DSA-aligned Democrats are running away with primaries across the Midwest, and even deep-red Texas looks competitive — bad news for the party establishment and for Republicans banking on Texas.

• In Wisconsin's Democratic governor primary, little-known state rep Francesca Hong has jumped to 44%, far ahead of better-known rivals like Mandela Barnes.
• Her edge comes from taking clear stands — she was the only candidate backing a one-year pause on data center building, an issue voters there care about.
• Similar left-populist candidates are winning in Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, and Maine, suggesting a real movement, not one-off stars like Zohran Mamdani.
• In Texas, Democrat James Talarico is now polling even or slightly ahead of Republican Ken Paxton, a corrupt and unpopular figure many in his own party dislike.

Outlook: Midwest primaries wrap up in the next two weeks and DSA-aligned candidates look set to win several, while Texas becomes a race Republicans must spend heavily to hold.