Senate shake-up

Texas Democrats are hopeful they might flip a U.S. Senate seat after their party chose James Talarico, a Christian progressive, in the March 3 primaries. Talarico proved to be the safer option for voters. His opponent, firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas, is known for her disagreements with President Donald Trump. Talarico, a former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian from Austin, is flipping the Democratic stereotype on its head by being an outspoken Christian with a liberal worldview. His openness about his faith and his claim that not all Christians are conservative struck a cord with Democrats: He beat Crockett by nearly 7 points. Party leaders hope having such a strong, seemingly moderate candidate will put Republicans in danger of losing their seat, especially since the GOP doesn’t yet have its own candidate. Incumbent John Cornyn, in office since 2002, narrowly beat Attorney General Ken Paxton by 1 point, but neither candidate won 50% of the vote. They must now face a primary runoff in May ahead of the November midterms. The runoff serves as a proxy for the fight splitting the Republican Party: Paxton, who has been AG since 2015, is considered the “pro-Trump” candidate, while Cornyn is the more moderate conservative.

North Carolina vacancy

With Republican incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis not seeking reelection, his seat is up for grabs in a state that typically leans red. The midterm will be between former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and former head of the Republican National Convention, Michael Whatley. Though Trump handpicked Whatley to lead the RNC and heavily favors him as the Republican candidate, Cooper has not lost a statewide election since becoming the state’s attorney general in 2001. Cooper served as AG for four terms before becoming governor in 2017, where he served for two terms. Name familiarity gave Cooper an upper hand in the primaries. He won 92% of the Democratic vote, while Whatley only received support from 64% of the GOP. Republicans are the least confident in defending this race, making Democrats optimistic that they will secure the seat and move them closer to control of the U.S. Senate. —E.P.

Michigan moment

An open Senate seat left by Democrat Gary Peters’ retirement may prove troublesome for his party in Michigan in November. Though U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens is considered the establishment favorite, after she received support from Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), state Sen. Mallory McMorrow may come out ahead in the Aug. 4 primary. But Trump-endorsed Republican Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost the Senate seat in 2024, is hopeful this will be his year. —E.P.