The November 3, 2026 midterm elections are 95 days away. Before voters cast general election ballots, most states must first hold primary elections to select the candidates who will appear in November. August is the last major primary month of the 2026 cycle. Between August 4 and August 25, voters in more than a dozen states will choose nominees in races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and governor. Several of the Senate seats on the August primary calendar are among the most closely watched races of the 2026 cycle, including two special elections triggered by vacancies that opened after the last general election. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Democrats would need to flip a net four seats to take a 51-49 majority. Here is what is on the ballot.
August 4: Michigan, Kansas, Virginia, Missouri, Washington
Michigan holds its primary on August 4 for both a U.S. Senate seat and the governorship, and both races are open. Democratic Senator Gary Peters announced he would not seek a third term, making the Michigan Senate seat one of the most competitive open-seat contests in the country. Democrats running in the Senate primary include Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and former candidate for governor; Rachel Howard; Haley Stevens, a member of Congress; and Travis Zollner. Mallory McMorrow, a state senator who had been a prominent candidate, suspended her campaign on July 5 but her name will remain on the August 4 ballot. On the Republican side, the primary will produce a nominee to compete for a seat the party sees as a genuine pick-up opportunity in a swing state the president carried in 2024. On the gubernatorial primary: Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited and cannot seek a third consecutive term. The two active Democratic candidates heading into the primary are Jocelyn Benson, a former Michigan Secretary of State who ran the state’s elections, and Chris Swanson. The Republican field features John James, a two-time Senate candidate whom Trump has endorsed, and Perry Johnson. Former Republican candidate Mike Cox ended his campaign on July 17, citing Trump’s endorsement of James. Kansas also holds its primary on August 4, with U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races on the ballot. Thirteen candidates filed for the Kansas Senate seat. Virginia holds its primary on August 4 as well. Incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Warner is seeking a fourth term. Three Republicans — Kim Farington, Bert Mizusawa, and David Williams — are competing in the Republican primary for the chance to face Warner in November. Virginia Mercury reported in July that Republican candidates face long odds against the three-term incumbent.
August 6: Tennessee
Tennessee holds its state primary on August 6, with races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and governor on the ballot. Tennessee is a deeply Republican state and has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1994. The primary will determine the Republican nominees in each contest. Democratic candidates are also competing in the primary, though the general election map strongly favors Republicans in statewide races.
August 8: Hawaii
Hawaii holds its state primary on August 8, with U.S. House, governor, and other races on the ballot. Hawaii is a reliably Democratic state in statewide and federal races. The primary will determine the nominees who will compete in November’s general election.
August 11: South Carolina Special Primary, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Vermont, Alabama
August 11 is the largest single primary date of the month. The most consequential race is the South Carolina U.S. Senate special Republican primary. Senator Lindsey Graham, who had represented South Carolina in the Senate since 2003, died on July 11, 2026, at age 71. Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, to serve in the seat on an interim basis through January 2027. Darline Graham announced she would run for a full term, and President Trump said she has his ‘Complete and Total Endorsement.’ Nine Republicans qualified for the special primary ballot after twelve filed and three were not certified by election officials. Among those on the ballot are U.S. Representative Russell Fry, U.S. Representative Ralph Norman, and Greenville businessman Mark Lynch, who finished second in this year’s earlier Republican primary before Graham’s death. The special primary winner will appear on the November 3 general election ballot. If no candidate receives a majority on August 11, a runoff is scheduled for August 25. South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1998. Minnesota also holds its primary on August 11 for an open U.S. Senate seat. Democratic incumbent Tina Smith is not seeking re-election to a second full term. Democrats running in the primary include Angie Craig, a member of Congress from the Minneapolis suburbs; Peggy Flanagan, the state’s lieutenant governor; and Billy Nord. Nine Republicans are competing in the Republican primary. Minnesota is a state Democrats have carried in every presidential election since 1976, but Senate races there can be competitive and the open seat makes the November contest more unpredictable. Wisconsin holds its gubernatorial primary on August 11. Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, is not seeking a third term. The Democratic primary field includes Mandela Barnes, a former U.S. Senate candidate and former lieutenant governor; Francesca Hong, a state representative; Joel Brennan; Kelda Roys, a state senator; and David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive. On the Republican side, U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany and Andrew Manske are competing in the primary. Wisconsin has been a presidential and gubernatorial battleground for more than a decade. Connecticut, Vermont, and Alabama also hold primaries on August 11. Alabama’s primary is a special primary for a U.S. House seat.
August 18: Florida Special Election Primary, Alaska, Wyoming
Florida holds a special election primary on August 18 to fill the Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio, who was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of State on January 20, 2025. Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to the seat. Moody is running in the August 18 Republican primary to keep the seat through the end of Rubio’s term, which runs through January 2029. Republican primary candidates include Moody, Chris Gleason, Neelam Taneja Perry, and Ernie Rivera. Democrats are also holding a primary, with seven candidates on the ballot. The winner of the November 3 special election will serve only the remaining approximately two years of Rubio’s term — a second election for this seat would be held in 2028 for a full six-year term. Florida is a state Trump carried by more than 13 points in 2024. Alaska also holds its primary on August 18, with U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and governor on the ballot. U.S. Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat who won Alaska’s at-large House seat in 2022 using the state’s ranked-choice voting system, is running for the U.S. Senate. Alaska uses a nonpartisan primary system in which all candidates appear on a single ballot and the top four finishers advance to a ranked-choice general election. Wyoming holds its primary on August 18 for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and governor. Wyoming is one of the most reliably Republican states in the country.
August 25: Oklahoma Primary Runoff, South Carolina Senate Runoff (If Needed)
Oklahoma holds a primary runoff on August 25 for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and governor. Runoffs are triggered when no candidate in the initial primary received more than 50 percent of the vote. South Carolina’s special Senate Republican primary may also produce a runoff on August 25 if no candidate clears 50 percent on August 11.
The Senate Math Heading Into November
After the August primaries, November’s general election ballot will be set. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate to Democrats’ 47. Thirty-four Senate seats are up for election in 2026, with Republicans defending more seats than Democrats. Democrats have identified their strongest offensive opportunities in Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio, where Senator Sherrod Brown, who lost his seat in 2024, is running against appointed Republican Senator Jon Husted. Republicans are targeting open Democratic seats in Michigan and Minnesota, as well as Georgia, where Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is seeking re-election. The elections in South Carolina and Florida are special elections that will fill vacancies for the remaining terms of those seats, not full six-year terms; additional elections for those seats will occur in 2028. The general election is November 3, 2026.