By The NPR Network Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at the Durham County Main Library on the last day of early voting in the North Carolina primary election in Durham, North Carolina on Feb. 28, 2026. Rachel Jessen/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption Some of the first statewide primaries in the nation are happening Tuesday in North Carolina and Texas. The outcome of these primaries could help determine control of Congress in the fall and tell us more about the direction voters want to take during the latter half of President Trump's second term. Journalists from across the NPR Network are covering the races in their communities. Here's what we are watching. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton campaigns as a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate at an event on February 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. Paxton will be running against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rep Wesley Hunt (R-TX) for the Senate seat on the March 3rd primaries.…