Voters punish centrists, Trump-aligned candidates surge: five key takeaways from US primary elections | US midterm elections 2026
There was more at stake in Tuesday’s primaries than high-profile candidacies for U.S. Senate seats in North Carolina and Texas. There were contests later in the voting that offered clues about how voters react to the Trump administration’s rapid and radical changes in Washington and whether Democrats are rebuilding popular support after suffering significant losses in 2024.
Here are some of the lesser-known results of Tuesday’s voting in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas, where primary and special elections were also held:
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1. Crenshaw becomes first congresswoman to run against a candidate closer to Trump
Republican Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw became the first member of the House of Representatives to lose re-election this year, falling behind right-wing state Rep. Steve Toth in the primary. Crenshaw, who has represented a Houston-area district since 2019, has challenged Donald Trump’s false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, signaled openness to negotiations with the Biden administration on immigration reform and feuded with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who has called for his removal. Republican voters supported Toth with about 56% of the vote, while Crenshaw received only 41%.
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2. Voters lean towards Green, Gonzales
Two more Texas congressmen are on the verge of defeat. Al Green, a longtime Democratic incumbent who was expelled for protesting Trump in his last two speeches to Congress, follows congressman Christian Menefee, who only took office last month after winning a special election. The two lawmakers were forced to compete against each other after being drawn to the same district due to Texas’ mid-decade redistricting, and their races will be decided in a May 26 runoff. Elsewhere in the state, Brandon Herrera, a conservative YouTuber, is ahead of Republican congressman Tony Gonzales, who has rejected calls from colleagues to resign despite allegations that he pressured an aide into an affair who later died by suicide. This race will also be decided in the second round.
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3. Surprise Democrat strength in Arkansas
In the latest example of a Democrat outperforming in a special election, Alex Holladay defeated Republican Bo Renshaw in the race for an Arkansas House seat, winning 57% of the vote to his opponent’s 43%. Just two years earlier, a different Republican had defeated Holladay for the seat, receiving just 51% of the vote to the Democrat’s 49%. The Republican party dominates Arkansas, and Holladay’s victory would not disrupt its majority in the state House, but it could be a sign of growing Democratic enthusiasm ahead of the November midterm elections.
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4. Rebel Democrats unseated amid turmoil in North Carolina
In North Carolina, voters unseated Democratic state lawmakers Shelly Willingham, Nasif Majeed and Carla Cunningham, who at times teamed up with the Republican majority in the state’s House of Representatives to override Democratic governor Josh Stein’s vetoes. Meanwhile, Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger, who is backed by Trump, is two votes behind his main rival, Sam Page, his home state’s sheriff, but may request a recount. Page is known as a strong supporter of Trump and is challenging Berger from the right, accusing him of being too lenient on immigration issues.
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5. Democratic congresswoman Foushee unhappy with progressive rival focusing on a data center dispute but racing too close to call
Democratic congresswoman Valerie Foushee’s primary is close to being called, according to the Associated Press; progressive challenger Nida Allam trails by just 1,200 votes. Allam, the Durham county commissioner, has focused his campaign on opposing a massive data center proposed for the county, while Foushee, while not personally supporting the project, said the issue should be decided by local leaders. The race has seen significant outside spending and there may be a recount.
