US-POLITICS-ELECTION-TEXAS

A woman checks in to vote at a polling location on Election Day at West Gray Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston, on March 3, 2026. Americans cast the first ballots of the primary season on Tuesday, kicking off a midterm cycle that could redraw the political map in Washington -- and shape how Donald Trump spends the remainder of his presidency. Texas anchors the opening slate, with voters in the second-largest state selecting their candidates in high-profile Senate primaries, offering an early test of how both parties position themselves for Trump's final two years. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)