Category: 2026 elections
-
Share of contested state legislative incumbents in North Dakota this year ties 2024's record high
In 2026, 38.5% of the state legislative incumbents running for election in North Dakota will face primary contests, tying 2024 for the highest share since 2010. In total, 20 incumbents face contested primaries across the North Dakota House and Senate. The average number of incumbents contested each election cycle since 2010 was 10. Nineteen of…
-
Maryland's state legislative elections less competitive than recent cycles
Maryland’s state legislative elections will feature the fewest candidates, open seats, contested primaries, and contested incumbents of any election year since 2010. Twenty-four seats are open in Maryland’s state legislative elections this year, meaning no incumbents filed. That is the fewest open seats since 2010 and means newcomers will represent at least 13% of the…
-
Montana has the highest number of contested state legislative primaries at any point since 2010
Montana has 64 contested state legislative primaries in 2026, up 8% from 2024 and the highest number at any point since 2010. Of these, there are 20 for Democrats and 44 for Republicans. For Democrats, this is up from 15 in 2024, a 33% increase. The number of contested Republican primaries in 2026 is the…
-
Janet Mills becomes the first governor to withdraw their U.S. Senate bid since 1988
Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced on April 30 that she would suspend her campaign for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, becoming the first governor to do so since 1988. In a statement, Mills said, “While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else — the fight — to…
-
Smallest number of Ohio state legislative incumbents facing a primary challenger at any point since 2010
Eleven Ohio state legislative incumbents face primary contests in 2026, the fewest at any point since 2010. This is a 54% decrease in the number of incumbents facing challengers compared to 2024. Three of the contested incumbents are Democrats, and eight are Republicans. Nine are state representatives, and two are state senators. Ohio has 42…
-
Joseph Chaplik, Jay Feely, and John Trobough running in Republican primary for Arizona's 1st Congressional District
Joseph Chaplik, Jay Feely, and John Trobough are running in the Republican primary for Arizona's 1st Congressional District on July 21, 2026. Incumbent David Schweikert (R) is running for governor of Arizona. Newsweek's Andrew Stanton writes that the district "is one of the most competitive in the country, having voted for former President Joe Biden…
-
Four candidates are running in the May 19 Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District
Shaun Griffith, Christopher Rabb, Ala Stanford, and Sharif Street are running in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District on May 19, 2026. Incumbent Dwight Evans is not running for re-election. Rabb, Stanford, and Street led in media attention, campaign fundraising, and endorsements. There are no Republicans running in the district. Local media outlets…
-
Josh Turek and Zach Wahls are running in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Iowa on Jun 2, 2026
Two candidates are running in the Democratic primary to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate on June 2, 2026: Josh Turek (D) and Zach Wahls (D). Incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst (R) is not running for re-election. The Cook Political Report's Jessica Taylor describes this race as one of the 2026 primaries in which Democrats are…
-
Idaho amends voter ID affidavit process, enacts 14 other election bills in 2026
The Idaho Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on April 2 after enacting 15 election-related bills, all of which were signed by Gov. Brad Little (R). Among those bills was S 1322, which amends the state’s option for voters to fill out an affidavit instead of providing a photo ID when voting. The new law…
-
Kansas legislators override veto on citizenship checks for voter list maintenance, enact three other election bills in 2026 session
The Kansas Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on April 10 after enacting four election-related bills, including one that was initially vetoed by Gov. Laura Kelly (D). The Republican-controlled legislature voted on April 9 to override Kelly’s veto of HB 2437, which requires certain new data sources to be used in maintaining the accuracy of…