Here's what we covered
• Texas drama: State Rep. James Talarico will win the Democratic primary for US Senate in Texas, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, setting up a November showdown in a state where a Democrat hasn’t won statewide in more than three decades. His opponent will be either Sen. John Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who are heading to a May 26 runoff for the GOP nomination.
• North Carolina: Democrat Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley have won their respective primaries to advance to a marquee November race that could determine the balance of power in the US Senate.
• Other key results: In Texas, GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales faces a runoff against from Brandon Herrera amid allegations the congressman had an affair with a senior staffer who later died by suicide, while State Rep. Steve Toth will defeat US Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the GOP primary for Texas’ 2nd District, a reflection of how Crenshaw’s criticism of Republicans doomed his reelection.
Our live coverage of primaries in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas has wrapped for the night. Please scroll through the posts below for all the details or click here for the full results.
James Talarico will win Texas’ Democratic primary for US Senate, CNN projects
State Rep. James Talarico will win the Democratic primary for US Senate in Texas, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, setting up a November showdown in a state where a Democrat hasn’t won statewide in more than three decades.
The 36-year-old state legislator will defeat US Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a 44-year-old Democrat from the Dallas area, in a contentious primary that became increasingly personal.
Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and former teacher from Round Rock, was not well known across Texas before entering the race in September. But he gained a following after making his faith a prominent focus of his messaging. Talarico also held a financial and advertising edge over Crockett throughout the contest.
Talarico also benefited from national exposure when “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert said he was not allowed to run an interview with the state legislator due to potential FCC concerns from CBS. The interview was eventually viewed millions of times.
An intensely fought primary on the Republican side is giving some in the Democratic Party hope the long-held GOP Senate seat could be in play in November.
US Rep. Tony Gonzales and activist Brandon Herrera head to runoff in Texas, CNN projects
US Rep. Tony Gonzales and conservative activist Brandon Herrera will advance to a runoff in the Republican primary for Texas’ 23rd District, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, prolonging a contentious campaign in which Gonzales denied allegations that he had an affair with a former staffer who died by suicide.
It’s a rematch from two years ago, when Gonzales beat Herrera in a runoff by just 354 votes out of nearly 30,000. But this time, the campaign was upended by the allegations Gonzales had an affair with Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, the former staffer, who died in September. A county medical examiner ruled that she died of self-immolation and listed her manner of death as suicide.
The controversy gained traction in the final weeks before the primary amid a pressure campaign from Herrera and new revelations from Adrian Aviles, the husband of the late staffer.
Text messages provided to CNN by Adrian Aviles show that Gonzales sent lewd messages to Santos-Aviles, including one exchange asking for a “sexy pic.” In an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett last week, Aviles called the congressman a “predator” and said that “he’s continued to lie to the American people, his constituents.”
He faces mounting calls from some of his GOP colleagues to step down. “A male harassing a female employee, I just can’t stomach it, dude. I’ve got a wife and a daughter. He needs to go,” Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett told CNN’s Manu Raju.
Gonzales has said he won’t resign.
He accused Adrian Aviles and his attorney of blackmailing him, claims the attorney, Bobby Barrera, denied.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has also so far declined to back calls for Gonzales’ resignation, though he conceded the accusations were “very serious” and said that he has urged the San Antonio Republican to address them with his constituents directly.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, beneficiary of Trump pardon, to win Democratic primary, CNN projects
US Rep. Henry Cuellar has won the Democratic primary for Texas’ 28th District, months after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump, according to a projection from the CNN Decision Desk.
The veteran Democrat will now seek a 12th term in a general election that’s expected to be competitive, running in a district redrawn last year by state Republicans seeking to produce as many as five new GOP-held seats.
Cuellar won his last race, with more favorable lines, by just over 5 points.
In 2024, Cuellar and his wife were charged with accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities in an alleged scheme that took place from late 2014 through at least November 2021, according to an indictment. Cuellar has denied any wrongdoing by him and his wife.
Trump announced in December that he was issuing a “full and unconditional” pardon to Cuellar and his wife, using a lengthy social media post to accuse former President Joe Biden’s administration of targeting political opponents even within its own party. Cuellar was at times critical of the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and border issues.
Amid speculation that he might switch parties, Cuellar told reporters that “nothing has changed.” Days later, when Cuellar filed to run in 2026 as a Democrat, Trump appeared to sour on his decision to issue the pardon.
O’Rourke example looms large in Texas
With the Republican Senate primary in Texas headed to a runoff, prolonging a divisive and expensive contest, Democrats are feeling optimistic about their ability to put the race in play this fall.
But the results of the last competitive US Senate race in Texas may offer a note of caution.
The party’s 2018 nominee, Beto O’Rourke, raised a then record-shattering $80 million for his campaign against GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, roughly doubling Cruz’s fundraising.
But despite competing against the polarizing incumbent in a historically favorable midterm cycle for Democrats, O’Rourke ultimately lost by just under 3 points, unable to defy the reliably red state’s political gravity.
It’s widely considered the high-water mark for recent Democratic efforts in the state – a bar that this year’s nominee will be pressed to clear.
Rep. Greg Casar says Democrats will be unified after Senate primary is called
Unity and “an inspirational candidate that’s going to make your life better” are the keys for putting a Democrat from Texas in the US Senate, according to Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, who spoke tonight from the election night event for James Talarico in Austin.
He went on to say he foresees the Democratic party being unified after the race is called, “because we have two excellent candidates that know each other well,” referring to Talarico and his opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
“I think our party is going to come together after tonight to win in November and I think voters are fired up to win in November because we actually know that we have a shot of flipping the state this year,” he said.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face either incumbent Sen. John Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who are facing a runoff, in November.
Texas Rep. Steve Toth will defeat GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw in primary upset, CNN projects
State Rep. Steve Toth will defeat US Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the Republican primary for Texas’ 2nd District, a shocking upset for the four-term congressman, according to a projection from the CNN Decision Desk.
Toth had questioned Crenshaw’s loyalty to the president over the 2020 presidential election and support for Ukraine aid.
Toth is no stranger to competing against established incumbents; he challenged former Rep. Kevin Brady in 2016 for Texas’ 8th District.
Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL and staunch Trump ally, was the only incumbent Republican running in a primary on March 3 not to receive an endorsement from Trump, perhaps a sign of how some of his breaks from the president’s positions worked against him. Both Sen. Ted Cruz and the House Freedom Caucus Fund endorsed Toth in the week before election night.
Texas’ 2nd District, which is north of Houston, changed slightly due to mid-decade redistricting but remains strongly Republican.
Toth should be heavily favored in the November matchup against Democrat and businessman Shaun Finnie, who ran unopposed in his own primary Tuesday.
Democrat James Talarico to address supporters shortly, state lawmaker says
Democrat James Talarico will address his supporters in 15 minutes, state Rep. John Bucy tells the crowd at his campaign event.
Supporters who have been waiting at Emo’s, a live music club in Austin, began to fill the stage to prepare for the candidate’s remarks.
The supporters have been waiting for more than five hours here. Talarico intends to address the crowd – and a televised audience – regardless of whether a winner is formally projected in the primary.
It's midnight ET and here are the latest CNN projections
It’s midnight on the East Coast, and CNN made more projections in primaries across Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina.
Here’s what you should know:
Runoffs in Texas:
- Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will advance to a May runoff in the state’s Republican primary for US Senate, extending an expensive and divisive clash that has drawn wide national attention.
- The Republican primary for attorney general in Texas will also advance to a May 26 runoff between state Sen. Mayes Middleton and Rep. Chip Roy.
More CNN projections:
- Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa will win the Democratic primary for governor.
- Tejano singer Bobby Pulido will win the Democratic primary for Texas’ 15th District, defeating emergency room physician Ada Cuellar.
- Mark Teixeira, who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, including for the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, will win the Republican primary in a South and Central Texas district that includes parts of San Antonio.
- Laurie Buckhout will win the Republican primary in North Carolina’s 1st District.
Dallas County confusion: Changes to Election Day voting procedures in two Texas counties led to hundreds of voters being turned away from polling places, angry recriminations from candidates and an 11th hour scramble to delay poll closings. Democratic voters in the Dallas area received two extra hours to cast their ballots after a judge intervened. But then the state Supreme Court ordered the county to keep separate any votes cast during the extended voting period.
More news to know: An individual was arrested tonight outside the Dallas hotel where Paxton held his primary election night party, according to the Dallas Police Department. It’s unclear if the individual was attempting to enter the Paxton event.
CNN’s Veronica Stracqualursi, Arlette Saenz, Kathryn Squyres, David Wright and Arit John contributed reporting.
Crockett team exploring “all options" following Dallas County voter confusion, source says
US Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Senate campaign is exploring “all options,” including potential legal action, following confusion at Dallas County polling locations due to changes to Election Day voting procedures.
“All options are on the table and actively being explored by legal counsel,” a source close to the campaign told CNN.
The moves come after the Texas Supreme Court stayed an earlier court order that extended voting in Dallas County, ruling that any votes cast by people not in line at 8 p.m. ET should be separated. The source said the moved added “uncertainty” in the voting process.
Crockett plans to travel back to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee, of which the congresswoman is a member.
Paxton celebrates runoff against Cornyn as a message to DC: "Texas is not for sale"
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who CNN projected is headed into a May runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, argued tonight that his supporters proved that “Texas is not for sale.”
“We just sent a message loud and clear to Washington – We are not going to go quietly, and we are not going to let you buy the seat,” he told supporters gathered in downtown Dallas.
He criticized Cornyn’s millions in spending to hold onto his seat and the Texas incumbent’s intentions to spend millions more in the GOP runoff.
In an appeal to other Texas Republicans who didn’t back him, Paxton vowed to try to earn their support, warning that “this is going to be the number one Senate race in America targeted by the Democrats.”
“Our party is a big tent, we don’t agree on everything, but we agree on the most important thing: We must defeat the Democrats in November,” he said, also taking a swipe at Democratic candidate James Talarico.
Cornyn warns Paxton: “Judgment day is coming”
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Sen. John Cornyn warned that “judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton” as he previewed a confrontational approach to a primary runoff in a race that has already divided state Republicans.
Cornyn also sought to make the case that Paxton would be a drag on Republicans across the state, saying, “There’s a high risk that Paxton would lose this Senate seat, taking five congressional seats down with him.”
“Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff,” Cornyn argued. “And we are in the process of executing it.”
Talarico campaign urges supporters to stay: "Don't anybody go anywhere"
“Tonight, our movement is shocking the nation,” Texas state Rep. John Bucy told the crowd of Talarico supporters. “Don’t anybody go anywhere.”
Bucy said the campaign was waiting for more results to come in, but said: “We’re not going home yet.”
Talarico is still planning to speak tonight in case of a projection, adviser says
James Talarico and his advisers remain confident about the outcome of the Democratic Senate primary in Texas as they wait for more results to come in, keeping a close eye on Dallas County.
If the race is called, Talarico “will speak tonight,” an adviser tells CNN.
Talarico and his opponent, Jasmine Crockett, have not spoken tonight, the adviser says.
Laurie Buckhout to win GOP primary in North Carolina’s redrawn 1st district, CNN projects
Laurie Buckhout will win the Republican primary in North Carolina’s 1st District, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, setting up a competitive rematch between her and Democratic Rep. Don Davis.
Davis, who was first elected in 2022 and ran uncontested in the Democratic primary, narrowly beat Buckhout in 2024. Republicans in the state redrew the district last year to make it more GOP-friendly, shifting it from one that Trump had won by three points in 2024 to one he would have won by 12 points.
Davis is a moderate Democrat who has voted for several Republican bills during this congressional session. He was one of just seven House Democrats to support a Department of Homeland Security spending bill that included funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in mid-January.
President Donald Trump didn’t endorse a candidate in the race, but Buckhout’s campaign featured clips of the president briefly praising her during his 2024 campaign. Buckhout, an Army veteran, also served as a cybersecurity official in the Department of Defense during Trump’s second term.
She will beat Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck and State Sen. Bobby Hanig.
MLB All-Star Mark Teixeira to win GOP primary in Texas’ 21st District, CNN projects
Mark Teixeira, who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, including for the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, will win the Republican primary in a South and Central Texas district that includes parts of San Antonio, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
The former first baseman, part of the Yankees’ World Series champion team in 2009, will be favored in the Republican-leaning 21st District in November, setting him up to become one of only a handful of former MLB players to serve in Congress.
Teixeira earned President Donald Trump’s endorsement in a crowded race to replace Republican Rep. Chip Roy, who is running for state attorney general.
Teixeira loaned his campaign nearly $3 million, which, along with hundreds of thousands in contributions, gave him about 10 times as much funding as the next candidate.
Dallas County confusion should not have surprised the Crockett campaign, strategist says
The confusion in Dallas County tonight should have been foreseen by Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s campaign, according to a Texas Democratic strategist who is not aligned with either Senate campaigns.
The campaign should have been laser-focused on the following, according to the strategist:
- Turning out their voters.
- The new laws that took effect.
- Aggressive voter outreach in Dallas-Fort Worth area, their stronghold.
- Telling their supporters where to vote.
- Blowing the whistle when the Texas Secretary of State website was showing inaccurate information.
Dan Crenshaw had troubles with the "MAGA" movement before his primary against Steve Toth
Before his Tuesday primary, Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw spent years navigating a complicated relationship with the MAGA wing of his party.
It may cost him his seat in Congress. He was well behind state Rep. Steve Toth in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
Crenshaw, a four-term lawmaker and former Navy SEAL, has been an ally of President Donald Trump. Earlier this year, he praised the president after the US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
But Crenshaw has been at odds with the president’s supporters over his support for Ukraine in its war with Russia and resettling Afghan allies, and his vote to certify the 2020 presidential election results.
Those differences were highlighted by his opponent Toth, who was backed by US Sen. Ted Cruz and the House Freedom Caucus. Trump did not endorse in the race, making Crenshaw the only House Republican from Texas not to get the president’s backing.
Cornyn says “character is on the ballot” ahead of runoff with Paxton
Texas Sen. John Cornyn expressed resolve about his upcoming runoff with state Attorney General Ken Paxton, with neither candidate projected to surpass the 50% needed to win the GOP Senate nomination outright.
Alluding to the sharp personal attacks that have characterized the contest so far, Cornyn said that “there’s much more that will come out, in the runoff” about his rival, Paxton, “which will demonstrate his unfitness for office.”
And Cornyn downplayed President Donald Trump’s decision to withhold an endorsement in the race, saying, “There’s only one person on the planet who knows what President Trump is going to do, and that’s him.”
“I think he wanted to see me earn this, earn this nomination, as we are well on the path to doing, before he made any kind of decision. But when or if he makes a decision to get involved in the race is entirely up to him,” Cornyn said.
Latin Grammy winner Bobby Pulido will win Democratic primary for Texas’ 15th, CNN projects
Tejano singer Bobby Pulido will win the Democratic primary for Texas’ 15th District, CNN projects, defeating emergency room physician Ada Cuellar.
Pulido will face two-term GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz in November in his bid to flip control of a deeply Republican district.
National Democrats view Pulido, the son of a migrant farm worker turned Latin Grammy Award-winning artist, as giving them their best shot at competing in the seat due to his fame and his socially conservative profile.
Cuellar, who campaigned with Democratic Senate candidate Jasmine Crockett, painted Pulido as the establishment’s pick and blasted him over his personal opposition to abortion. Pulido has said that he doesn’t support the state’s near-total abortion ban.
The district, a roughly 250-mile-long strip that stretches from outside San Antonio down to the US border with Mexico, was redrawn last year by Texas Republicans as part of a push to net the party as many as five additional US House seats. President Donald Trump would have won the district on its current lines by 18 percentage points in 2024.
CNN’s Gustavo Valdez contributed to this post, which was updated with a quote from Pulido.
