Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas led the country as the first states to hold 2026 primaries on Tuesday, with the results showing some tough outcomes for incumbent candidates. 

In Texas, the results that trickled in left Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) set to face a runoff election with state Attorney General Ken Paxton, as neither candidate reached the 50% vote threshold. It’s a scenario the senator had studiously hoped to avoid and could force President Donald Trump into making an endorsement ahead of the May 26 runoff date. On the Democratic side, state Rep. James Talarico locked down the nomination by defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), after running one of the most closely watched campaigns nationwide. The outcome also marked a blow to former Vice President Kamala Harris’s endorsement powers, as she had backed Crockett in the Senate race.