No Sign of Gains for Women in the First Primaries of 2026

Primary elections were held on Tuesday in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas. Full results for women candidates in these races are available on this post on our Election Analysis page; there are multiple races featuring women candidates that remain too close to call. The full results post will update as these contests are decided.

Among the most notable results for women:

Arkansas

• Hallie Shoffner (D) will challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R). In the U.S. House, Terri Yarbrough Green (D) will challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Rick Crawford (R). Both contests are currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. No woman has served in Congress from Arkansas since Senator Blanche Lambert Lincoln left in 2011.
• Incumbent Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge (R) were unopposed in their primaries and are favored to win re-election in November.
• Women remain in the running for secretary of state, with Kelly Grappe securing the Democratic nomination and Cathy Hardin Harrison in a contest for the Republican nomination that is too close to call. No Republican woman has served as secretary of state in Arkansas.

North Carolina

• No women have advanced as nominees for the U.S. Senate. No woman has served in the U.S. Senate from North Carolina since 2015.
• Three (2D, 1R) women U.S. House incumbents won their primaries and are strongly favored to win re-election in November. Incumbent U.S. Representative Valerie Foushee (D) remains in an all-woman Democratic primary contest that is too close to call in North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District.
• Of the 4 (3D, 1R) non-incumbent women nominees for U.S. House, only 1 (1R) – Laurie Buckout – is currently favored (“Lean Republican”) by Cook Political Report. All 3 (3D) non-incumbent Democratic women nominees are in contests currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.

Texas

• No women have advanced as nominees for the U.S. Senate. Incumbent U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett (D) was unsuccessful in her bid for the Democratic nomination and will leave Congress in 2027.
• Five (3D, 2R) of 7 (5D, 2R) women incumbents representing Texas in the U.S. House won their nominations and are currently favored to win re-election in November. In addition to Crockett’s departure to run for U.S. Senate, incumbent U.S. Representative Julie Johnson (D) is currently in a Democratic primary contest that is too close to call.
• Twelve (10D, 2R) non-incumbent women won their primaries for U.S. House; all but one are in contests that currently favor their opponent according to Cook Political Report. The exception is Jessica Hart Steinmann (R), who won in Texas’ 8th Congressional District, rated “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
• State Representative Gina Hinojosa (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor. She will challenge incumbent Governor Greg Abbott (R) in a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If successful, she would be the first Latina governor of Texas.

For more information, see the full analysis of how women fared in yesterday's contests on our Election Analysis page. Complete context about women in the 2026 elections can be found on CAWP's Election Watch.