2025/26/27/28 Primaries & General Elections

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Democrats see a path to the Senate through Alaska

Democrats believe former Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola could bring them one step closer to controlling the Senate in 2027. On Tuesday, Peltola advanced to November’s general election, where CNN’s Decision Desk projects she will face Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola, a former congresswoman, has centered her campaign on protecting Alaska’s fisheries and seafood economy. She had considered running for governor but was urged by national Democrats to enter the Senate race as the party works to gain four seats and retake the chamber. Alaska last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 2008, but the state has long had an independent streak, leaving the door open for a competitive race.

+ Read more: Key takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming

+ Video highlights: MAGA has mixed record in Trump’s home state + Democratic socialists see another victory

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Takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries Democratic voters elevated Angie Nixon, a progressive Senate candidate in Florida, while President Donald Trump’s chosen candidate in his adopted home state, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, won the nomination as he vies to be the state’s first Black governor. Read more.

Why this matters: It was a mixed bag for incumbents in Florida, where Republican-led redistricting efforts scrambled congressional maps. Meanwhile, longtime U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won a diverse, redistricted Florida seat. Voters in Alaska, Wyoming and California were also choosing their nominees.

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RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Full results Sen. Sullivan, former congresswoman Peltola will face off for Alaska US Senate seat in November Sen. Darline Graham in debate: ‘I’m not that informed on national security’ AP Interview: Ralph Norman questions Trump’s endorsement of Darline Graham in South Carolina runoff Fake polling from mysterious company highlights danger of unvetted election surveys Governors’ races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers Senator presses Hegseth, Caine for commitment to keep US military out of the midterm elections

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Donalds, Jolly emerge from primaries   Donalds took 48% of the vote in a crowded primary that included nine other Republicans, Christine Sexton reports. Jolly easily defeated five opponents in the Democratic primary, earning 61% of the vote. Jolly is a former GOP U.S. House member and Trump dissident who switched to the Democratic Party last year and appeared on the path to his own competitive primary against Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. But Demings dropped out of the race after being diagnosed with cancer. Related: Despite being outspent 10-to-1, Jolly likes his chances of becoming governor

Nixon advances to face Moody in U.S. Senate race with decisive win over Vindman   Her victory concluded a primary that had some wondering whether progressive Democrats’ wins around the nation would carry into Florida. Nixon, carrying endorsements of several of Florida’s progressive Democratic legislators, enjoyed a significantly smaller campaign account compared to competitor Alex Vindman. Nixon is best known for her in-your-face progressivism — for example, staging a sit-in in the governor’s office to protest his congressional gerrymander.

Wasserman Schultz, Moskowitz advance in their congressional primary races   In one of the most watched congressional primaries this year, longtime Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won in a Broward County-based seat held by a Black representative since the early 1990s. Meanwhile, two-term U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz crushed his Democratic Socialists of America-backed opponent, Oliver Larkin, 63%-37%. Republican Cory Mills, facing allegations of dating violence and campaign finance law violations, lost his primary in CD 7, in Seminole and Volusia counties. Democratic Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell held off fellow Democratic Rep. Michele Rayner in state Senate District 16 in the Tampa Bay area, 60%-40%.

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Arizona AG declines to charge Gov. Katie Hobbs over pay-to-play allegations

PHOENIX (AP) — State prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs over allegations that she took part in a pay-to-play scheme with a group home company that received a rate increase from the state after contributing $100,000 to her inaugural celebration, Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Friday.

https://apnews.com/article/katie-hobbs-sunshine-pay-to-play-kris-mayes-6bb26a982bbdf2775da83484f175bf1f?

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The "everything's in play" election

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

Ten weeks (72 days) from Election Day, the Senate battlefield is sprawling — and stretching deep into Trump country. Why it matters: In a normal year, Republicans wouldn't think twice about Alaska, Kansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska or Texas. This isn't a normal year, Axios' Hans Nichols and Stef W. Kight report. Republicans expect all six states to revert to their MAGA mean. But the party isn't betting on it. Democrats have more openings to attack, leaving Republicans with more states to defend. 👂 Here's what we're hearing: Democrats are within striking distance in Iowa, Alaska and Texas. They're longer shots in Mississippi and Kansas. An independent candidate in Nebraska refuses to go away. Democrats' clearest path to 51 starts with holding Michigan and picking up North Carolina and Ohio. Maine is probably next on their list. Then they need just one more. Driving the news: On Thursday afternoon, the Texas and Iowa Senate races were moved to "toss-up" by Cook Political Report. They were "lean Republican." That makes six GOP seats rated toss-ups or lean Democratic. 👀 The bottom line: At the start of the cycle, Cook Political Report called Democrats' path to a Senate majority "herculean." Last week, Cook's Jessica Taylor declared the battle for the Senate a "toss-up, but one in which Republicans may still hold the slimmest of advantages — especially given Democrats' headache in Michigan." More on each close race.

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AP Decision Notes: What to expect in South Carolina’s special U.S. Senate primary runoff

South Carolina Republicans will return to the polls Tuesday for the fourth time since June to replace the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham on the fall general election ballot. Read More.   AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Georgia’s special congressional runoff Residents of Georgia’s 13th Congressional District outside of Atlanta will get a new representative to Congress after a special election runoff Tuesday to replace the late Democratic U.S. Rep. David Scott, who died April 22. Read More.   AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Oklahoma’s state primary runoff Oklahoma Republicans will return to the polls Tuesday to settle an expensive nomination fight for governor, while Democrats will pick a nominee for U.S. Senate. Voters will also decide two statewide ballot measures, including one that would add a voter identification requirement to the state constitution. Read More.   MAGA Inc. spends $827,000 to back Darline Graham on final day of South Carolina GOP Senate runoff The final day of South Carolina's Republican U.S. Senate runoff campaign on Monday came with a major cash infusion for Sen. Darline Graham from MAGA Inc., the super PAC that supports President Donald Trump and aligned Republicans but has spent little thus far on the president's midterm candidate picks. Read More.

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Two elections to watch

Georgia voters will cast their ballots today in a special election that will further narrow Republicans’ already slim majority in the House. Democrats Marcye Scott and Everton Blair are vying to serve out the term of Scott’s father, the late Rep. David Scott, who died in April. Separately, Republican voters in South Carolina will decide a closely watched Senate runoff between Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman. Graham was appointed to fill the seat of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died in July, and she has President Trump’s endorsement. The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November.

+ Read more: Darline Graham’s race in South Carolina is a test of Trump’s chutzpah

+ Video: Trump to GOP: ‘Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot’

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Darline Graham wins South Carolina GOP nomination to replace her late brother in US Senate

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Darline Graham won the Republican nomination to replace her late brother on South Carolina’s general election ballot, notching another win for President Donald Trump after he threw his support behind the political novice.

https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-election-lindsey-graham-03899983c3702842039e99d62e16ddad?

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As midterm elections approach, Republican candidates weigh how closely to align with Trump

“AIR FORCE VETERAN. SMALL BUSINESSMAN. TRUMP CONSERVATIVE.” Read More.

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AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the Massachusetts state primary

Massachusetts Democrats will decide the latest head-to-head matchup between the party’s moderate and progressive wings in a state primary Tuesday, but this time, top progressives are backing the incumbent against a more moderate challenger. Read More.

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📺 Scoop: Transgender ad attack

A super PAC working to reelect Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is plowing $1.1 million into an ad campaign attacking Democrat Troy Jackson for supporting state legislation that allows transgender women to be housed in women's prisons.

Why it matters: The ad is the latest example of Republicans using visceral attacks on transgender policies to draw sharp contrasts with Democrats on a hot-button cultural issue.

• But for the first time this cycle, Republicans are taking the transgender issue into a blue-state Senate race.

🚗 Driving the news: The strategy behind the two-week blitz from Pine Tree Results is clear: drive Jackson's negatives higher.

• ✍️ "As Senate president, Jackson signed the bill requiring state prisons to house biological men if they identify as female with women prisoners," the narrator says.

The other side: "Susan Collins and her allies are desperately trying to change the subject because she can't defend her own record," said Dan Gottlieb, a spokesperson for Jackson.

• "She voted with Donald Trump 96% of the time," Gottlieb said. "No amount of dishonest fearmongering is going to distract Mainers from that."

🌎 Zoom out: In Texas, Republicans have recirculated a 2021 floor speech from state Rep. James Talarico in which he declared that "God is nonbinary" and expressed his love for trans children.

• In Iowa, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) welcomed state Rep. Josh Turek to the general election with an ad accusing him of supporting children changing gender without parental consent.
• And in Ohio, Sen. Jon Husted has accused former Sen. Sherrod Brown of supporting "boys in girls' sports," reprising an attack that Sen. Bernie Moreno successfully used against Brown in 2024. 

— Hans Nichols

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Sen. Ed Markey, 80, wins Mass. Democratic primary over opponent who called for generational change

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey secured the Democratic nomination in Massachusetts’ Senate primary Tuesday, once again fending off a push for generational change as he seeks a third term.

https://apnews.com/article/massachusetts-senate-primary-election-markey-moulton-7968135279320c758b0fd4750d864db9?

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AP Decision Notes: What to expect in New Hampshire’s state primary

Two former Republican U.S. Senators eyeing a return to Washington will compete in New Hampshire’s state primary Tuesday for a seat they’ve both sought previously with mixed results. In the Democratic primary for the same U.S. Senate seat, a four-term congressman faces an increasingly competitive challenge on his left flank from a democratic socialist candidate. Read More.

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Rhode Island’s state primary

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee faces a tough Democratic primary challenge Wednesday in his bid for a second full term. Ocean State voters will also choose nominees for a full slate of federal, state and local offices. Read More.

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💵 J Street's AIPAC-backed targets

Illustration: Sarah Grillo / Axios

The liberal pro-Israel group J Street is launching a $3 million offensive against five AIPAC-backed Republicans in some of the nation's most competitive midterm races, we've learned. Why it matters: The battle over Israel, which roiled Democratic primaries and fueled tens of millions of dollars in outside spending, is spilling into the general election and pitting two pro-Israel groups against each other. 🚗 Driving the news: The J Street Action Fund is targeting Georgia Senate candidate Mike Collins, Reps. Max Miller of Ohio, Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa. 🥊 It's the first time J Street has gone on offense against AIPAC-backed incumbents across a significant number of competitive races. 💰 And the investment is the largest super PAC expenditure in J Street's history. (Collins has received AIPAC's support in the past, but so far not in his current Senate bid.) Between the lines: AIPAC and J Street have long represented competing visions of what it means to be pro-Israel, but their rivalry has intensified this cycle as divisions over Israel deepen in both parties. Both are pro-Israel, but J Street is more critical of the Israeli government than AIPAC. — Alex Isenstadt

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This week in the pre-campaign

Illustration: Brendan Lynch / Axios

A look at what potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders are up to: 👌 California Gov. Gavin Newsom sat down with Don Lemon while touring South Carolina and other Southern states. Newsom said he thinks House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is doing an "incredible job" and said he has "great respect" for the energy the Democratic Socialists of America are bringing to the party despite disagreements on some issues. He declined to weigh in on the Senate candidacy of DSA member Angie Nixon in Florida, saying he didn't know enough about the race. 🤖 Newsom also signed several state bills regulating AI and social media (to varying degrees). One bill bans addictive social media features for children under 16. ✝️ New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez traveled to Florida to campaign for Nixon and attend the National Baptist Convention, which bills itself as one of the "nation's oldest and largest African American religious organizations." She said she's "been amazed watching how God works" in the last two years and argued that the country is going through a "great realignment." Ocasio-Cortez's office did not advise reporters about the visit ahead of time. Former Vice President Kamala Harris will campaign with Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff at the end of October and keynote a Democratic Party dinner, CNN reported. 🦀 Maryland Gov. Wes Moore further teased a potential 2028 run, telling Bakari Sellers, "The truth is that I am going to be part of a bigger conversation going forward, because I think the state of Maryland, and what we've done, has justified that." See the full episode of "The Bakari Sellers Show" here. Moore also announced a raise in the minimum wage to $18 an hour for some Maryland Aviation Administration contract workers at Baltimore's main airport. Buttigieg continues to be one of the only 2028 contenders who's welcomed by fellow Democrats in the most competitive House districts this year. He'll campaign next week in New York's Hudson Valley with Cait Conley, who's trying to beat Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. 🥊 Pritzker's PAC Ready for the Fight announced $20 million in spending to help House candidates, Politico reported. 🤠 Pritzker also traveled to Dallas as part of a Democratic counterprogramming effort to Trump's midterm convention. Pritzker argued that any Republican who attended is "probably going to be disqualified in 2028." Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly told 12News KPNX in Phoenix that he will make a decision about 2028 after the midterms, but that his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, is "very supportive" of him running. "She is a public servant through and through," he said. Kelly also walked in the Navajo Nation Parade in New Mexico and Arizona. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke at Shanksville, Pa., on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in remembrance of the victims of United 93. Shapiro called the field where the hijacked flight crashed "hallowed ground." Watch his full speech here. Buttigieg said on "Meet the Press" that he believes the country is ready for a gay president. "I wouldn't have run for president in the first place if I didn't believe that. Of course," he said via a remote interview from New Mexico. Booker encouraged his followers on X to watch an ad by former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, who's running for an Arizona House seat.

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AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Delaware’s state primary

Delaware’s Democratic U.S. senator, U.S. representative and state attorney general will go before voters in a state primary Tuesday as they seek reelection. Voters also will choose nominees for state Legislature and for an open seat for state treasurer. Read More.

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2026 primary season comes to a close

The 2026 primaries ended Tuesday in Delaware after more than six months of contests. Along the way, voters offered a glimpse of the changing dynamics within both parties as the midterms quickly approach. Notably, President Trump’s endorsement remained influential in some races but showed signs of weakening, with 10 of his endorsed candidates losing GOP contests. On the Democratic side, self-described democratic socialists remain a small share of the party’s nominees but scored several high-profile victories, including against House incumbents. The question now is whether that momentum carries into the fall when candidates face a broader electorate.

+ Takeaways: The 2026 primaries taught us a lot about what’s to come in the midterms

+ Midterms Q&A: Drop your questions for CNN’s political experts here

Editor’s note: Sign up for 20/26 Vision, a weekly newsletter focusing on this year’s midterms. Each week, CNN’s Aaron Blake cuts through the political noise with sharp analysis of the races, candidates and trends that could decide control of Congress.

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Republican Mike Rogers courts Michigan Democrats and Trump voters as GOP hopes to hold the Senate

Mike Rogers stood outside Cody High School on Detroit’s west side on a recent drizzly morning and decried Michigan's decline in reading achievement. Read More.

Alaskans will decide fate of ranked choice voting system after chaotic end to state's primary

Even after the last votes were counted from Alaska's primary election, the final slate of candidates was far from settled. Read More.