Democrats Outpace Republican Turnout in Texas, NC Senate Primaries Amid Record GOP Spending

Democrats accounted for about 52 percent of all primary ballots cast in Texas, despite Republicans devoting nearly $100 million to campaign ads.

North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate former Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at a primary election night watch party in Raleigh, N.C., on March 3, 2026. Matt Ramey/AP Photo

Democratic voters outnumbered Republicans in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate primaries in both Texas and North Carolina, according to unofficial returns. This is a reversal from recent cycles.

In Texas, more than 2.2 million voters had cast ballots in the Democratic Senate primary as of Wednesday morning, compared with roughly 2.1 million in the Republican contest, according to preliminary data from the Texas Secretary of State’s office, with ballots still being tabulated.