Early voting begins as competitive Senate races heat up in Texas and Kansas

Early voting is underway in the 2026 midterm elections as candidates in competitive Senate races across the country make their final appeals to voters.

(NBC)- Early voting is underway in the 2026 midterm elections as candidates in competitive Senate races across the country make their final appeals to voters.

In Texas, Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico and Republican nominee Ken Paxton are focusing on economic concerns as they campaign in one of the state’s closely watched races.

“We are building a movement to take back our state and take back our country,” Talarico told supporters.

Paxton emphasized his campaign’s conservative priorities during a separate rally.

“We fight for faith, family, and freedom. And we fight for Texas,” Paxton said.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is heading to North Carolina after campaigning Monday in Kansas, a traditionally Republican state where Democrats are mounting a competitive Senate challenge.

During his Kansas rally, Trump acknowledged the state’s changing political landscape.

“I hate to say it, you’re sort of tending toward the purple,” Trump said.

Republican Senator Roger Marshall is facing Democrat Adam Hamilton in a race that has drawn increased attention.

While defending Marshall, a physician who has sued patients over unpaid medical bills, Trump used a term widely recognized as an antisemitic slur.

“They made it like, oh, he was some kind of a Shylock-type guy,” Trump said.

Trump has previously said he was unaware the term was considered offensive, despite having used it before.

The remarks come as Republican candidates in competitive races face questions about Trump’s approval ratings and voter dissatisfaction with rising prices.

Kansas voter Mark Lawless expressed frustration with the cost of living.

“They’re getting even more expensive. And it’s like, hey, we can’t juggle this anymore,” Lawless said.

Economic pressures are also prompting some Republican voters to consider supporting candidates outside their party, while others continue calling for party unity.

With Election Day approaching, candidates are working to energize supporters and win over undecided voters as control of Congress hangs in the balance.