The Texas Senate primary, the country's first race of the midterms, has exposed deep internal tensions within both parties that could hinder their chances in November's election. The primary, held as a gauge of political strength and strategy, did not determine whether Republicans will maintain their statewide dominance or Democrats will end their drought. The main divide in the primary was whether voters would prefer confrontation or caution, with Republicans choosing between four-term incumbent John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston. Democrats were split between Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico, who have been criticized by some for their lack of appeal to disaffected Republicans and others. A Cornyn defeat would mark a significant victory for Texas’s hardline conservatives and signal that moderates have few places to thrive in partisan politics.