Midterm Primaries 2026: Key States Cast Ballots
Millions of voters nationwide are heading to the polls today to participate in important primaries that will shape gubernatorial, Senate, and House races across the country.
California
Voters in California are deciding who will lead the nation’s most populous state and the world’s fourth-largest economy. The gubernatorial race is highly competitive, with no clear frontrunner among candidates seeking to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. Additionally, the race for Los Angeles mayor is on the ballot, alongside several critical US House contests in the state's congressional districts. These districts are expected to play a significant role in determining control of Congress in the November midterm elections. My colleague Lauren Gambino provides further insight.
Iowa
According to my colleague Chris Stein, Democrats are aiming for a comeback in Iowa, a state historically dominated by Republicans, influenced by factors such as former President Trump’s approval ratings and gas prices. This year, Democrats are focusing on winning back control of both the US House and Senate. Leading this effort is Rob Sand, a pro-hunting Democrat running for governor. Chris has written extensively about Sand’s campaign. Democrats also see opportunities to win three of Iowa’s US House seats and have a competitive chance at the US Senate seat, where the GOP frontrunner recently criticized Trump’s stance on Iran.
New Jersey
One of the most closely watched House midterm races is in New Jersey’s battleground district currently held by Republican Tom Kean Jr. Kean has faced public scrutiny after missing over 100 House votes due to an undisclosed illness. Voters are selecting the Democratic candidate who will challenge him in November, a critical race for the party. The Democratic frontrunner is Adam Hamawy, a veteran army trauma surgeon and political newcomer, who has received endorsements from Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ilhan Omar. My colleague Joseph Gedeon reports more on this race.
New Mexico
New Mexico’s primaries include contests for congressional seats, a US Senate seat, and various statewide offices, but the governor’s race is the primary focus. Deb Haaland, former US Interior Secretary under President Joe Biden, is running for the Democratic nomination. Her candidacy could mark a historic milestone for Native American leaders.
Montana
In Montana, a five-way Democratic primary is underway for the Senate seat being vacated by a retiring Republican senator. Independent candidate Seth Bodnar, former president of the University of Montana, is currently outraising his Democratic opponents, who have declined to withdraw from the race, according to Politico.
South Dakota
South Dakota voters are choosing candidates for governor, Sioux Falls mayor, US Senate and House seats, as well as Republican primaries for local lawmakers. Incumbent GOP Governor Larry Rhoden faces three primary challengers in his first campaign for a full term after assuming office from the lieutenant governorship when former Governor Kristi Noem left to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Maine
Maine’s primary election is scheduled for next week but has been disrupted by recent revelations concerning Senate candidate Graham Platner. According to reports from the , and , Platner’s wife disclosed to his campaign last year that he exchanged sexually explicit texts with other women during their marriage.
Platner met with Democratic leaders in Washington, DC, on Tuesday amid ongoing challenges to his campaign, which is central to the party’s hopes of regaining control of Congress. He did not respond to reporters’ questions and left the meeting quickly. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) did not comment on the meeting.
Platner’s campaign has experienced both momentum and turmoil ahead of the June 9 primary. A political newcomer before 2025, the Maine oyster fisher and marine combat veteran gained attention for his straightforward progressive message and discussions on confronting authoritarianism.
New Jersey House Race
On the same day that Adam Hamawy was endorsed as a dedicated advocate for New Jersey’s seventh district, Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr. remained absent from public view. Kean last voted on the House floor on March 5 and is running unopposed in the Republican primary. The Democratic primary in his district has attracted multiple candidates and significant fundraising.
Kean’s office stated in late April that he was addressing a “personal medical issue” and expected to return soon. He told the last month he anticipated returning within weeks. Meanwhile, his social media accounts continue to post regularly, with staff representing him at events.
New Mexico Governor’s Race
In New Mexico, voters from both parties are nominating candidates to succeed Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has served since 2019 and is stepping down. The state is increasingly considered a solidly Democratic stronghold, making the Democratic nominee the likely winner in November.
Democratic voters will choose between Deb Haaland, former Interior Secretary, and Sam Bregman, Bernalillo County District Attorney. Haaland’s campaign has gained momentum ahead of the election. Her potential victory would be historic for Native American representation.
Haaland first gained national prominence in 2018 as part of a wave of progressive freshmen lawmakers known as “The Squad,” elected in response to Donald Trump’s 2016 victory. She resigned from Congress in 2021 to serve as Interior Secretary, becoming the first Native American in that role, overseeing public lands and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
During her congressional tenure, Haaland introduced legislation addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and established a Missing & Murdered Unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Last year, created its own law enforcement alert system for missing Indigenous people. Haaland also initiated historic conservation efforts.
If elected governor, Haaland would be the first Native American woman to hold such an office in the United States.
“Governors are the first line of defense against the horrific policies of the Trump administration,” Haaland said in campaign advertisements. Since Trump’s return to office, New Mexico has remained one of the few Democratic strongholds in the Southwest, working to protect abortion rights, transgender individuals, and other vulnerable groups.
California Vote Counting Challenges
California’s primary elections, including the closely contested gubernatorial race, face delays due to the state’s slow vote-counting system. After polls close Tuesday, it may take days or weeks to determine results in tight races.
Voting experts anticipate that California’s 58 county election offices will receive a large influx of last-minute absentee ballots, as in previous election cycles. The process involves meticulous ballot verification, which can be time-consuming.
This presents challenges in close races, particularly in competitive congressional districts, as the nation awaits clarity on which party will control the House of Representatives, similar to the uncertainty experienced in 2020, 2022, and 2024.
Adam Hamawy’s Campaign in New Jersey
On a warm May afternoon in Trenton, Adam Hamawy canvassed neighborhoods, undeterred by unanswered doors. This is his first political campaign, but he brings experience from his medical missions abroad. After returning from a 2024 mission in , Hamawy spoke to US lawmakers about what he described as a US-funded genocide, encountering resistance from many officials.
“I could only define it as a genocide, because I saw the bodies of the people that came in,” said Hamawy, a veteran army trauma surgeon and political newcomer. “And it wasn’t an accident. You can’t have an accident, every single day for three years.”
Rob Sand and the Iowa Democratic Effort
Rob Sand, a prominent Democrat in Iowa, is running for governor in a state that has become a Republican stronghold under Donald Trump. Democrats view Sand’s candidacy as a potential breakthrough to win key offices in the November midterms.
With Trump’s approval ratings, gas prices, and historical political trends favoring the party out of power, Democrats are optimistic about their chances in Iowa. Tuesday’s primary elections set the stage for intense campaigning by both parties.
“I think this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to be able to win here in Iowa. I mean, this is a state that has completely hit the bottom,” said Josh Turek, a state representative and one of two Democrats running for the US Senate from Iowa.
Polling Stations Across Six States
Voters in six states have been casting ballots in the US midterm primaries today. Images from polling stations have been shared widely in the news media.
Democratic Professionals Enter Politics
A wave of Democratic doctors, scientists, and public health professionals are running for office in the midterms, challenging the health policies of Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They identify issues such as disinformation, funding cuts, and the rollback of research as critical problems in American governance, believing their expertise equips them to address these challenges.
These candidates have witnessed the effects of the Trump administration’s health policies in their professional environments and communities and are motivated to enact change.
California’s Jungle Primary Explained
California employs a "jungle primary" system, allowing voters to select any candidate regardless of party affiliation. This system, introduced under former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, aims to increase competition in races traditionally dominated by Democrats. Schwarzenegger, who left office in 2011, was the last Republican elected to statewide office in California.
In a crowded gubernatorial primary such as this year’s, the jungle primary system can produce unexpected outcomes, including the possibility of two candidates from the same party advancing to the general election. Although this scenario now seems unlikely, it has prompted some advocates to call for reforms to the state's voting system.
