Incumbents in both parties are under pressure as the polls begin to close in the first midterm primaries of 2026, while voters in North Carolina, Texas and Arkansas weigh in on debates within their parties and set the stage for the battle for control of Washington this fall.
An incumbent is guaranteed to lose his seat in these states, as redistricting forced Texas Democratic Reps. Al Green and Christian Menefee into a member-versus-member primary fought along generational lines. But other incumbents also face serious challenges in the primaries.
In North Carolina, Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee is fighting in a rematch of the 2022 primary that sent her to Congress, against Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam. Polls closed there earlier on Tuesday, but results won’t be reported until after 8:30 p.m. ET because voting hours were extended in a precinct elsewhere in the state.
Allam has tried to portray Foushee as not progressive enough on issues such as Israel and the role of artificial intelligence, and Allam’s allies have flooded the airwaves with attacks on Foushee’s past support from pro-Israel groups, arguing that she is in the pocket of special interests and big business.
Foushee has responded, presenting herself as a productive progressive with the experience and seniority needed to counter the Trump administration. She has called attacks on outside money empty given that Allam is also backed by outside groups.
While much of the national attention is focused on the competitive Texas Senate races on both sides of the aisle, there are plenty of competitive House races ahead.
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales’ re-election bid has drawn the most attention in recent weeks as he faced accusations that he had an affair with a former staffer in his congressional office who subsequently committed suicide. Most polls close at 8 pm ET in Texas, but the final polls in this sprawling southwest Texas district close at 9 pm ET.
Another Republican, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, also faces a competitive primary challenge in Texas, as do Democratic Reps. Julie Johnson and Sylvia Garcia.
Tuesday’s key primaries will also shape the House battleground districts that will decide control of the chamber in the fall.
Republicans are looking for candidates to take on Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzales in predominantly Latino South Texas, which has swung heavily toward President Donald Trump in 2024, while Democrats are looking for a standard-bearer against Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in a neighboring seat. Republicans will also anoint their candidate in North Carolina’s 1st District, who will face Democratic Rep. Don Davis in another key race this fall.
Meanwhile, there are also open-seat primaries across Texas to keep an eye on, particularly where President Donald Trump has stepped in to shape the future of the Republican Party in Congress.
