New York, Maryland and South Carolina hold key primary races ahead of 2026

Tuesday’s primaries in New York, Maryland, South Carolina and Utah are shaping up as an early stress test for the coalitions that will define the 2026 midterms. The biggest questions are not just who wins, but which party can turn out its base, protect vulnerable incumbents and recruit candidates with enough appeal to carry swing districts.

The national stakes are broad. Primary voters this year are choosing nominees for the U.S. Senate in 35 states, governor in 36 states and the U.S. House in every state, making the June 23 contests part of a much larger fight over party control. In Maryland, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., after early voting ran from June 11 through June 18. In New York, polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with early voting continuing through June 21.

New York is drawing the sharpest attention because of the political muscle being tested around New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani has been pressing to reshape the Democratic Party and recently appeared with Sen. Bernie Sanders at a rally for left-of-center candidates ahead of the vote. That effort will be measured against a set of closely divided House primaries that could show whether the party’s left flank is expanding its reach or running into local limits.

South Carolina presents a different kind of signal. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster is term-limited, giving the state its first open governor’s race since 2010 and opening a wide contest for the party’s next standard-bearer. Sen. Lindsey Graham is also facing Republican challengers, and several races are headed to runoffs, underscoring how fragmented the field remains even in a reliably red state.

Maryland is a test of Democratic governance as much as campaign energy. Gov. Wes Moore is seeking the Democratic nomination for a second term, while the ballot also includes races for lieutenant governor, attorney general and Congress. The contests will show whether Moore can keep the party unified as it defends its statewide brand and fights for key congressional seats.

Utah may deliver the clearest institutional shift. A court-ordered redistricting plan created a Democratic-leaning district centered on Salt Lake County, and a three-judge panel declined to block the new map. That has made the June 23 primary unusually consequential, with the possibility of sending a Democrat to Utah’s congressional delegation for the first time in years and ending the state’s all-GOP House lineup.