The 2026 midterm season begins in earnest on Tuesday with two of the nation’s most consequential Senate primaries playing out in Texas.

This Tuesday, Tribune reporters are watching two blockbuster Senate primaries, an open attorney general seat, and more high-stakes, competitive races up and down the Texas ballot.

The 2026 midterm season begins in earnest on Tuesday with two of the nation’s most consequential Senate primaries playing out in Texas.

Texas voters are casting ballots to settle the first U.S. Senate primaries of the midterm election year.

Texas voters head to the polls in one of the most expensive Senate primaries in state history — a race analysts say could impact control of the U.S. Senate.

A heated U.S. Senate race in Texas is entering its final stretch before voters decide Tuesday who will be their party's nominee in November.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt are competing to be the Republican nominee come November, with stakes that will be felt across Texas and in Washington.

Former President Bill Clinton has finished his testimony before members of Congress for their investigation over convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

President Donald Trump says he's “pretty much” made his decision on whom to endorse in Texas’ heated Republican Senate primary, but he still refuses to name his pick publicly.

Texas U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt’s rivals are increasing their attacks on the two-term Republican ahead of Tuesday’s GOP primary for U.S. Senate.

On the Republican side, Ken Paxton and John Cornyn were neck-and-neck and in position for a runoff, according to the poll from the University of Texas’ Texas Politics Project.

The latest campaign finance reports show big-money interests are heavily invested in the Texas primaries — but unwilling to reveal their identities at a critical juncture of the race.

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas is urging supporters to look at experience in a heated U.S. Senate primary with state Rep. James Talarico as he rides on wider attention thanks to late-night host Stephen Colbert.

As Texas voters head into the 2026 primary, candidates are using artificial intelligence to mock opponents and sharpen attacks.

The former Texas governor chairs the Lone Star Freedom Project, a group that has already spent almost $18 million boosting Cornyn against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Stephen Colbert says his interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico was pulled from Monday's broadcast over fears it would violate “equal time” guidance from the Federal Communications Commission under the Trump administration.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is stepping up his race for the U.S. Senate with early voting about to begin for the March 3 GOP primary.

A new statewide poll from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs shows key leaders emerging in both the Republican and Democratic races for the 2026 U.S. Senate primaries in Texas, just over a week before early voting begins.

Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico are adept at creating digital media moments and collecting social media followers.

Despite dominating the airwaves, Texas’ senior senator has been neck and neck with Attorney General Ken Paxton in public polling, both falling well short of the support needed to avoid a runoff.

As the GOP and its factions debate what constitutes American identity, opposition to Islam has become a key campaign pillar for some Texas Republicans in statewide races and beyond.

In a story published Jan. 24, 2026, about a debate for the U.S. Senate in Texas, The Associated Press erroneously reported the date that a man was fatally shot in Minneapolis by federal officers.

The Houston Republican, who has missed 44 of 48 votes this month, said such absences are typical for those seeking higher office. Rep. Chip Roy, a candidate for Texas attorney general, has not missed any votes in 2026.

Four-term Texas Sen. John Cornyn is in the political fight of his career.

Texas’ Senate Republican primary, meanwhile, looks headed for a runoff. The survey found U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a dead heat against Attorney General Ken Paxton, with neither eclipsing 30%.

The Democratic Senate hopeful’s campaign said virtually all the donations, 98%, were for $100 or less. Candidates must file updates by the end of the month.

Court documents detailing the divorce of Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife have been made public following a judge's order.

Crockett, a second-term congresswoman, has skyrocketed to fame through viral spats with Republicans, becoming one of her party’s most prolific fundraisers.

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett has launched a campaign for the U.S. Senate in Texas.

The U.S. Supreme Court seems likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s firing of board members.

The president has sharpened his calls for Senate Republicans to kill the longstanding legislative maneuver, saying the GOP’s electoral success could hinge on it.

The second-term congressman argued that voters should “hear directly from the candidates,” beyond the millions already being poured into paid advertising.

Critics accuse Cornyn of capitulating to Democrats’ gun control demands — even though the bill largely did not restrict gun owner’s existing rights.

Matthew and Eleanor are joined by Tribune D.C. reporter Gabby Birenbaum and radio host Chad Hasty to unpack the three candidates vying to be the Republican nominee for Senate in 2026.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt are finding ways onto stages in front of young conservatives galvanized by Charlie Kirk's killing.

Republican congressman Wesley Hunt is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, defying Senate GOP leadership and adding a new element to an already contentious primary campaign.

Experts in Houston have been studying the idea of building massive tunnels to divert floodwaters. Musk’s company wants a piece of the project.

Republicans are encountering some early headaches in Senate races viewed as pivotal to maintaining the party’s majority next year.

Leaders in Houston and Harris County have responded to a letter written by Congressman Wesley Hunt expressing concerns about upcoming protests in the city.

A large protest is being planned in Houston that is expected to counter a military parade for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday this weekend.

U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas may enter his state’s Republican primary for a Senate seat, adding more intrigue to what is already a marquee midterm contest.

House Speaker Mike Johnson suffered a decisive defeat after he tried and failed to squash a proposal for new parents in Congress to able to vote by proxy, rather than in person, as they care for newborns.

The House Ethics Committee is reviewing separate accusations against two Republican congressmen from Texas that allege they violated ethics rules by using campaign funds to pay membership dues at private social clubs.

While polls once showed Trump and DeSantis tied in Texas, they now suggest the primary is all but over here. Trump leads Nikki Haley by a landslide.

The funding bill was a long shot, but far-right U.S. representatives said it didn’t go far enough in promoting their priorities, including border security and defunding investigations into Donald Trump.

The special counsel who investigated the FBI’s probe of ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign found himself at the center of a heated political fight as he appeared before a congressional committee.

Joined in opposition by four Texas Democrats, the “no” votes weren’t enough to sink the proposal, which next heads to the U.S. Senate.

Host Khambrel Marshall sits down with newly-elected US Rep. Wesley Hunt, representing the 38th Congressional District. He says he has “no apologies” for being conservative and makes his opinions clear on issues such as gun control.

Texas’ seven freshly elected members of Congress run the ideological gamut, from impassioned conservatives to some of the most progressive members ever sent from Texas.

The U.S. senator joined some of his Republican colleagues in questioning Biden’s promise to pick a Black woman for the country’s highest court, while civil rights advocates say the nomination is long overdue for better representation on federal courts.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, is the favorite to return to Congress via Texas’ 37th District, while Republican Wesley Hunt is the leading contender in the 38th District.

Wesley Hunt, an Army combat veteran who ran a close congressional contest last year in the Houston area, announced Tuesday he plans to run for the state's new 38th District in the same region.

HOUSTON – Democrat Lizzie Fletcher wins reelection to U.S. House in Texas' 7th Congressional District, according to The Associated Press. In 2018, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher snagged the district away from former U.S. Rep. John Culberson, a Republican who had held the seat for 18 years. Fletcher is keeping the district, which is runs from southwest Houston, down Interstate 10 to west Houston and up to US 290, blue. And I want to say to the voters in Texas who cast their ballots for me, thank you. You can view the election results below:U.S. Representative, District 7 View All CandidatesYou can get more election results here.

HOUSTON – There are hundreds of races being decided by Houston-area voters on Election Day. Here are the five biggest races to watch. Senator View All CandidatesU.S. House District 2Republican and freshman congressman Dan Crenshaw is up for reelection this cycle. U.S. Representative, District 2 View All CandidatesU.S. House District 7Democratic U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher is also a first-term member of Congress who is up for reelection this time around. U.S. Representative, District 7 View All CandidatesU.S. House District 22This seat is wide open after Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Olson announced he is retiring.

“The oil industry pollutes,” Biden said. But political analysts said Biden's comments gave Texas Republicans material for an offensive political maneuver in the last stage of the campaign. Biden focused more on tying climate issues to the energy industry. In Congress, I have been a vocal advocate for and a partner with energy industry leaders here in TX-07 to develop and implement sound energy policy." It is unclear, however, whether this final push on the oil and gas industry by Texas Republicans will ultimately make a difference, Martin said.

Democrat Lizzie Pannill Fletcher and Republican Wesley Hunt are running for the Houston area’s 7th Congressional District seat. That's according to two Democratic sources familiar with information about media buys. HMP is a Democratic super PAC that aims to elect Democrats to the House and is aligned with House Democratic leadership. While national Democrats have designated 10 pickup opportunities across Texas, the GOP has focused its offense here on Fletcher’s district as well as that of Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas. But Fletcher’s seat was the only one that saw significant national investment until recently, as Allred’s GOP challenger, Genevieve Collins, has remained financially competitive partly due to her self-funding.

Dr. Rheeda Walker is a clinical psychologist and psychology professor at the University of Houston and says a simple explanation is frustration. She says the traumatic video of Floyd being held face down for almost nine minutes is a trigger for recurring anxiety. For now Summer school is the priority. For virtual summer school weve identified 40-thousand students that will have live interactions via computer with a classroom teacher, she said. Watch this weeks Houston Newsmakers Sunday morning at 10:30amMore Information:Grenita Lathan, Ph.D., HISD Interim SuperintendentRheeda Walker, Ph.D.