin said

As he spoke, a staffer held up a photo of 18-month-old Amalia, a toddler who had to be rushed to a hospital after suffering severe respiratory distress while held at Dilley. After 10 days in the hospital, NBC News reported last month, ICE returned Amalia and her mother to detention, where, according to a habeas corpus complaint, workers withheld prescribed medication.

DHS has denied those allegations.

As Durbin began questioning Noem about the killing of people by immigration agents, another protester began yelling about "Americans killed by ICE" and accused Noem of not giving their families justice.

The hearing promptly continued after the protester was removed.

A protester is removed by a Capitol Police officer at the hearing today. Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images

Durbin asked Noem if she would like to retract her previous statements falsely calling Good and Pretti, who were both fatally shot by immigration agents in Minnesota, domestic terrorists.

Noem said that after these situations, "We always offer our condolences to those families, and I offer mine as well. These are tragic situations, and I can’t imagine what these families go through and losing a loved one."

"What I what I will say is we always work to provide the American people with as much information as possible, that we’re relying on reports from the ground and from agents that are there and working to be transparent and will continue to do all that we can to provide the accurate information and the facts to people as we can," she said.

Asked where she got the information that they were domestic terrorists, Noem said, "I was getting reports from the ground, from agents at the scene, and I would say that it was a chaotic scene."

Noem asked to retract comments calling Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists

03:10

As she began her testimony, Noem sought to address Grassley's concern from his opening statement about what he said was the prevention of an inspector general from speaking with certain congressional committees about a classified report.

Noem said that there is "nothing preventing the IG from coming and briefing members of Congress, and he's free to do that."

"We just need to remember it's a classified document and use those protocols to ensure that it remains classified," she said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem denounced Democrats in her opening statement over their decision not to fund her department, which has resulted in a partial shutdown that began in mid-February.

Noem said that the shutdown "undermines the American national security and it harms the men and women who work at DHS and their families."

"Despite the House passing a bipartisan, bicameral full-year DHS funding bill, it is Senate Democrats who have chosen not to fund the department and have held this department hostage," she said. "As a result, critical national security missions, including border security, immigration enforcement, aviation security, disaster response, cyber security and the protection of critical infrastructure are all being strained."

Noem touts Trump administration's immigration agenda in Senate testimony

05:45

Moments before Noem was supposed to begin her opening statement, a protester began shouting and was removed from the hearing room.

"You should be shamed of yourself!" the protester shouted as she was led out of the room, also yelling, "Abolish ICE!"

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said in his opening statement that the Department of Homeland Security has been "devoid of any moral compass or respect for the rule of law, without hesitation or remorse."

Durbin, the Judiciary Committee's ranking member, slammed the Trump administration's deportation-related efforts in his home state of Illinois and in Minnesota, alluding to the fatal shootings by immigration agents of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., makes an opening statement today. Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Durbin defended the Democrats' decision not to continue funding DHS without changes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement policies.

"Democrats believe that Congress must do its job and rein in ICE abuses by requiring immigration agents to simply follow the same rules as local police, while Republicans claim the DHS shutdown is putting us at risk," he said.

But he blamed Republicans and the administration for weakening DHS.

"The reality is this administration has engaged in mass layoffs of career national security officials and diverted many others from protecting the homeland with the president's mass deportation campaign," he said.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, mostly praised DHS in his opening remarks, but he raised concern about what he said were restrictions on a department inspector general from speaking with certain congressional committees about a classified report.

Issues like this "should have been ironed out a long time ago," Grassley said.

Grassley also used his opening remarks to urge Democrats to move to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which entered a shutdown last month after funding lapsed. He touted arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement of people with criminal records, saying that "criminals like this destroy the lives of innocent people."

"Under your leadership, the department has renewed focus on removing criminals from our neighborhoods," he said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing featuring Noem's testimony has begun.

Noem is expected to face questions from lawmakers about immigration enforcement tactics in the wake of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

The hearing is billed as centering on oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. The committee chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R- Iowa, gaveled the hearing in with a request that the senators on the committee and members of the audience adhere to decorum and remain respectful during the proceedings.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem takes her seat as she arrives to testify today. Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images

A pair of volatile Senate contests in Texas will headline the first primary night of the 2026 midterm season. And a few groups of voters are set to play critical roles deciding these races — and possibly hint at the keys to other campaigns to come this year.

The drama centers on the seat held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who is in the underdog role as he seeks his fifth term. Cornyn faces primary challenges from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. If Cornyn is defeated, he will be the first senator to be denied renomination by his or her own party since Republican Richard Lugar of Indiana back in 2012.

Read the full story here.

Kornacki: What to expect in Texas' Senate primary

05:43

The House Oversight Committee has released new videos of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton answering questions about their relationships and interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. NBC’s Ryan Nobles reports for "TODAY."

House committee releases videos of Clintons' Epstein testimony

01:57

The Supreme Court issued a ruling yesterday that will keep New York City’s lone Republican-held congressional district in place for this year’s midterm elections.

The court sided with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., who had asked the justices to block a ruling from a state judge earlier this year that her Staten Island-based 11th District was unconstitutional. The judge said the district diluted Black and Latino voting power and ordered New York’s independent redistricting commission to redraw it. 

Read the full story here.

Former U.S. Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino’s use of a chemical irritant on people in Minnesota protesting large-scale immigration operations is one of several incidents being investigated by the Hennepin County attorney’s office.

The investigation is part of a new initiative to collect and assess evidence submitted by the public to identify “potentially unlawful behavior by federal agents” during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced yesterday.

Read the full story here.

Trump said yesterday that he will go to the White House correspondents’ dinner this year, the first time he’ll be in attendance while he was in office.

Although it’s customary for presidents to attend the dinner, Trump skipped the event each year during his first term, in addition to the first one in his second term.

Read the full story here.

The Justice Department yesterday dropped the fight over Trump’s executive orders targeting firms he disliked, conceding to unanimous rulings from federal judges that found the orders violated the fundamental tenets of the Constitution.

The targeted firms included Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Susman Godfrey and Jenner & Block. They had fought back against executive orders by Trump that took aim at their security clearances, government contracts and access to government buildings due to their clientele and hiring.

Read the full story here.

Three states are kicking off the 2026 midterm elections today with primaries that will shape the battle for control of the House and the Senate, while simmering fights for control of each party could boil over as voters decide whether to discard longtime incumbents.

As Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina vote, the highest-profile race features longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who is in the fight of his political life against state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt in Texas. Both are challenging Cornyn from his right flank in a primary that has drawn almost $100 million in advertising.

Meanwhile, Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico are squaring off in the opposing primary, a race that has exposed an important strategic divide in the party over whether Democrats should be trying to excite their base or focusing on bipartisan appeal.

And while Cornyn is the headliner, he’s just one of a handful of incumbents in both parties who face serious primary threats to their political future. 

Read the full story here.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear testimony from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at 9 a.m., a hearing during which she is expected to face tough questions from both sides of the aisle. 

While many Republicans are supportive of Noem’s work overseeing immigration enforcement operations, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a member of the committee, has been hypercritical of her in recent months.

"If I were in her position, I can’t think of any point of pride over the last year,” Tillis said Jan. 27. “She’s got to make her own decision, or the president does, but she has taken this administration into the ground on an issue that we should own. We should own, the issue of border security and immigration, but they have destroyed that for Republicans, something that got the president elected. They have destroyed it through their incompetence.”

Democrats are expected to be universally critical of Noem, and when asked what he wanted to hear from Noem during the hearing, Sen Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., laughed and responded, “I resign.”

MAGNOLIA, Texas — Unlike many of the Texans packed into the Angry Elephant last week, Phillip Mori wasn’t completely sold on Senate candidate and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Mori, a 64-year-old mortgage banker and ardent Trump supporter came to the Republican-themed bar hoping to hear Paxton talk about how he would address border security. Paxton laid out the case for his primary challenge against GOP Sen. John Cornyn and his experience taking on Democratic presidents as attorney general, but Mori thought he focused too much on the past.

Read the full story here.

AUSTIN, Texas — Democrats are starting to believe that the stars at night, big and bright, just might align in Texas.

Those lyrics from “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” the Lone Star State’s unofficial anthem, blared through the speakers at a packed rally for state Rep. James Talarico ahead of today’s primary, with the prospect that Democrats could have a real shot at winning this year’s Senate race weighing heavily on voters’ minds.

Read the full story here.