These Are the States With Primary Elections This Month

California voters will be presented with many candidates for state-level positions on June 7, primary day in the state. Perhaps the most consequential of these positions will be for the office of governor. In the state’s nonpartisan primary election, over a dozen Republicans, Democrats, and Independents will face off on the same ballot. These politicians include the progressive incumbent Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who has been endorsed by the L.A. Times.

The top two candidates in Califfornia’s gubernatorial primary, regardless of party affiliation, will move on to the general election in November.

California is one of several states holding a primary for a U.S. Senate seat this year. Following Kamala Harris’ ascension to the vice presidency, Alex Padilla was appointed to fill her Senate seat – and this year, that seat is up for grabs. Padilla, who is running as an incumbent, enjoys a relatively high approval rating and has been endorsed by the L.A. Times.

California’s primary system is nonpartisan, meaning all contenders appear on the same ballot, regardless of party affiliation, and the top two move on to the general election in November. Padilla’s challengers include Democrat Dan O’Dowd, a billionaire tech entrepreneur, and Republican Jon Elist, founder and CEO of a medical device company.

All 52 of California’s congressional districts will hold primary elections this year. In Each district, all candidates will appear on the ballot, regardless of party affiliation, and the top two candidates will appear on the ballot in the November midterm elections.

A total of 265 candidates are vying for the seats, including 47 incumbent congressional representatives. Five seats in California are open. According to the Cook Political Report, only three districts in the state are considered toss ups in terms of partisan control: the 22nd, 27th, and 45th. Democratic candidates are favored in the vast majority of the remaining districts in the state.

On June 7, Iowa voters will cast their ballots to determine which candidates will receive their party’s nomination for one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats. Democratic voters will choose between three candidates: former 1st District representative Abby Finkenhauer who is only 33 years old, Glenn Hurst, a progressive Minden city council member, and Mike Franken, a retired U.S. Navy Admiral. As of mid-May, Finkenhauer led the pack in fundraising.

On the Republican ticket, Jim Carlin is challenging incumbent Sen. Chuck Grassley, who has served in the Senate for over four decades, and, if elected, will be 95 years old by the end of the coming term.

All four of Iowa’s congressional districts will be contested in the midterm elections, but the state’s 3rd District is the only one for which the candidates who will be on the ballot in November have yet to be determined.

Iowa’s 3rd District, which stretches south and west from Des Moines to the Nebraska border, is currently represented by Cindy Axne, who is running unopposed on the Democratic ticket. Three GOP candidates are vying for their party’s nomination to run for the seat, however. Of them, Air Force vet Zach Nunn is the leading fundraiser.

Voters in each of Mississippi’s four congressional districts will take to the polls on June 7 to determine the candidate their party will put on the ballot in November. In District 2, the only solidly Democratic district in the state, incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson (D) is being challenged by Jerry Kerner, who has been out-fundraised by the congressman by more than 30-to-1 as of mid-May.

In each of the state’s GOP-controlled districts, incumbent Republican Reps.- Trent Kelly in District 1, Michael Guest in District 3, and Steven Palazzo in District 4 – are contending with at least one party rival. As is the case in District 2, these incumbent representatives have an edge in the fundraising race.

Due to redistricting following the 2020 census, Montana doubled its legislative power in the House of Representatives – expanding its congressional district count from one to two. Incumbent Rep. Matt Rosendale (R) is running for reelection in the solidly Republican District 2 against three party rivals. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has fielded three candidates – though the leading fundraiser among them, State Sen. Mark Sweeney, unexpectedly passed away in May. An additional three Libertarian candidates will also be on the ballot on June 7.

In Montana’s District 1, there are three Democratic candidates and five Republican candidates on the ballot. The leading fundraisers as of mid-May are Ryan Zinke, the former Republican congressman and U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and Democrat and former nonprofit executive Cora Neumann.

In nine of New Jersey’s 12 congressional districts, at least one party’s candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives could be decided on primary day, June 7. According to the Cook Political Report, the most competitive elections in the state, with regard to which party will win, are districts 3 and 5, which are more likely to lean Democratic, and 7, which is more likely to lean Republican.

In District 3, incumbent Democrat Andrew Kim is being challenged by Reuven Hendler, a distant longshot who has not filed a campaign finance report with the FEC. Kim’s real challenge will likely come from the GOP in November. Three Republicans are competing for their party’s nomination in the district, including frontrunner and owner of the Viking Yacht Company, Robert Healey. In District 5, incumbent Democrat Josh Gottheimer will secure his party’s nomination unopposed, as three Republicans grapple for the nomination, including the popular Marine Corps veteran Nick De Gregorio and business owner Frank Pallotta.

In District 7, incumbent Rep. Tom Malinowski (D) is being challenged by a longshot pro-Trump Democrat Roger Bacon, who has yet to report any campaign fundraising money. With newly drawn redistricting maps, however, New Jersey’s 7th has become more Republican, which doesn’t bode well for the Democrats in November. The top contender on the GOP ticket is former Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean.

New Mexico’s incumbent Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is running for a second term in November – and there are currently five Republicans vying for their party’s nomination to challenge Grisham.

Though the Democratic Party is favored to win in the general election, the Republican Party stands a chance, and the November election’s outcome could depend entirely on who GOP voters nominate. The contendenters include Mark Ronchetti, a former television meteorologist, state Rep. Rebecca Dow, and Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block.

In addition to a governor’s race, New Mexico voters in two of the state’s three congressional districts will be voting on which candidate they want to represent their party in November. In the state’s 1st District, incumbent Rep. Melanie Ann Stansbury (D) is running unopposed, while Republicans Michelle Garcia Holmes and Louis Sanchez, who are closely matched in the fundraising race, contend for the GOP nomination.

Meanwhile, in New Mexico’s 2nd District, incumbent Rep. Yvette Herrell (R) is running unopposed as Darshan Patel and Gabriel Vasquez seek the Democratic nomination. As of mid-May, Vasquez raised over three-quarters of a million dollars for his campaign, compared to Patel’s $65,243. The November election in the district is projected to be highly competitive.

While the Democratic and Libertarian parties in South Dakota have already settled on their candidates for the general election in November, the GOP will be holding a primary election on June 7 to determine their nominee.

The two candidates are Steven Haugaard, a state legislator from District 10, and incumbent Gov. Kristi Noem. According to public survey data collected by Morning Consult, Noem is relatively popular, with 58% of state voters approving of her job performance and 40% disapproving, a stronger ratio than most governors can claim.

As is the case with South Dakota’s gubernatorial election, the GOP is the only party that will decide on its candidate for the U.S. Senate in the June 7 primaries. Republicans Mark Mowry and Bruce Whalen are each running to wrest their party’s nomination from incumbent Sen. John Thune.

Thune, who has represented South Dakota on Capitol Hill since his first term began nearly 20 years ago, is one of the most popular U.S. senators in the country. Thune is also out- fundraising his competitors by a wide margin.

South Dakota is represented by only one house member on Capitol Hill. South Dakota is also a strongly Republican state, and the GOP is the only party feilding multiple candidates for the state’s House seat in the June primaries. Republican voters will be deciding between Howard, a state legislator from the 33rd District, and incumbent Rep. Dusty Johnson, who is seeking a third term.

Of Maine’s two congressional districts, District 2 is the only one in which voters will be selecting party candidates in the June primaries. While incumbent Rep. Jared Golden (D) is unopposed by members of his party, GOP voters have two candidates to choose from: Elizabeth Caruso and Bruce Poliquin.

As of mid-May, Poliquin’s campaign had raised over $2 million, compared to just $25,685 the Caruso campaign raised. The general election in November is projected to be closely contested between Golden and his GOP rival.

On June 14, Democratic voters in Nevada will cast their vote to decide their party’s nomination for governor of the state, choosing between incumbent Steven Sisolak and his contender, a former member of the Clark County Commission, Tom Collins. Sisolak is less popular than most governors, with an approval rating of just 51% according to public opinion polling conducted by Morning Consult.

The Republican field, meanwhile, is much more crowded, with over a dozen candidates jockeying for the nomination. The field is being led decisively by Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, who was endorsed by Donald Trump in April.

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D), first elected to Capitol Hill in 2016, is running for reelection this year but must first secure her party’s nomination in June, contending against three Democratic challengers – though she is a strong favorite.

Meanwhile, eight Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination, of whom former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt and Afghanistan War veteran Sam Brown are the top contenders. No matter who Republican voters choose, the November election is expected to be closely contested.

Nevada voters will be selecting their party’s nominee in each of the state’s four congressional districts on June 14. Nevada’s 2nd District, which roughly covers the northern half of the state, is a GOP stronghold. Incumbent Rep. Mark Amodei (R) is running against four party challengers and has a clear fundraising edge. Meanwhile, there are seven candidates in the Democratic field. In Nevada’s Democratic-leaning 4th District, which covers much of the southern half of the state, incumbent Rep. Steven Horsford (D) is unopposed, while three Republicans are running for the party’s nomination.

Districts 1 and 3 in the Las Vegas area are currently represented by Democrats, each of whom is being challenged by one other member of their party in the June primary, while the Republican tickets in those areas are much more crowded. Currently, the general election in November is projected to be a toss up in the two districts, and the victory in November will depend, at least in part, on the candidate each party chooses.

Incumbent Sen. John Hoeven (R) is running for a third term on Capitol Hill, but he will first need to secure his party’s nomination on June 14. The second-term senator is being challenged by long-shot candidate Riley Kuntz. According to polling conducted by Morning Consult, Hoeven is one of the most popular sitting senators among his constituents.

On the Democratic ticket, candidates Katrina Christiansen and Michael Steele are vying for their party’s nomination. As of mid-May, Christiansen had the clear fundraising edge.

South Carolina is one of several states holding a gubernatorial election in November. In the gubernatorial primary this month, incumbent Republican Gov. Henry McMaster is fighting to hold his party’s nomination against GOP contender Harrison Musselwhite.

On the relatively crowded Democratic ticket, five candidates – Carlton Boyd, Joe Cunningham, Mia McLeod, Calvin McMillan, and William Williams – are seeking a nomination.

According to Morning Consult, Gov. McMaster has a 54% approval and 36% disapproval rating, close to the middle among all state governors.

In South Carolina’s senatorial election this November, incumbent Sen. Tim Scott has already received the Republican nomination. The Democrats, meanwhile, will vote on June 14 to determine their candidate.

Voters in the state will choose between Angela Geter, Catherine Fleming Bruce, and the fundraising frontrunner, Krystle Matthews.

Voters in several of South Carolina’s seven congressional districts will select their party’s nominee in the June 14th primary. The state’s districts have distinct partisan preferences, however, and no matter which candidate wins this month, the outcome in November is likely already predetermined.

South Carolina’s 6th District is reliably Democratic, while each of the state’s remaining districts are Republican strongholds.

Following the May 26 primaries in Alabama, several candidates will need to compete once again in a runoff election on June 21, having failed to secure over 50% of the vote. Yolanda Flowers and Malika Sanders-Fortier are vying for the Democratic nomination for the governor’s office, each having received roughly one-third of the votes on primary day. Whoever wins the runoff election will face the state’s incumbent Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who decisively won her party’s primary with 54.5% of the vote.

Two Republicans – Katie Britt and Mo Brooks – will also seek their party’s nomination in the June runoff to fill the seat of Sen. Richard Shelby, who is not seeking reelection after over three decades on Capitol Hill. The winner of the runoff race will face Democrat Will Boyd in the November midterms.

Most of the primary elections for Alabama’s U.S. House seats were either uncontested or ended in a decisive victory. The one primary election in which no candidate secured over 50% of the vote was on the Republican Party ticket in the state’s 5th congressional district, which is located along the state’s northern border and includes the city of Huntsville.

The seat opened when Republican Rep. Mo Brooks, who represented the district for over a decade, decided to run for the U.S. Senate. The runoff election will be between Casey Wardynski and Dale Strong, who received nearly twice as many votes as his rival in the primary.

Following primary elections on May 24, several congressional districts across Georgia, in which no candidate secured 51% of the vote, will hold runoff elections on June 21. Democratic runoffs will take place in the state’s 1st and 10th Districts, while the GOP will hold runoff elections in the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 10th districts.

Georgia’s congressional districts are mostly solidly partisan, with the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 14th districts in the Atlanta area leaning solidly Democratic and nine of the remaining 10 districts being GOP strongholds, regardless of which candidates secure their party’s nomination. Meanwhile, Georgia’s 2nd District is conceivably up for grabs for either party in November. The district is currently represented by Rep. Sanford Bishop (D), whose midterm challenger will be decided on June 21 in the runoff between Republican candidates Jeremy Hunt and Chris West.

Virginia voters will be selecting their party’s nominee in nine of the state’s 11 congressional districts on June 14. According to Cook Political Report, the two most competitive Virginia seats in the November midterms are the 2nd District, held by Rep. Elaine Luria (D), and the 7th District, held by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D). Both incumbents already have their party’s nomination. In each district, however, a crowded field of Republicans will be jockeying for the GOP nomination.

The state’s remaining districts are, currently, solidly partisan and likely out of reach for the opposition party in November, no matter who wins the nomination.

Two Republicans are running for their party’s nomination in a bid to unseat Colorado’s sitting governor, Democrat Jared Polis in the November elections. Republicans in Colorado will choose between the two GOP candidates, Heidi Ganahl and Greg Lopez, on June 28. Notably, Lopez, who has echoed the Big Lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, has expressed his interest in banning abortion in Colorado, if afforded the opportunity.

No matter which candidate Republican voters in Colorado choose, Polis will likely remain heavily favored in the general election. According to polling data from Morning Consult, Polis is more popular than most state governors, with a 57% approval rating.

The seat of Colorado’s Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is up for grabs this November. Bennet, who took office in 2009, will remain his party’s nominee, as three Republican candidates vie for the GOP nomination.

Of the three Republicans who will appear on the ballot at the end of June – Joe O’Dea, Ron Hanks, and Daniel Hendricks – O’Dea has a commanding lead in fundraising, with nearly $1.5 million as of mid-May. No other GOP candidate has breached the $60,000 mark. Meanwhile, Bennet, whose approval rating ranks near the middle of all sitting senators, has raised nearly $10 million.

In six of Colorado’s eight congressional districts, voters will be selecting their party’s nominee for the November midterm election. According to the Cook Political Report, the districts most likely to be closely contested in November are the 8th, a new district created following the 2020 Census, and the 7th, in which the Democratic Party appears to have a slight advantage.

In Colorado’s 7th, currently represented by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D) who is not running for reelection, Brittany Petterson is running unopposed on the Democratic ticket, while three Republican candidates – Erik Aadland, Laurel Imer, and Tim Reichert – are running for the GOP nomination.

In the state’s newly created 8th District, four Republicans – Tyler Allcorn, Barbara Kirkmeyer, Jan Kulmann, and Lori Saine – are running to appear on the ballot in November, while Democrat Yadira Caraveo runs unopposed.

Illinois is one several states in which voters will be deciding on their party’s nominee for governor this June. Registered Democrats in the state will be deciding between incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker and Army veteran Beverly Miles. According to Morning Consult, Pritzker is less popular than most sitting governors, with a 51% approval and 43% disapproval rating.

On the Republican side, six candidates are vying for the nomination – though no matter who wins, the Democratic candidate will likely be heavily favored in the November election.

One of Illinois’ U.S. Senate seats is up for grabs in November. Incumbent Sen. Tammy Duckworth will be the Democratic nominee, and Republican voters in Illinois will choose her challenger out of over half a dozen candidates on June 28.

Republican candidates include Casey Chlebek, a Polish immigrant who wants to reduce taxes and government spending, Bobby Piton, a portfolio manager who wants to abolish the Dept. of Education, and the current top fundraiser, Kathy Salvi, an attorney running on a platform of increased police spending and greater parental control of public schools. Duckwoth, meanwhile, is nearing the end of her first term with a lower approval rating than most sitting senators.

In all but three of Illinois’ 17 congressional districts voters will be selecting their party’s nominee for the November midterm election. Several congressional districts are considered competitive for either party in November, though according to the Cook Political Report, none more so than the 17th.

Illinois’ 17th, a heavily gerrymandered district in the northwest corner of the state, is currently held by Rep. Cheri Bustos (D) who is not seeking reelection. On June 28, six Democrats and two Republicans will be on the ballot for their party’s nomination to run for the open seat in November. Esther Joy King is the apparent GOP frontrunner, while in the considerably more crowded Democratic field, Eric Sorenson and Jonathan Logemann are leading in the fundraising race.

On June 28th, three Democrats and four Republicans are set to run for their party’s nomination for Governor of New York. Incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul is running on the Democratic side, along with congressman Tom Suozzi and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. – while The Republican candidates include Rob Astorino, Andew Giuliani (- Rudy Giuliani’s son) -, Harry Wilson, and Lee Zeldin compare are among the Republican candidates.

Democratic debates will be aired on June 7, while the Republican candidates will debate on June 13. According to Morning Consult, Gov. Kathy Hochul ranks towards the middle of all state governors based on approval ratings.

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer is running for reelection this year after serving on Capitol Hill for over two decades. Currently the Senate Majority Leader, Schumer is the clear favorite among his Democratic rivals running to unseat him this month – Moses Mugulusi and Khaled Salem.

The Republican Party is fielding five candidates in the June primary, and of them, state Sen. senator Alex Mici is the fundraising leader. Sen. Schumer is the overwhelming favorite for the general election, with over $30 million in campaign fundraising and a higher approval rating than most sitting senators. In 2016, the last time Schumer ran to keep his seat, he won with 70% of the vote.

Oklahoma will be holding a gubernatorial primary on June 28, and both major parties are fielding candidates. On the Democratic side, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, Joy Hofmeister, is running against Constance Johnson, a former state senator.

For the GOP, incumbent Gov. Kevin Stitt is being challenged by three Republican candidates – though polling shows Stitt in a commanding lead. According to a public opinion survey conducted by Morning Consult, Stitt’s approval rating ranks near the middle of all state governors.

Sen. James Lankford (R) of Oklahoma is up for reelection this year, but before his name appears on the ballot in November, he has two Republican challengers to defeat in the June 28th primary election. Lankford is out -fundraising both contenders, however, and is a clear favorite in early polling. Lankford is also more popular with his constituents than most sitting senators, according to Morning Consult.

On the Democratic side, six candidates are vying for the party nomination. These candidates include Jo Glenn, a teacher, Jason Bollinger, an attorney, and the leading fundraiser, Madison Horn, a former cyber security worker.

Oklahoma will also hold a special election to replace Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe who was elected to serve until January 2027, but is retiring effective Jan. 3, 2023. Former U.S. Congressional Rep. Kendra Horn will run on the Democratic ticket while over a dozen Republicans will compete for the nomination.

Voters in four of Oklahoma’s five congressional districts will be selecting their party’s nominee for the November midterm election. Oklahoma is a heavily conservative state, however, and no matter which candidates the parties select, the GOP is expected to sweep the state in the November midterms.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R) is running for a third term on Capitol Hill and is heavily favored to defeat the six other Republicans running for the party’s nomination on June 28. According to Morning Consult polling data, Lee is more popular with his constituents than most sitting senators.

Instead of fielding their own candidate, the Democratic Party has backed Evan McMullin, an independent candidate. The unusual decision was a strategic one, as Democrats see McMullin as their best shot to unseat Sen. Lee in the deeply conservative state that has not elected a Democratic senator in over half a century. As of early April, McMullin had raised $1.8 million compared to Lee’s $4.5 million.

Voters in each of Utah’s four congressional districts will be selecting their party’s nominee for the November midterm election. Utah is a heavily conservative state, however, and no matter which candidates the parties select, the GOP is expected to sweep the state come November.