State Rep. James Talarico topped Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in Texas' closely watched Democratic Senate primary. He'll face the winner of a May runoff for the Republican nomination between Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Cornyn and Paxton were the top finishers in a three-way contest Tuesday with Rep. Wesley Hunt. No GOP candidate hit the 50% vote threshold needed to win outright. Texas, along with North Carolina and Arkansas, on Tuesday kicked off midterm elections with control of Congress at stake and against the backdrop of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

The White House says President Donald Trump will use his State of the Union address to argue he and the Republicans in control of Congress are best suited to continue tackling the public's concerns about the cost of living. Trump plans to announce that tech companies involved in artificial intelligence are agreeing to pay higher electricity rates in areas where their data centers are located. The president also could use the address to proclaim the economy is booming while endorsing increased military spending and tighter voter ID rules leading up to November elections that will determine political control of Congress. Several Democrats in Congress plan to skip Trump’s speech in protest, while Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

A Virginia judge is temporarily blocking Democrats’ plan to hold an April referendum on new congressional maps that could seriously impact the midterm elections. The decision threatens Democrats' push for more U.S. House seats. On Thursday, a Tazewell Circuit Court judge granted a temporary restraining order sought by Republicans. The order runs until March 18 and clashes with early voting set to begin March 6, which could doom the referendum. Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones says he will appeal the ruling. Republicans say the referendum's timing and wording break the law. Democrats argue it levels the playing field ahead of the midterms.

Democratic candidates have notched a series of wins in recent special elections — but a new AP-NORC poll finds views of the Democratic Party among rank-and-file Democrats have not bounced back since President Donald Trump’s victory in 2024. Democrats’ favorability among the party’s rank-and-file plummeted after the 2024 election. The latest measure of how Democrats view their party hasn't improved since then. The midterm elections are still many months away, and lackluster favorability doesn’t spell electoral doom. Other factors could benefit Democrats this year, including broadly negative views of Trump and other Republicans. But the lack of enthusiasm could be a longer-term problem for the party.

President Donald Trump says he's amassed a collection of campaign funds exceeding $1.5 billion, an unprecedented sum for a lame-duck president. He claims to have raked in that much just between Election Day 2024 and last August, though details on the exact figure are unclear. The funds could play a huge role in influencing this November's midterms and even the 2028 race to succeed Trump. But it's also possible the mountain of cash could benefit Trump's own business interests. In the past, Trump has spent little to support political causes beyond his own — raising questions about the political funds' true purpose and potential impact on future races.

House Republicans approved legislation that would impose strict new voter ID requirements ahead of the midterm elections. The bill passed Wednesday is a Trump administration priority aimed at scrutinizing ballot access. But it faces blowback in the Senate. Called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, the legislation requires Americans to present proof of citizenship when they register to vote and to show a valid photo identification before they cast ballots. Republicans say it's needed to prevent voter fraud. Democrats warn it will make it harder for millions of Americans to vote. Experts say voter fraud is extremely rare.