Senate Primary

Pappas fends off challenge from progressive Karishma Manzur in seat to be vacated by retiring Jeanne ShaheenCongressman Chris Pappas beat back progressive challenger Karishma Manzur in the Democratic primary for US Senate on Tuesday, advancing as most observers expected to what will be a closely watched general election that is critical to Democratic hopes of flipping the upper chamber.The two were competing for the nomination that opened up after Jeanne Shaheen, 79, the state’s three‑term incumbent Democratic senator, announced her retirement. Continue reading...

• U.S. Senator Darline Graham won the Republican primary runoff on Tuesday to secure the GOP nomination for her late brother Lindsey Graham's Senate seat in South Carolina. • The victory ensures Graham will appear on the general election ballot to represent the state in the U.S. Senate. • This transition follows the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, marking a significant familial succession within the state's political leadership.

Result tees up marquee race in US midterm elections, which could decide if Republicans or Democrats control SenateIncumbent Dan S Sullivan, the US senator, advanced in Alaska’s nonpartisan primary race for his seat on Tuesday alongside Mary Peltola, a former Democratic congresswoman.With the top four candidates moving forward from Alaska’s open primaries to the general election, the Associated Press reported that Sullivan and Peltola, had qualified for the November’s general election. Continue reading...

Incumbent Sullivan is running for third term while Peltola is fighting to flip seat and aid Democrats retake control of CongressThe Guardian’s Chris Stein has more on the Alaska primary:Dan J Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher and US Forest Service employee living in the town of Petersburg in south-eastern Alaska, who is running as a Republican for the US Senate. Dan S Sullivan is a Republican US senator, who has represented Alaska since 2015.Both candidates will appear on the ballot, one name after the other, when Alaskans vote in primary elections this week – a complicated quirk of the contest that has drawn howls from Republicans.Progressive Aisha Wahab is currently leading with 51% of the vote in the special runoff election to fill former representative Eric Swalwell’s seat in California. This comes after super Pacs tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) spent millions supporting Wahab’s closest competitor, Democrat Melissa Hernandez. According to the Associated Press, 62% of votes have been counted.In Wyoming, the Trump-backed Harriet Hageman is leading the Republican primary for US Senate. Hageman, a conservative lawyer with a passion for thwarting environmentalists, had previously beat Liz Cheney for the thinly populated western state’s solitary seat in the US House of Representatives.Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination and David Jolly the Democratic nomination for Florida governor. Donalds was endorsed by Donald Trump and will become Florida’s first Black governor if elected in November. Jolly is a former Republican who joined the Democratic party last year.Progressive Angie Nixon won the Democratic nomination for Florida’s open Senate seat, defeating the heavily favored Alex Vindman, a retired army lieutenant colonel and an impeachment witness against Trump during the president’s first term of office. If elected in November, Nixon would be the state’s first Black senator. Nixon will compete against Republican Ashley Moody in November for the Senate seat Marco Rubio won in 2022. Continue reading...

Nixon bested Alexander Vindman to win Democratic nomination and now faces Republican Ashley Moody in NovemberIn an upset for the Democratic establishment, progressive Angie Nixon won the party’s US Senate primary in Florida, beating former army intelligence officer Alexander Vindman.Nixon, a state representative and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, had significantly less funding going into the primary – with $975,000 to Vindman’s $16.3m at the end of July, according to Florida Politics. Continue reading...

• Alaska is conducting its 2026 Senate primary election to determine which candidates will advance to the general election. • Live results are being tracked and updated as votes are counted across various counties for both Republican and Democratic candidates. • This primary is a critical step in deciding who will represent the state in the U.S. Senate, influencing federal policy and regional interests.

• Six Democrats and nine Republicans are competing in the August 11 primary election for Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat. • The race features candidates with diverse backgrounds, including a prominent figure who served on the Minneapolis School Board and as director of the Children's Defense Fund—Minnesota. • This election is critical as it determines which party's nominee will represent the state in the U.S. Senate.

• Minnesota voters are casting ballots in the 2026 primary elections, featuring critical races for governor and the U.S. Senate. • Democratic candidates are competing for a potential "trifecta," which would grant the party control over the governor's seat and both chambers of the state legislature. • In a notable development, Governor Evers has publicly endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who recently rejoined the race after a brief withdrawal.

State’s Democratic lieutenant governor bests Angie Craig in another election contest pitting a progressive against a moderatePeggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, won the Democratic primary for US Senate in the state, in another election contest that pitted a progressive against a moderate, this time with immigration issues at the center.The US Senate race in Minnesota, in which Flanagan ousted congresswoman Angie Craig, was yet another example of progressive campaigns toppling moderates as an anti-establishment wave continues across Democratic primaries. But the state’s race was also a response to the long shadow of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in January. Continue reading...

• CNN projects that progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, defeating Representative Haley Stevens. • El-Sayed, a doctor and former community health official, secured the nomination after a rigorous campaign that challenged the party establishment. • The victory is significant as it shifts the party's direction in Michigan and sets the stage for a general election battle against Republican Mike Rogers.

Leftwing candidate will now face Republican Mike Rogers in race to represent midwestern purple state in the SenateUS politics live – latest updatesAbdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary for US Senate in Michigan, becoming the latest leftwing candidate to win the party’s nomination ahead of November’s midterm elections.El-Sayed, a progressive, beat Haley Stevens, a moderate US representative backed by the party’s establishment. He will now face Republican Mike Rogers in the race to represent the midwestern purple state in the Senate. Continue reading...

• August 4 primary elections are underway, featuring a tight race between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens for the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan. • In Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, former Rep. Elaine Luria won the Democratic primary, securing a rematch against Republican incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans. • Luria previously served on the House Jan. 6 committee before losing her seat to Kiggans during the 2022 midterm elections.

• The 2026 primary election results are currently being tallied following voting in Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, and Washington. • In Michigan, the Senate race between Abdul El-Sayed and Representative Haley Stevens remains too close to call as votes continue to roll in. • The reporting also highlights a contest between incumbent Representative Mann, who focuses on rural economic development, and challenger Musser, a political outsider emphasizing government spending cuts.

The former public health official has slight lead over congresswoman Haley Stevens, but vote count could continue well into the dayEl-Sayed holds narrow lead in Michigan Senate primary but race too close to callUS representative Haley Stevens, who is currently trailing in the Democratic primary for Senate in Michigan, has cast herself throughout her campaign as a pragmatic problem-solver and workhorse.Stevens, who has represented Michigan’s 11th House district since 2019, after flipping the seat, has a long list of high profile endorsements from within the Democratic party that include the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and Gary Peters, the retiring senator who holds the seat she is now running for. Her campaign had also been boosted by tens of millions of dollars in outside spending, including from groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), the pro-Israel lobbying organization. Continue reading...

• Kansas held its U.S. Senate primary elections on August 4, 2026, to determine the party nominees for the general election. • Real-time vote counts and county-level maps are being provided via the Associated Press to track the progress of the race. • These results are critical as they narrow the field of candidates vying for a seat in the United States Senate.

Progressive ex-public health official in tight battle against Haley Stevens in state’s Democratic primaryThe marquee race for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Michigan remained too close to call on Tuesday night, with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official, holding a narrow lead over Congresswoman Haley Stevens.The battleground state is crucial to the party’s hopes of winning back control of the Senate in November‘s midterm elections. The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will face the Republican nominee, former Representative Mike Rogers, in November, to succeed retiring Democratic senator, Gary Peters. Continue reading...

• Progressive Abdul El-Sayed and moderate Rep. Haley Stevens are competing in a high-stakes Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan. • The contest highlights a ideological divide within the party, with El-Sayed positioning himself as a progressive challenger against Stevens' more moderate platform. • The race is significant as it determines the Democratic nominee for a critical Senate seat in a key swing state.

• Michigan Democrats will hold primary elections on August 4 to select a candidate for a key US Senate seat. • The contest features a clash between progressive former public health official Abdul El-Sayed and centrist representative Haley Stevens, who is backed by party leadership. • The race highlights a strategic divide within the Democratic party between progressive policy goals, such as Medicare for All, and centrist political approaches.

• Primary elections are taking place across five states, including Missouri, Kansas, Virginia, Washington, and Michigan. • In Michigan, the Democratic Senate primary features a key contest between Representative Haley Stevens and public health official Abdul El-Sayed. • Kansas voters are deciding on a conservative-led proposal to elect state Supreme Court justices instead of having them appointed by the governor.

Progressive Abdul El-Sayed leads in polls against centrist Haley Stevens as party looks to regain control of US SenateThe Democratic party faces a crucial test of its direction today as voters in the midwestern swing state of Michigan decide whether to nominate for US Senate a progressive candidate advocating for universal healthcare or an-establishment-backed moderate.The state’s Democratic primary is the latest high-profile battle over the party’s future, as it seeks to chart a course back to power in Washington following Donald Trump’s victory in 2024. Continue reading...

• Democrats must flip four Republican-held seats to gain control of the U.S. Senate as primary elections conclude. • Republicans are currently playing a defensive strategy, arguing that voters seeking centrist policies will reject candidates proposing high tax burdens. • The political landscape is categorized into tiers based on the likelihood of seats flipping, utilizing race ratings from the Cook Political Report.

Progressive former state senate president gains nomination after Graham Platner dropped out over sexual assault allegationsIn a race defined by scandal, withdrawals and a frantic hunt for a replacement candidate, Maine Democrats hit reset on their chaotic Senate primary on Saturday as Troy Jackson officially secured the party’s nomination.He took the stage at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor to rapturous applause, a standing ovation and Noah Kahan’s Northern Attitude blaring over the speakers. “This is the absolute honor of my life,” Jackson said. Continue reading...

Lawmaker’s exit gives voters choice between progressive Abdul El-Sayed and centrist Haley Stevens in must-win seatMallory McMorrow, a Michigan Democrat, has dropped out of a contentious US Senate primary campaign, setting up a straight fight between the party’s progressive and establishment wings – represented by Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, and Haley Stevens, a congresswoman.McMorrow’s retreat marks the end of a center-left bid to hold the seat being vacated this year by the Democrat Gary Peters. The three-way primary contest was a close one earlier in the campaign, but polls indicated that McMorrow’s support had plunged in recent weeks, as El-Sayed raced past her and Stevens to emerge as the frontrunner for the party’s nomination. Continue reading...

• Representative Barry Moore has won the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Oklahoma, securing the nomination with the backing of President Trump. • Moore successfully defeated Jared Hudson, a political newcomer who attempted to win the seat through a conservative grassroots campaign. • The election was triggered by Senator Tommy Tuberville vacating his seat to run for governor of Oklahoma.

• Maine is conducting its 2026 Senate primary elections to determine the Republican and Democratic nominees for the U.S. Senate. • Live results are being tracked and reported by candidate and township as votes are officially counted. • These primaries are critical for establishing which party candidates will compete in the general election to represent Maine in the Senate.

Platner, whose campaign was hit by series of negative headlines, to face Susan Collins in key midterm contest Graham Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, has scaled a mountain of personal controversies to win the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine.Victory on Tuesday caps a remarkable rise for a candidate who has never held elected office and whose campaign was shadowed by negative headlines that might have ended a more conventional political career. Continue reading...

Oysterman and marine veteran favored to win Democratic primary amid a string of controversiesVoters are headed to the polls on Tuesday for primary elections that include a crucial Senate race involving the scandal-haunted Graham Platner.In Maine, Platner is favored to win the Democratic primary after his main opponent, former governor Janet Mills suspended her campaign. Incumbent senator Susan Collins remains safely at the top of the Republican ticket – just slightly behind newcomer Platner’s lead in polling. Continue reading...

Democratic state house representative beats Zach Wahls and will face off against Trump-backed Republican HinsonSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailIowa voters nominated candidates in primary elections held on Tuesday, setting the stage for months of fervent campaigning ahead of the November midterms in which the state may play a significant role in deciding the balance of power in Congress.A red state that the GOP has dominated for the past decade, Democrats believe they can be competitive in three of its four House races, its Senate election, and the contest to replace Kim Reynolds, the retiring Republican governor. Continue reading...