Voters in five states picked nominees for congressional seats on Tuesday. California and Texas voted in Senate primaries, and more than one-quarter of the seats in the House were up in primaries in those states plus Alabama, Arkansas and North Carolina.
Along with setting matchups for the battleground races that may decide control of Congress in November, the primaries also picked likely winners this fall in open seats that heavily favor one party or the other.
California’s primary system sends the top two finishers regardless of party to the November ballot. In Alabama, Arkansas and Texas, candidates in partisan primaries have to get more than 50 percent to secure nominations or the top two go to a runoff. In North Carolina, the threshold to avoid a runoff is more than 30 percent. Runoff dates are April 2 in Arkansas, April 16 in Alabama, May 14 in North Carolina and May 28 in Texas.
Voters were also dealing with new districts in some states. A court-ordered redistricting in Alabama created a new Democratic-leaning 2nd District and led to a Republican member-vs.-member primary in the 1st District. In North Carolina, meanwhile, the Republican-controlled legislature redrew the map so districts that Democrats Kathy Manning, Wiley Nickel and Jeff Jackson won in 2022 now are composed of voters who backed Donald Trump over Joe Biden by double digits.
Here are some key results, organized by state and district number, with times reported using Eastern Standard Time. This report will be updated with more races as they are called by The Associated Press. Some calls may take days, especially in California, where mail-in ballots have to be delivered and be counted, or where candidates are close to the threshold of avoiding a runoff.
Alabama
Candidates in Alabama primaries had to clear 50 percent of the vote to be nominated, or the top two vote-getters will face in a runoff on April 16.
Moore beats Carl: In the 1st District primary between two GOP incumbents, Rep. Barry Moore was leading Rep. Jerry Carl by more than 3 percentage points when The AP called the race at 11:49 p.m.
Runoff in new 2nd District: Democrats Shomari Figures, who was a White House aide during President Barack Obama’s administration, and state House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels will meet in a runoff in the newly drawn district designed to give Black voters more influence in picking a representative. Figures led with 42 percent, while Daniels had 25 percent, in the 11-candidate field when The AP called the primary at 11:07 p.m. The eight-candidate Republican primary also will go to a runoff between former state Sen. Dirk Brewbaker and Caroleene Dobson. They had 40 percent and 27 percent, respectively, when the AP made the final race call at 12:24 a.m.
Arkansas
Candidates in Arkansas primaries had to clear 50 percent of the vote to be nominated, or the top two vote-getters will face in a runoff on April 2.
Womack beats challenger: Republican Rep. Steve Womack beat back a challenger in the 3rd District Republican primary. State Sen. Clint Pinzo ran against the seven-term incumbent after Womack voted against Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan’s speakership bid in October. Womack led Pinzo by 11 points when The AP called the race at 10:47 p.m.
California
Candidates of all parties appear on the same ballot in California primaries, and the top two finishers advance to the November ballot.
Garvey to face Schiff: Democratic Rep. Adam B. Schiff will face former Dodgers and Padres first baseman Steve Garvey for the state’s open Senate seat in November, after they finished the top two in a field of 27 candidates. Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee finished third and fourth, respectively. Schiff was the top vote-getter, and his position as one of the nominees was called by The AP at 11:30 p.m. The call that Garvey had the second position came a half-hour later.
Kiley-Morse matchup set: Freshman Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley will face Democrat Jessica Morse, former deputy secretary at the California Natural Resources Agency, in the 3rd District. Both easily captured ballot spots against a third challenger, who had only 2 percent of the vote when the race was called at 12:44 a.m.
Rematch set in 13th District: In a Toss-up race in the Central Valley, freshman Republican Rep. John Duarte faces a rematch with Democrat Adam Gray, a former member of the California Assembly. Duarte won by fewer than 600 votes in 2022. The two were the only candidates in the primary.
Rollins, Calvert to battle again: Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, the state’s longest-serving House member, will once again face Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, in the 41st District. The AP called the race at 2:45 a.m. for the pair, who faced one other candidate who got less than 9 percent of the vote. Calvert won the 2022 race by less than 5 points.
North Carolina
Candidates in North Carolina primaries had to clear 30 percent of the vote to be nominated, or the second-place finisher can request a runoff on May 14.
Buckhout will challenge Davis: Newcomer Laurie Buckhout won the Republican nomination to face Democratic Rep. Don Davis in what is expected to be the state’s most competitive House race in November. In the 1st District Republican primary, Buckhout led 2022 nominee Sandy Smith by less than 8 percentage points when The AP called the race at 11:14 p.m.
Walker in 6th District runoff: Republicans Addison McDowell, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, and former Rep. Mark Walker advanced from the six-candidate primary to a runoff. When The AP called the race at 12:26 a.m. Wednesday, the leaders had 26 percent and 24 percent, respectively. No Democrat ran for the nomination after Rep. Kathy Manning bowed out.
Harris gets another chance: Republican Mark Harris, whose 2018 win in the 9th District was never certified after a political operative’s ballot harvesting scheme led the state to order a new election, beat five opponents for the nomination to replace Rep. Dan Bishop in the 8th District, who is vying for state attorney general. Harris had 30.4 percent, or less than half a point more than needed to avoid a runoff, when The AP called the race at 1:33 p.m. Wednesday.
Harrigan wins in 10th District: Army veteran Pat Harrigan won the five-way contest for the GOP nomination to succeed retiring Republican Rep. Patrick T. McHenry. Harrigan had 41 percent, which was about 2,000 votes or 2 percentage points ahead of state Rep. Grey Mills, when The AP called the race at 12:19 a.m. Wednesday. Ralph Scott was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Runoff in the new 13th District: Attorney Kelly Daughtry, who loaned her campaign more than $2 million, finished as the top vote-getter in the 14-candidate GOP field, but fell about 3 percentage points short of avoiding a runoff. Former prosecutor Brad Knott won the second spot in the runoff, edging out businessman Fred Von Canon. Democrat Wiley Nickel, the incumbent, said he will run for Senate in 2026 instead of for another term in the redrawn seat. Democrat Frank Pierce was unopposed in the primary.
Moore nominated easily in 14th: State House Speaker Tim Moore won the Republican nomination in the 14th District. Moore led two challengers by more than 70 percentage points when The AP called the race at 8:11 p.m. Pam Genant won the Democratic primary and had more than 60 percent of the vote when the race was called at 10:14 p.m.
Jackson, Bishop to face off: Freshman Rep. Jeff Jackson easily beat two challengers to win the Democratic primary for North Carolina attorney general. He’ll face fellow Rep. Dan Bishop, who was unopposed for the Republican nomination. Jackson opted to run for the state office after the 14th District was redrawn to favor Republicans.
Texas
Candidates in Texas primaries had to clear 50 percent of the vote to be nominated, or the top two vote-getters will face a runoff on May 28.
Allred to face Cruz: Rep. Colin Allred beat eight rivals for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in November. Allred declared victory before 11 p.m. and said that state Sen. Roland Gutierrez had conceded, The Texas Tribune reported. He was ahead of Gutierrez by more than 40 percentage points, and more importantly, well over the threshold to avoid a runoff, when The AP called the race at 11:32 p.m.
Fletcher renominated: Democratic Rep. Lizzie Fletcher defeated a well-funded challenger, Pervez Agwan, for the nomination for another term in the 7th District. Fletcher was leading by 46 percentage points when The AP called the race at 9:27 p.m.
Runoff in 12th District: State Rep. Craig Goldman, chairman of the Republican caucus in the state House, and investor John O’Shea, who was endorsed by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, will meet in a runoff after finishing ahead of three rivals in the battle for the Republican nomination to the seat left open by Republican Rep. Kay Granger’s retirement. The AP called the race at 3:06 a.m. and Goldman had 44 percent to O’Shea’s 26 percent with an estimated 97 percent of the vote in.
De La Cruz-Vallejo rematch set: Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz and Democrat Michelle Vallejo each cruised to their parties’ nominations, setting up a rematch in the 15th District that the Republican won by more than 8 points in 2022. Inside Elections rates the November race Lean Republican.
Jackson Lee renominated: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee turned back a challenge from her former intern, attorney Amanda Edwards, and won the Democratic nomination to a 16th term. Jackson Lee was leading Edwards in the 18th District Democratic primary by 26 percentage points at 1:13 a.m. Wednesday when The AP called the race.
Gonzales in runoff: Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who supported a bipartisan gun safety bill after a mass shooting at a school in Uvalde in his 23rd District, must win a runoff to keep his seat. He will face off in May against Brandon Herrera, a YouTube personality and Second Amendment activist. Gonzales was 22 points ahead of Herrera when The AP called the race at 12:17 a.m. Wednesday, but he did not clear the threshold to win the nomination outright.
Gill nominated in 26th District: Brandon Gill, a former investment banker who founded a conservative news outlet and helped his father-in-law, right-wing commentator Dinesh D’Souza, make “2000 Mules,” a film that promoted election conspiracy theories, beat 10 opponents to win the Republican primary for the seat opened by the retirement of Republican Rep. Michael C. Burgess. Gill was leading by 43 percentage points at 12:31 a.m. Wednesday when The AP called the race.
Gonzalez, Flores in rematch: Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez will face Republican former Rep. Mayra Flores in the 34th District, a rematch of the 2022 race Gonzalez won by more than 8 points. Gonzalez was unopposed in the primary. Flores was leading the closest of her three Republican opponents by about 70 points when The AP called the race at 10:56 p.m.
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