Jason BeetsAll eyes will be on the US Senate election in Texas, where both Republicans and Democrats have closely contested primaries.
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In the Republican primary, Incumbent Senator John Cornyn faces challenges from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Congressman Wesley Hunt.
The election will proceed to a runoff if no candidate receives more than 50% in the primary.
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Wikipedia does a good job exploring the policy differences between Cornyn and Paxton.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas
"Incumbent Senator John Cornyn is seeking a fifth term but is facing a competitive challenge from Attorney General Ken Paxton."
(Continued in next posts)
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Wikipedia:
"The two have clashed for years with Paxton criticizing Cornyn for being insufficiently conservative, particularly over his support for U.S. aid to Ukraine, DREAM Act for DACA beneficiaries and playing a leading role in the passage of the bipartisan gun safety bill after the Uvalde school massacre."
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Wikipedia:
"Cornyn, in turn, has highlighted Paxton's legal troubles, perceived character flaws and corruption, and his 2023 impeachment, in which Paxton was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House before the Senate later acquitted him of all charges."
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On the Democratic side, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is running against State Representative James Talarico.
Wikipedia describes Ahmad Hassan, the third candidate in the race, as a real estate broker, attorney, and perennial candidate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas
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Once again, if no candidate receives more than 50% in the primary, the race will proceed to a runoff.
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According to Wikipedia, Republicans have won every Senate election in Texas since 1990, and an incumbent senator has not lost a primary in Texas since 1970.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas
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The Cook Political Report considers the Texas Senate race to be Likely Republican.
https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings
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North Carolina will also hold primary elections for its US Senate race, today.
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Incumbent Republican Senator Thom Tillis is not running for reelection, so the election is for an open seat.
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Former Governor Roy Cooper is expected to win the Democratic primary, but he's not running unopposed.
Wikipedia lists five Democratic candidates who will be running against Cooper for the nomination.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_North_Carolina
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Michael Whatley, former chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), appears to be the leading contender on the Republican side.
According to Wikipedia, President Trump has endorsed Whatley, but Michael Flynn has endorsed Don Brown, another Republican candidate in the race.
Whatley has raised and spent significantly more money than the other Republican candidates, and Whatley has significantly more cash on hand, according to Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_North_Carolina
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The Cook Political Report considers the US Senate election in North Carolina to be a tossup.
https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings
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There is an open Congressional race in TX-35.
Incumbent Greg Casar will be running in TX-37, after Texas Republicans redistricted the Texas Congressional Map last year.
Cook Political Report considers the Congressional race in TX-35 to be Likely Republican.
https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/485391
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According to Wikipedia, there are four Democrats and 11 Republicans running for the open seat in TX-35.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections#Texas
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I am paying attention to the Likely Republican races this year, as I raise money for Democrats in competitive races, so Democrats can maximize their chances of flipping as many seats as possible if 2026 turns out to be a wave year for Democrats, as early indications show it could be.
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Republican Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz is running for reelection in TX-15.
Cook Political Report considers her race to be Likely Republican.
https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/485291
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Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards is running for reelection in NC-11.
Cook Political Report considers the race to be Likely Republican.
https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/483756
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From Cook Political Report's page on the US House race in NC-11:
"Jamie Ager, a farmer from Fairview and grandson of a former congressman, is poised to win the Democratic primary next week to take on GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards."
https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/483756
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Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), and Don Davis (NC-1) are incumbent Democrats running for reelection in Texas and North Carolina.
The Democratic Primaries for all three candidates are being held today.
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I examined the voting records of Gonzalez, Cuellar, and Davis in the US House in the latest article on my blog, Meticulous Musings.
https://jasonbeets.blogspot.com/2026/02/vicente-gonzalez.html
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Don Davis is running unopposed in the Democratic Primary for NC-1.
Cook Political Report considers NC-1 to Lean Republican.
https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/483706
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From Cook Political Report's page on the US House race in NC-1:
"Rep. Don Davis is, without a doubt, the most vulnerable House Democrat in the country."
https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/483706
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Vicente Gonzalez faces a challenge from Etienne Rosas, a progressive, in the Democratic primary in the South Texas District of TX-34.
I discussed Gonzalez and Rosas in the latest article on my blog, Meticulous Musings.
https://jasonbeets.blogspot.com/2026/02/vicente-gonzalez.html
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Cook Political Report considers the US House race in TX-34 to be a tossup.
https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/485386
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Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar faces two challengers in the Democratic primary in Texas-28: Ricardo Villarreal and Andrew Vantine.
Texas-28 is located in South Texas.
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The Democratic Victory Fund, an ActBlue Supporter Form that I maintain, has raised money for Ricardo Villarreal.
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In 2024, Henry Cuellar was indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges.
From the AP:
"From 2014 to 2021, Cuellar, 68, and his wife accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico, and in exchange, Cuellar agreed to advance the interests of the country and the bank in the U.S., according to the indictment."
https://apnews.com/article/henry-cuellar-texas-azerbaijan-ddb1dea393ba88d8d823557ec6c0d93a
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Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, wife indicted over ties to Azerbaijan
Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife have been indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges in connection with a federal probe into their ties with the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. The U.S. Department of Justice said the couple surrendered to authorities on Friday and were taken into custody. It said they made an initial appearance before a federal judge in Houston and were each released on $100,000 bond. Cuellar released a statement Friday denying any wrongdoing. According to the federal indictment, the couple accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico in exchange for advancing the interests of the country and the bank in the U.S.
The AP continued:
"Among other things, Cuellar agreed to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House, the indictment states."
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In December, President Trump pardoned Cuellar and his wife.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-pardons-texas-congressman-cuellar-wife-2025-12-03/
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After granting Cuellar a pardon, Trump learned Cuellar was going to run for reelection as a Democrat.
So, Trump threw a hissy fit on Truth Social, a very presidential thing to do.
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Cuellar has maintained that he and his wife are innocent of the charges that were brought against them.
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I donated to Jessica Cisneros, a progressive who challenged Cuellar in the 2022 Democratic Primary.
The race proceeded to a runoff, where Cuellar won by only 281 votes, or 0.6%.
https://jasonbeets.blogspot.com/2022/12/my-2022-political-donations.html
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