As the 2026 midterm elections draw closer, American voters next month will select the first candidates of the election cycle in partisan state-level elections.
Technically, some voting is already underway: Early voting in North Carolina began last week, with the first ballots of the 2026 midterms being cast on Feb. 12.
Republicans this year will be on the defensive, seeking to hold the gains made by the party in 2024 as rising warning signs point to a decline in voters’ confidence in President Donald Trump and the GOP.
In Texas and North Carolina, voters will select nominees in two of the 2026 cycle’s most important battleground states, while Democratic voters in Illinois will also select a nominee who’s heavily favored to win the race to replace the outgoing incumbent Democrat….
Primaries Kick Off in March: Here Are the Races to Watch
