Well, the midterms are officially off and running. Voting closed in the first major primary night of the season, and if Texas is any indication, we're in for a bumpy ride. The state served up a classic election-night cocktail: races too close to call, legal threats brewing, and a side of procedural confusion.

Let's start with the Democrats. The primary between Rep. James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett is, as they say, nail-bitingly close. So close that no one's ready to call it. Crockett isn't just waiting patiently, though. She's planning a lawsuit over voter confusion in her home county of Dallas, arguing that people didn't know where to go to cast their ballots. It's the kind of post-election drama that keeps election lawyers in business. Talarico, for his part, was recently in the news when CBS blocked an interview he did with Stephen Colbert from airing—a bit of unrelated intrigue for a candidate now in a dead heat.

Over on the Republican side, things were decisive enough to avoid an immediate photo finish but messy enough to require a second round. The Senate race between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is headed to a runoff. Meanwhile, with Paxton leaving the AG's office to run for Senate, Rep. Chip Roy has advanced to the runoff for that now-open Attorney General seat. So, two key Republican races in Texas will be decided another day.

And about that voter confusion in Dallas County: it got serious enough that the Texas Supreme Court had to step in. The court issued an order to separate votes from people who weren't in line by 7 p.m., blocking a lower court's ruling. The big question now is whether those votes will ever be counted. It's a procedural cliffhanger with real consequences for close races.

While Texas was serving up suspense, other states were more straightforward. In North Carolina, former Governor Roy Cooper won the Democratic nomination for Senate. The GOP side went to Michael Whatley, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, who carries the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. That sets up a marquee matchup for the fall.

Arkansas, meanwhile, kept it simple. Sen. Tom Cotton won the Republican nomination for what would be his third term. Democrats nominated Hallie Shoffner to face him in November. Sometimes, primaries are just about getting the paperwork in order.

So, night one of the primary season gave us a bit of everything: legal threats, runoffs, and a reminder that in some places, even casting a vote can be confusing. Consider it a warm-up for the main event this November.