FILE - A man passes an early voting poll site, on Feb. 14, 2022, in San Antonio. Voters in Texas will usher in the midterm campaign season with primaries that will test just how far to the right the Republican Party will shift in a state where many in the GOP have already tightened their embrace of former President Donald Trump.(AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Election 2022
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The 2022 midterms are kicking off with primaries in Texas, where Republican voters get an early chance to reward leaders who have pushed America’s largest red state even farther to the right while tightening their embrace of Donald Trump. Rather than courting moderates in fast-growing, increasingly diverse Texas, Republicans have loosened gun laws while tightening abortion laws and voting rules. Voters on Tuesday can validate those efforts while providing clues about Trump’s post-presidency power and hold on the national GOP. Two of the state’s congressional incumbents, moderate Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and Republican Rep. Van Taylor, also face potentially tough primary tests.
