Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In Texas’ closely watched Democratic Senate primary, state Rep. James Talarico prevailed over Rep. Jasmine Crockett, with the congresswoman calling Talarico on Wednesday morning to concede. Officials in both parties have suggested in recent weeks that Talarico will give Democrats the best chance of winning a Senate race in Texas in decades.
* In Texas’ closely watched Republican Senate primary, the incumbent, Sen. John Cornyn, is headed to a runoff against state Attorney General Ken Paxton. The next round of balloting isn’t until May, and GOP officials are already talking about spending a staggering amount of money to help Cornyn advance.
* Elsewhere in the Lone Star State, Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales is still facing a bleak future, but he will advance to a GOP primary runoff against far-right internet personality Brandon Herrera.
* In North Carolina, a group of conservative Democratic state legislators, who’ve voted with Republicans on some key issues, faced primary challengers this week. The incumbents lost all of the races.
* Democratic National Committee members have narrowed their list of possible 2028 presidential convention cites — Boston, Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Chicago are the top contenders — but just as notably, the DNC decided to drop plans for a midterm 2026 convention, despite earlier suggestions about a possible gathering.
* In Montana, former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar launched an independent Senate campaign this week, hoping to take on the Republican incumbent, Sen. Steve Daines. It’s not yet clear what the state’s Democratic Party will do about the race, though former Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, has already thrown his support behind Bodnar’s candidacy.
* And while Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw is the first incumbent in Congress to lose his 2026 re-election bid, he might be joined by a fellow Texan: Democratic Rep. Al Green’s race hasn’t yet been called, but vote tallies show him trailing his primary rival in a race that appears headed for a May runoff election.
