The final state primary election in the United States before the midterm elections in November is taking place this week. On Tuesday, voters in Delaware will head to the polls. In Delaware, only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic Primary, and only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican Primary, as it operates under a closed primary system. Primary elections in the state are only held if there is more than one candidate per party running for an office; those running unopposed advance directly to the general election on November 3.
Delaware's Democratic US senator, US representative, and state attorney general are all seeking re-election. Voters will also select nominees for the state legislature and for an open seat for state treasurer. Although control of the US Senate and House may hinge on a few competitive races, the seats in Delaware are expected to remain predominantly Democratic.
Delaware has leaned heavily Democratic since the 1990s, with Republicans not winning the governorship since 1988, a US Senate seat since 1994, or the US House seat since 2008.
In the US Senate race, Democratic Senator Chris Coons is facing three primary opponents in his bid for a third full term: University of Delaware history Professor Jeff Appelhans, naval architect Mary Louve, and former business executive Eric Hansen, who was the Republican US Senate nominee in 2024 and is now running as a Democrat under the name 'E. No-Trump Hansen'. Former state Senator Michael Katz and US Army Reserve Colonel John Shulli are competing for the Republican nomination.
In the US House race, Democratic Representative Sarah McBride, the first out transgender member of the US Congress, is unopposed in her primary as she seeks a second term as Delaware's sole representative. Republicans Joseph Arminio, Earl Cooper, and John Whalen are competing to face her in November.
As of September 1, there were approximately 808,000 registered voters in Delaware, including about 331,000 registered Democrats and about 199,000 registered Republicans.