‘Get the files out’, says former secretary of state; Tricia McLaughlin’s departure comes amid shutdown of agency in charges of ICE surgesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts direct to your inboxA Texas-sized showdown is brewing deep in the heart of the largest red st ate in the US. As early voting begins on Tuesday for the Lone Star state’s 3 March primaries, Republicans and Democrats alike face a high-stakes choice that could set the stage for one of the fiercest Senate races of the 2026 midterm cycle.At the center of the fractious Republican contest is a clash between the party’s old guard and a Maga culture warrior, with four-term incumbent John Cornyn, a conservative fixture of Senate leadership locked in the fight of his political career against the state’s scandal-plagued attorney general, Ken Paxton. Continue reading... ...read more read less