Texas, North Carolina, Arkansas voters head to polls for crucial primary elections

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is suggesting that Republicans tried to rigg Tuesday's Democratic primary elections in Texas because they opted not to hold joint primaries.

Crockett's claims came after the Texas Supreme Court knocked down a lower judge's ruling to keep polling places open longer, mandating that any votes cast after the initial closing time be separated. Democrats pushed for polling locations to be open longer amid polling location restrictions that resulted from Republicans and Democrats not holding joint-primaries.

"Knowing that Dallas county is a big dump of votes, we, in my opinion, will not know the election results overall tonight," Crockett told supporters who gathered to celebrate her potential victory.

"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. So, that's my news, is that, we're not going to have election results tonight, in my opinion, based upon what specifically is taking place in Dallas County. Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do. And, so, they specifically targeted Dallas County, and I think we all know why. So, I want you to enjoy yourselves, but I won't be back tonight because I have no idea of when we're going to get results and I fully anticipate it won't be until tomorrow."

In what is said to be one of the most closely divided congressional districts in the Tar Heel State’s current map, North Carolina Republicans turned out to the polls Tuesday to choose Laurie Buckhout to challenge incumbent Rep. Don Davis in the 1st District in what will be a rematch of 2024.

The seat originally covered a large swath of the Inner Banks and rural eastern North Carolina, including a sizable African American population, and has been out of Republicans’ reach for decades.

However, a new map going into effect for 2027 now includes more conservative beachfront communities along the Crystal Coast and Outer Banks.

Asa Buck, the sheriff of Carteret County, which features the family beach towns of Emerald Isle, Salter Path and Atlantic Beach, was one of the candidates who lives in the new but not the old 1st District.

Buckhout, a retired Army colonel, narrowly lost to Davis 48%-50% in 2024, but may have won had there not been a Libertarian Party candidate in the race.

North Carolina state Sen. Bobby Hanig, R-Currituck, who represents part of the Outer Banks, was also running, along with attorney Ashley-Nicole Russell and Lenoir County Commissioner Eric Rouse of Kinston.

Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III was projected to win the Democratic primary to succeed one of his congregants, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, in Texas’ Dallas-centric 30th congressional district.

Haynes, a radical reparations activist who once claimed America was "born in political violence,” spoke at a 2022 “Solidarity for Reparations” event in San Francisco where he advocated for the race-based payments on the grounds that America owes it to the African American community.

"America, you owe us. What you done to us has been immoral. It’s been evil. It’s been unjust. It’s been downright wrong and the only way to bring salvation to America - you gotta pay us what you owe us," Haynes said.

"I've come by to say San Francisco, California, Texas, United States of America, if you want salvation to come to this house, you've got to engage in reparations."

In addition to his activism on reparations, Haynes has a history of controversial statements, including posting a photo of himself and notorious antisemite Louis Farrakhan in 2017, calling him a "wonderful and great man."

In 2015, Haynes also lavished praise on Farrakhan, saying he was "a prophetic leader of our time.

"Earlier this year, he attacked conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his assassination, accusing him of espousing "dangerous" views "rooted in white supremacy."

He criticized characterizations of Kirk’s killing as an assassination, saying, "a white Christian gets killed, murdered, not assassinated," continuing, "Martin King got assassinated, Malcom X got assassinated, Medgar Evers got assassinated, don’t compare Kirk to King."

Though he condemned political violence, Haynes proceeded to drill into Kirk, saying, "What Kirk said was dangerous, what Kirk said was racist, rooted in white supremacy, nasty and hate-filled."

As of Midnight ET on Wednesday, the Republican primary had not yet been called, with Everett Jackson leading Sholdon Daniels and Gregorio Heise.But,

Haynes now emerges as the heavy favorite given the districts extremely hefty blue bent.

Fox News Digital's Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

DALLAS, TX — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is ready to continue his race against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and warned that money wouldn’t be the deciding factor.

“Together with your support, we just sent a message loud and clear to Washington,” Paxton said. “We are not going to go quietly. And we are not going to let you buy the seat.”

Paxton and Cornyn are headed to a runoff, continuing their grueling battle to secure the Republican nomination for Senate deep into May. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, who came in third, and dropped out of the race, ensuring a duel between the bitter rivals.

Cornyn has the backing of Senate Republican leadership and their aligned political arms. They have dumped tens of millions of dollars to back the longtime incumbent.

Both are vying for President Donald Trump’s coveted endorsement, but so far, he has kept the race at arm’s length.

President Donald Trump went to bat for New York Yankees World Series champion Mark Teixeira in his Republican primary bid in Texas’ conservative-leaning 21st District.

The district, which includes Fredericksburg and suburbs of Houston, is currently represented by Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican now seeking the state attorney generalship.

Primary support largely consolidated behind Teixeira after Trump endorsed him in February.

Former Bexar County Republican Party Chairman Kyle Sinclair dropped out of the race following the endorsement.

Teixeira, a first baseman who also played for the Texas Rangers before his time with the Yankees, is originally from Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Trump himself is a known Yankees fan and had a longtime friendship with the late owner George Steinbrenner.

He visited the Bombers’ locker room in 2025, but has often received mixed reviews from fans in the stands in the city that now appears to politically loathe one of its native sons.

A super PAC aligned with Senate Republican leadership blasted Rep. Wesley Hunt’s, R-Texas, bid in the Texas Senate primary as a “career-ending vanity tour.”

Hunt placed third in the race for the Republican nomination in Texas against longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. That race now heads to a runoff between Cornyn and Paxton after Hunt’s decision to drop out.

"Congratulations to Wesley Hunt on an abysmal third place finish in Texas’ Republican primary,” Senate Leadership Fund Executive Director Alex Latcham said. “Instead of fighting for President Trump and conservative priorities, Wesley launched a career-ending vanity tour without any substance or political reasoning.”

Meanwhile, Hunt told supporters during his concession speech that whoever “the people choose to go into the general election, they will have my undying support on top of that because we have got to keep Texas red.”

But Latcham suggested that Hunt was to blame for the runoff, which will see Cornyn and Paxton extend their grueling duel until May.

“While Wesley’s amateur consultants got wealthy on his senseless campaign, Republican voters are now forced to endure an even longer primary runoff election," Latcham said.

Tejano musician Bobby Pulido is projected to win the House Democratic primary for Texas’ 15th congressional district.

The once-reliably Democratic confines are now Republican friendly in the Trump era, as incumbent Rep. Monica de la Cruz, R-Texas will be Pulido’s opponent in the upcoming general election.

The district follows a somewhat disjointed north-south line from New Braunfels southward along the US-281 corridor to the Mexican border at McAllen.

Since announcing his bid, Pulido has attempted to reframe himself as a bipartisan candidate with a strong emphasis on family.

He has scrubbed his social media of more references to his political stances — like a photo of himself urinating on Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

The video, originally posted to Instagram, depicts Pulido urinating on Trump’s plaque with the caption, "when you gotta go, you gotta go."

Pulido, was also recently subject to another bit of scandal, as a digital footprint of references to explicit material lingering on social media came to light in recent times.

From 2013 to as recently as 2024, Pulido has posted a range of links, images and references to pornographic material.

In 2013, Pulido told viewers to visit pornographic website YouPorn if bored and reposted links to porn sites featuring the music of fellow musicians, asking them if they’re receiving royalties for being featured. 

Pulido is best known for Tejano, or Mexican-Spanish folk-style songs like "Desvelado" and "Se Murió de Amor," and he received five nominations for a Latin Grammy Award, winning Best Tejano Album in 2022 and 2025.

Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.     

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), praised James Talarico as a model for Democrats even as polling remained in a heated Democrat Senate primary between Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, on Tuesday evening.

“James Talarico is the future of the Democratic Party,” Casar said in a post to X.

“He united working people of all kinds to take on the billionaires who are making life unaffordable. He’s going to show Texas Republicans how powerful working people are when we stand together. On to victory in November.”

At the time of his post, the Associated Press had not called the race between Crockett and Talarico.

Talarico had just a slight, just under-five-point lead over Crockett.

Crockett, who told voters that she didn’t expect to have conclusive election results on Tuesday, is a fellow member of the CPC alongside Casar.

DALLAS, TX — Longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are headed to a runoff duel in the Lone Star State. 

Neither candidate was able to crest the 50% mark Tuesday night, meaning one of the nation’s most grueling primary races will drag on into May. Still, Cornyn had a meager advantage over Paxton, while Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, trailed behind both. 

“Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it,” Cornyn said shortly before the Associated Press called the race. “Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton.”

Paxton argued that the result was just the beginning in their race, and that the margin should send a message to doubters in Washington, D.C., who have dumped millions into the race backing Cornyn. 

“We just sent a message loud and clear to Washington, We are not going to go quietly,” Paxton said. “And we are not going to let you buy the seat.” 

Meanwhile, Hunt bowed out of the race, telling supporters that “at the end of the day, I'm wishing the best of luck in this runoff.”  

“[Whoever] the people choose to go into the general election, they will have my undying support on top of that because we have got to keep Texas red,” Hunt said. 

The runoff is expected to be an even more bruising challenge for the remaining candidates, and will likely be shaken up by whoever President Donald Trump chooses to endorse. 

Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa is projected to win the Texas Democratic gubernatorial primary, collecting about 60% of the vote as of 9:37 local time. 

Her two closest challengers were former Rep. Chris Bell, D-Texas, and Angela Villescaz. 

Hinojosa's campaign leaned heavily on eradicating public corruption and education funding, according to KXAN.

According to her campaign website, Hinojosa first ran for office after her son's school was threatened by budget cuts from Austin. 

She ran for school board and was eventually elected board president in 2015. "Every challenge in Texas boils down to tax dollars being spent to pad the pockets of the well-connected, corrupt elite, instead of what Texans need," read a statement on her campaign site. 

She will face Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican running for his fourth term.

Abbott easily defeated a slew of GOP primary challengers, with Pete "Doc" Chambers coming in second and Evelyn Brooks coming in third.

Abbott logged about 83% of the vote to Chambers' 10 according to the latest Associated Press tally.

The suspicious individual arrested outside of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s election night party was there “to make a delivery,” Dallas Police said.  

The police department noted in an update that after interviewing the individual, “investigators determined the individual was at the location to make a delivery to an employee.” 

“He was transported to the Dallas County Jail without incident,” Dallas Police said. “His name will not be released until he is officially booked in.” 

The update came several hours after the person, who was identified by Dallas Police Department paperwork as Eric Nathanial Simon, was arrested for traffic violations outside of Paxton’s gathering in downtown Dallas. 

Police searched his vehicle and found several magazines, some loaded, others not, for what appeared to be a 9 mm firearm and AR-15 style clips. Police initially stated that there were firearms in the vehicle, but later corrected that statement.

The display outside of Paxton’s election night headquarters came as he’s vying to topple longtime Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in a grueling primary battle That race, which includes Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, is expected to end up in a run-off between Paxton and Cornyn. 

What was once expected to be a comfortably won contest for longtime Texas Sen. John Cornyn has tightened into something far more competitive heading into Tuesday night’s primary. 

Recent internal and public polling snapshots have shown the two leading candidates, Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton, locked in what many strategists describe as a “dead heat” further complicated by the recent surge of a third candidate, Rep. Wesley Hunt. 

In Texas, a candidate must secure more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff, scheduled for May 26, and the crowded field makes a runoff the most likely scenario.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) – the upper chamber’s campaign arm currently run by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York – launched a new ad attacking North Carolina Republican nominee Michael Whatley soonafter the respective races were called for him and former Gov. Roy Cooper.

The spot, entitled “Can’t Be Trusted,” illustrates Whatley’s resume as an energy industry lobbyist prior to becoming RNC Chairman, and suggests he therefore “can’t be trusted” to represent North Carolinians.

“Whatley pushed for the GOP bill that spiked health care costs, gutted Medicaid, and could force hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians to lose their health insurance. He “wholeheartedly” supports the trade war that is hurting North Carolinians’ pocketbooks, even falsely claiming that groceries cost less – all while pushing for policies that boost his stock portfolio,” the DSCC said in their announcement.

The advertisement will be running on CTV platforms including Roku, Hulu and Peacock.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he can win the Republican Senate primary even without President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

"He makes his own decisions," Paxton told Fox News Digital. "I'm perfectly fine right now. We're going to win this election either way. And I'm happy with where we're at, and you're going to see next Tuesday that we're going to come out in front.

"Paxton, who was invited by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, to attend Trump’s State of the Union address, is one of seven challengers vying to unseat longtime Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is running for a fifth term in the upper chamber.

Early voting has already begun in the Lone Star State, and primary election day is March 3.

Even without a coveted nod from the president, Paxton acknowledged that cutting through the densely packed field would be difficult without the race going to a runoff, but not impossible.

"It's hard to win outright, but you know anything's possible," Paxton said. "If anybody's going to do it, it is going to be me."

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, had a stark warning for Texans as he fights to keep his job in the Senate, saying a vote for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could mean a Democrat wins the Lone Star State seat for the first time in three decades.

"Ken Paxton will be the kiss of death for Republicans on the ticket in November of 2026," Cornyn said.

Cornyn made his comments as he crisscrossed the state in a mad dash to shore up support as early voting began in Texas earlier this week. He’s deadlocked in a battle for political survival in a grueling three-way primary with Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas.

Nick Maddux, an advisor for Paxton, fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital that the current Texas attorney general won his election by double digits in 2022, "and the same thing is going to happen in 2026, because Republican voters are fired up to go to the polls and support him."

Maddux charged that Cornyn "is the worst possible choice" for turning out "low-propensity, Trump-supporting America First voters."

"There's a reason that he's stuck in the mid-20s even after $70-plus million's been lit on fire to help him instead of going to races in NC, MI, ME and GA," Maddux contended. "Texas voters don't like him, don't trust him, and won't show up to vote for him in November."

Former Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley emerged as their parties’ nominees in the North Carolina primaries — and traders on the prediction market Kalshi are already zeroing in on November.

Prediction markets currently give Democrats a 78% chance of winning North Carolina’s Senate seat, compared to 22% for Republicans. More than $160,000 has been wagered on the general election outcome, signaling growing market conviction that the race leans blue.

Cooper and Whatley are each priced at 99% to secure their respective nominations, reflecting what traders see as settled primaries. That has shifted attention squarely to the general election in a state that has long been considered a battleground.

Still, with months to go before ballots are cast, the market reflects expectations, not guarantees. If the pricing holds, the Tar Heel State may be shaping up as a clearer Democratic opportunity than previous cycles suggested.

Traders on prediction market platform Kalshi are making bold bets that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico are barreling toward their parties’ Senate nominations ahead of Tuesday’s high-stakes primary showdown.

Kalshi data shows Talarico holding a commanding lead in the Democratic contest, with traders assigning him a 75% chance of securing the nomination. That gives the 36-year-old state representative a 49-point advantage over fellow Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett. More than $5.2 million has been wagered on this bet.

Odds on these markets don’t serve as formal forecasts, they do provide a real-time snapshot of trader expectations.

On the Republican side, traders are overwhelmingly backing Paxton. The conservative firebrand and longtime ally of President Donald Trump is given an 81% probability of defeating Sen. John Cornyn, who has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002. Roughly $2.2 million has been wagered on the GOP race.

North Carolina Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley thanked President Donald Trump and the Tarheel State voters who came out to support his bid Tuesday from a Charlotte-area restaurant.

“I want to thank President Donald J. Trump, for his strong and unwavering support in this race,” the former RNC chairman said.“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.”

“Tonight we begin the next chapter of this campaign together.”Whatley illustrated the campaign as a choice between a career politician in former Gov. Roy Cooper – whom he claimed prioritized “radicalized special interests” from California and New York – and a candidate in himself who supports safer communities versus “protect[ing] criminals and illegal aliens to appease radical left-wing groups.”

“It was Roy Cooper who marched with Antifa and BLM while our cities were burning. In 2020, it was Roy Cooper who signed an executive order forcing cashless bail and pretrial release into our criminal justice system, creating a revolving door that put violent criminals back on the streets again and again and again,” Whatley said of the Nash County native who won his own primary on the Democratic side Tuesday.

“And it was Roy Cooper who released more than 4000 prisoners, including pedophiles, rapists and murderers, back into our communities. Among those on Cooper's list were 51 inmates serving life sentences, and DeCarlos Brown Jr, who went on to murder Iryna Zarutska. I stand with North Carolina families, and I will always back the blue,” Whatley said.

After multiple unsuccessful attempts to coax former North Carolina Attorney General and Governor, Roy Cooper, to run for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, his eventual agreement to run last summer was met with widespread enthusiasm and declarations of it being a major recruitment win for Democrats in the 2026 cycle.

"It’s hard to overstate the importance of getting Gov. Cooper to run for the Senate,” longtime Democratic strategist, Chris Moyer, told Fox News Digital after Cooper announced his bid for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina last summer. 

“His announcement is the latest indication that the Republicans’ Senate majority is at risk in 2026,” added Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

In his roughly four-decade career in politics, dating back to his time as a North Carolina state legislator in the 80s, Cooper has never lost an election. Although, he has been picky about which races he wants to run in. 

Cooper was unsuccessfully coaxed into running for the Senate in 2010 amid his tenure as North Carolina’s Attorney General. Polling at the time showed him as competitive to then-Republican Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. Cooper also withstood pressure to run for the Senate in 2021, instead deciding to finish out his full-term as governor, citing concerns about his GOP Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson running North Carolina. Cooper, prior to holding office as governor, also turned down initial requests that he run for that office before eventually doing so. Cooper cannot run for governor again as he is term-limited out.  

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, shot back at what she said were attacks from other far-left portions of the Democratic base, calling them racially motivated attempts to attack her ahead of a contentious Texas Senate primary.

"The thing that is not normal is for me to be attacked from the left," Crockett said. "That is the new wild card in this scenario. But it's just interesting."

Crockett claimed that videos put out by her opponent had darkened her skin tone.

"And you know, I look at this specifically as a civil rights lawyer, and I see when they're sending out ads and they're darkening my skin. And I'm just like, I know what this is, right?"

Crockett, who is facing off against two other Democrat candidates in Ahmad Hassan and James Talarico, did not describe which adds she believed had racially targeted her or who had orchestrated them. 

Fred Love, a former state legislator, will face off against Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in the Nov. general election after capturing the Democratic nomination to become the next governor of Arkansas on Tuesday evening.

According to information posted to his campaign page, Love was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2011 and served in that capacity until 2023.

Love pitched himself to voters using his personal story of a car accident that left him permanently injured at age four.

“Growing up, Fred and his siblings knew poverty firsthand — a night spent in a car, meals split three ways, electricity cut off, close to the verge of homelessness. His mother, Sandra, carried them through with courage and the guiding principle Fred still lives by: ‘Be in service to mankind,’” Love wrote on his website.

Love beat out fellow Democrat Supha Xayprasith-Mays on Tuesday.

According to her LinkedIn page, Xayprasith-Mays worked in the retail and corporate business for 25 years, including at places such as Sears and JCPenney, before founding I Love New York Fashions.  

Her website appeared disabled on election day.

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, has emerged as a wildcard in Texas’ Republican Senate primary, reshaping the looming race because he could force a runoff election.

Hunt, a Houston-based Army veteran serving his second term in Congress, announced his candidacy last year, throwing a wrench into the heated race between Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who has never lost a Senate race, and Attorney General Ken Paxton, a well-known MAGA favorite whose name recognition has grown due to high-profile lawsuits, bribery allegations, unsuccessful impeachment proceedings and scrutiny of his personal life.

President Donald Trump has not endorsed a candidate.

In Texas, a candidate must win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. If no one reaches that threshold, the top two finishers will advance to a second round in May. That scenario could intensify intraparty divisions, shift alliances and force more spending, which has already neared $90 million among Republicans.

Hallie Shoffner won a Democrat primary bid in Arkansas on Monday evening, teeing up a November race against incumbent Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.

Shoffner, a sixth-generation rice farmer, pitched herself as a champion of small business and Arkansas’ agriculture industry. She criticized Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., for voting in favor of parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda that, in Shoffner’s view, ran counter to the interests of local producers.

“And while Arkansas families struggle, Tom Cotton voted against the Farm Bill, against Medicaid, against economic development and against disaster relief — while supporting tax cuts for billionaires and blowing up the national debt,” Shoffner wrote on her website.

Notably, Shoffner attracted over $1.2 million in support.

Shoffner beat out Ethan Dunbar to clinch the Democratic nomination.

Dunbar, a former mayor of Lewisville and a 30-year veteran in the Army, described himself as a candidate looking to “return civility to our political process,” according to his website.

Dunbar raised $15,000 in donations.

Ballots are being cast in the Texas Senate primary race as controversy brews concerning allegations that the Trump administration censored a “The Late Show”  interview with Democratic candidate James Talarico.

Talarico’s campaign says it raised $2.5 million in February after “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert alleged that he was blocked from airing the interview.

In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr pushed back.

“CBS was very clear that Colbert could run the interview that he wanted with that political candidate,” Carr said. “They just said, you may have to comply with equal time.”

He added that instead of following the rules, “They claimed that they were victims,” and said Colbert was advised the network might have to offer equal time to Talarico’s Democratic primary opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas.

However, Colbert told viewers that the network’s lawyers told him he could not air the interview because of the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission equal time rules.

“He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast,” he said.

Primary elections may take place months before November, but they strongly shape what happens in the general election. The primaries determine which candidates will appear on the ballot.

By narrowing the field to one nominee per party, they define the choices voters will ultimately have in the fall.

But their impact goes beyond just selecting names. Primary results can build, or drain, a campaign’s momentum. A decisive win can boost fundraising, media coverage and voter enthusiasm heading into the general election. On the other hand, a close or divisive primary may leave a party struggling to unify its supporters.

In some districts dominated by one political party, the primary can effectively decide the race. If one party consistently wins in November, the real competition often happens during the primary.

Primaries also shape the issues that carry into the general election, as candidates stake out policy positions to win over party voters.

In short, primary elections help determine not just who runs in November but how competitive, energized and focused the general election will be.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., secured victory in a Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday evening, beating out two other GOP challengers.

Cotton had faced a primary competition from state trooper Jeb Little and Micah Ashby, a pastor.

Little said he was running to present voters with an alternative to career politicians.

“Career politicians have led us down a path where we no longer trust our government, Little said in his online information.

Similarly, Ashby, who helped pastor a church in Newport, Arkansas for five years before her Senate bid, said she believed the state needed new representation.

“Arkansas is ready for fresh leadership. We need term limits in Washington,” Ashby said on her website.

Cotton was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2015 after serving in the House of Representatives since 2013.

If he wins reelection in November, Cotton will have secured a third term.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician and Navy Rear Admiral who became one of President Donald Trump's biggest supporters is projected to win the primary to continue his reelection bid in Texas' 13th District.

Jackson, whose district encompasses the entire Texas Panhandle and some areas south and east, is also heavily favored in its GOP-friendly confines.Jackson first joined the White House's medical unit during former President George W. Bush's term and was the physician-to-the-president for both Trump and former President Barack Obama.

He was also briefly considered for the top Veterans' Affairs post in Trump's first administration.

In the current 119th Congress, Jackson sits on the Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees.

He will face former Amarillo Democratic City Councilman Mark Nair in November.

As Texans head to the polls today, a once-cordial Democratic primary for U.S. Senate has devolved into a bitter feud. 

The conflict centers on state Rep. James Talarico, who stands accused by a political influencer of calling former Rep. Colin Allred a “mediocre Black man” during a private January conversation.

The content creator shared a TikTok video alleging Talarico referred to Allred by the phrase while contrasting him with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, whom he allegedly described as a formidable, intelligent Black woman.

Allred condemned the alleged phrasing in a scathing video, calling it insensitive and offensive.

“I wasn’t going to get involved in this race, but listen. Don’t come for me unless I send for you,” Allred said, adding that he would be endorsing Crockett, Talarico's competitor, for Senate. In response, Talarico denied attacking Allred over his race and said the allegations were a mischaracterization of a private conversation. He said he only criticized Allred's “method of campaigning."

In a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to fill one of its two U.S. Senate seats since 2008, one darkhorse candidate has been raising significant money as a Democratic Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in Arkansas. 

Hallie Shoffner, who has run on being a lifelong farmer, is taking on a powerful incumbent in Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. Since July 1, Shoffner has raised $1.2 million, a major milestone that will be needed to help compete against Cotton. 

Shoffner has criticized Cotton for focusing on foreign policy issues and other national-level things, arguing he has neglected kitchen table issues that matter to Arkansans.  

Meanwhile, Republicans have attacked Shoffner’s claims that she has been farming her “whole life,” as questions have surfaced that she spent time in college doing political fundraising, worked a stint as a deputy campaign manager, and also served as an Associate Account Executive at a full-service public relations firm in Little Rock, among other work. 

When she did return to helping her parents with their struggling farm in 2016, according to the Washington Free Beacon, Shoffner reportedly partnered with a marketing group to build a new personal brand: “FarmHerHallie.” 

Shoffner went to the University of Arkansas and got her masters at the school’s Clinton School of Public Service. Currently, her LinkedIn does not highlight Shoffner’s experience in political activism, communications or campaigns, but does list numerous titles touting agriculture related experience.    

Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper have secured the Republican and Democratic nominations respectively to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Whatley, of Boone, and Cooper, of Nashville, were heavily favored to win their contests in a state that has been tough for Republicans at the gubernatorial level and for Democrats at the presidential level.

Cooper faced businessman Daryl Farrow and technology sector consultant Justin Dues — both prior candidates for U.S. House — along with Pastor Orrick Quick and several perennial candidates.

Whatley faced retired Navy JAG officer Don Brown, who previously ran for Congress against Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C. Another major GOP candidate was former Wake County school board candidate Michele Morrow.

Immigration has been a key issue in the race, as Whatley has hammered Cooper for repeatedly vetoing bills from Raleigh’s state legislative Republican majority that would have compelled local cooperation with ICE.

President Donald Trump’s economic record is front and center in the battleground North Carolina Senate primary race.

Trump traveled to the state on Dec. 19 with GOP Senate candidate Michael Whatley, focusing on affordability — a key issue Democrats argue will test voters’ views of his handling of the economy.

“What happens if we lose the House, if we lose the Senate, if the Democrats take over and go right back to investigations, hoaxes and impeachments? The president and his legacy are truly on the ballot,” Whatley told Fox News Digital.

Whatley, a former state GOP chair Trump tapped in 2024 to lead the Republican National Committee, faces former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in one of the most expensive Senate battles.

Republicans are defending an open seat as Sen. Thom Tillis retires and fighting to protect their 53-47 majority.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin predicted Republicans are “going to lose the midterms.”

“Donald Trump has lost the economy, is losing his mind, and is going to lose the midterms,” Martin said.

But Whatley pushed back, saying, “There’s a fight every day with this administration to try and bring down prices for everybody.”

Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Texas Congressman Brandon Gill won his GOP primary to keep the Republican nod for his seat in Texas's 26th congressional district.

He beat out Robert Chick quite handily with more than 90% of the vote from his district, which covers the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

Gill, endorsed by President Donald Trump, has had several viral moments during his time on Capitol Hill, including a moment when he called out NPR CEO Katherine Maher for tweeting that White people should pay reparations.

"You think that White people should pay reparations?" Gill asked Maher during a hearing on Capitol Hill last year.

"I have never said that sir," Maher shot back.

"Yes you did. You said it in January 2020. You tweeted, 'Yes, the north, yes all of us, yes America. Yes our original collective sin and unpaid debt. Yes, reparations. Yes, on this day,'" Gill pointed out before Maher once again denied the premise of his accusation.

'I don't believe that was a reference to fiscal reparations, sir," Maher responded.

"What kind of reparations was it a reference to?" Gill then asked.

"I think it was just a reference to the idea that we all owe much to the people who came before us," Maher explained.

"That's a bizarre way to frame what you tweeted," Gill shot back.

DALLAS, TX — The suspicious individual arrested outside of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s election headquarters had ammunition, according to the Dallas Police Department.

Local police said in a statement that they were notified of a suspicious individual outside of Paxton’s election night watch party who later entered a blue sedan without license plates. The individual was later arrested for traffic violations.

Dallas Police Department paperwork identified the man as Eric Nathanial Simon from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Officers searched the person’s vehicle and found “firearms and ammunition,” the Dallas Police Department said.

Police found several magazines, some loaded, others not, that included what appeared to be clips for 9 mm ammunition and magazines for an AR-15 style weapon along with boxes of shotgun shells.

The arrest comes as polls near their close in Texas, where Paxton is vying to beat out longtime Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, for the Republican nomination for the Senate.

Voters in Texas have carefully watched the bitter Senate primary race between two Republican heavyweights: Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton. But the third GOP candidate, Rep. Wesley Hunt, might have an outsized role in the outcome of Tuesday’s election.

Speaking to Fox News’ Shannon Bream late last month, Hunt faced straight on the accusation that his involvement in the race risked being a “spoiler” that could force an expensive runoff if neither Cornyn or Paxton is able to secure 50% of votes.

“That’s a failed argument,” Hunt said. “I actually waited nine months to get into this race. John Cornyn is one of only two incumbent senators who hasn't received President Trump’s endorsement. … I’m giving the people of Texas the best option, and they — not D.C. — will decide who the next senator is.”

Asked if he would endorse either Cornyn or Paxton if he doesn’t make it into the runoff, Hunt said he would have to “pray on that.”

As Texans head to the polls, Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would outperform longtime Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in a general election while blasting his rival’s heavy spending.

Paxton told Fox News’ Shannon Bream on Feb. 15 that he “would perform at least as well and probably better in a general election than he would.”

He dismissed concerns that his candidacy would divert Republican resources from other Senate races, saying the claim “doesn’t hold water.”

“John Cornyn's already going to spend $100 million just in the primary, and when we get to the general, it's going to be another $100 million,” he said.

He said most of Cornyn’s support is coming from Washington, D.C., and believes the money should be spent elsewhere. 

“It's going to be a lot of money spent and he's going to end up losing,” he said.

Despite impeachment, alleged bribery, and personal scandals, Paxton said he has been as “successful” as President Donald Trump in his legal battles and is “not worried” if Democrats view him as a weaker candidate. 

“I'm very confident I can beat whoever the Democrats put up because they're way too liberal for Texas,” he said.

A District court judge in Texas extended polling hours in Dallas county on Tuesday evening as the state's Democratic Party blasted confusion about where voters should cast their ballots amid a heated primary battle for a Democratic Senate nomination.

"There has been mass confusion as to where to voters were entitled to cast their ballots on election day, and voter confusion was so severe that the Dallas County Election Department website crashed," the judge's order read.

"Dallas County polling locations are to be kept open and voting is extended from 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M."

Ahead of the decision, Democrats blasted what they described as a "disaster" in at least two counties.

“For more than two months, Democratic Party leadership has been warning Republican leadership every step of the way that a disaster was impending, but they refused to listen,” Texas Democrats said in a press release.

“Voters all across Dallas and Williamson counties are being denied ballot access, being turned away at the polls and facing outrageous wait times at their polling locations.”

Democrats called delays Republican attempts to suppress voters. Their press release did not address what specific concerns they had communicated ahead of the election.

Unlike many states where a nominee can prevail with a simple plurality, Texas requires a true majority in party primaries. If no candidate clears that threshold in the March 3 primary, the contest isn’t over. Instead, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff election scheduled for May 26. 

This runoff system is why crowded fields, like the current Republican battle between Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, make outcomes unpredictable. With multiple candidates splitting votes, earning a majority outright becomes a steep climb, even for well-known incumbents.

Another wrinkle in the Texas voting system is that voters who cast their ballots in the March primary are locked into that party's runoff and not able to switch parties in May. However, Texans who sit out the primary can choose which party’s runoff to vote in.

DALLAS, TX — Dallas Police arrested a man outside of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s election night watch party who was found with ammunition in his vehicle.

Police pulled several magazines, some loaded, others not, and what appeared to be boxes of shotgun shells from the person’s  vehicle, which did not have license plates on it. The vehicle was later towed from the scene. Eye witnesses said the person was wearing a mask.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Dallas Police Department for more details on the arrest.

Paxton is locked in a grueling primary race for the Republican nomination in Texas, and is vying  to unseat longtime Sen. John Cornyn, R-S.D., who is seeking a fifth term in the upper chamber. 

The race, which features Paxton, Cornyn, Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, and several others, is expected to head to a run-off contest.

Voters are divided on U.S. military action against Iran, even as a majority sees the country as a security risk.

A new Fox News national survey finds 61% think Iran poses "a real national security threat" to the United States. That view is similar to most previous Fox News surveys since 2006.

The notable exception was when concern hit 73% last June, right before the U.S. military mission against Iranian nuclear facilities called Operation Midnight Hammer.

Even though a majority views Iran as a danger to the country, that concern does not translate into majority support for the current U.S. military action, as 50% approve and 50% disapprove.

In addition, 51% think President Donald Trump’s handling of Iran has made the U.S. less safe, up from 43% last July. Twenty-nine percent say he’s made the U.S. safer.

By comparison, when the same question was asked about former President Biden in 2023, 50% said his handling of Iran had made the U.S. less safe, while 12% said safer. 

As Texas voters weigh in on the high-stakes 2026 U.S. Senate primaries, money continues to pour into the race like never before, making it one of the most expensive Senate primaries in history. 

On the Republican side, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn remains the fundraising heavyweight. He has raised and spent tens of millions of dollars this cycle and leads GOP contenders in overall campaign receipts and cash on hand.

Cornyn has also benefited from joint fundraising committees and support from institutional party groups, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Cornyn’s chief rivals in the Republican primary, Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, haven’t matched his fundraising but have been aided by ideological allies and outside spending. 

Conservative groups and activist PACs aligned with MAGA-oriented voters have targeted Cornyn in ads while backing Paxton’s outsider appeal, and GOP-aligned committees have also spent against Hunt to stifle his rise.

Who can vote in a primary election depends on the state you live in and the type of primary being held. Unlike general elections, where all eligible voters can cast a ballot, primary elections sometimes have additional rules about party affiliation.

In a closed primary, only voters who are registered with a specific political party can vote in that party’s contest. For example, if you are registered as a Democrat, you can vote in the Democratic primary but not the Republican one. Independent voters typically cannot participate in closed primaries.

In an open primary, any registered voter can choose which party’s primary to vote in, regardless of their own party registration. However, voters may only select one party’s ballot.

No matter the system, voters must meet basic eligibility requirements, including citizenship, age and registration deadlines. Because rules vary by state, it’s important to check your local election guidelines before primary day.

In the U.S., most elections happen in two main stages: the primary election and the general election.

A primary election is a party’s internal contest to choose its candidate, while the general election is the final race where candidates from different parties compete for the office.

During a primary, candidates from the same political party run against each other. Voters choose which candidate they prefer within that party.

Voters are not yet choosing who will hold the office. Instead, they’re deciding who will represent their party in the next round.

After the primaries are finished, each party has one official nominee. Those nominees then face each other in the general election, which is usually held in November. In that election, voters choose the candidate they want to actually serve in the position.

In short, a primary election narrows the field to one candidate per political party who will appear on the general election ballot, and the general election then determines who will actually win the office.