Delaware voters have taken part in the final primary contests of the 2026 US midterm election cycle, choosing nominees for the Senate, House of Representatives and local offices.
Democratic Senator Chris Coons is expected to secure his party’s nomination for a third term after facing three largely nominal challengers. One of them, former business executive Eric Hansen, is listed on the ballot as “E. No-Trump Hansen”.
Mr Coons has raised more than $6.8 million for his re-election campaign, compared with $150,000 for his closest primary rival. The other two challengers, including Mr Hansen, have not reported any fundraising.
Delaware Senate primary
Two Republicans are competing for the chance to face Mr Coons in November. Delaware has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1966, when J Caleb Boggs won the seat.
Mr Boggs was defeated six years later by Joe Biden, then 29, after Mr Biden entered the Senate following his victory in Delaware.
Delaware is regarded as a solidly Democratic state, and Mr Coons is expected to win the general election.
Sarah McBride faces no Democratic challenger
Sarah McBride, Delaware’s sole member of the House of Representatives, is seeking re-election without facing a primary challenger. Democrats have held the seat since 2010.
Ms McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, has faced sustained attention from Republican lawmakers during her first term.
Before she took office, House Speaker Mike Johnson said all members would have to use the bathroom corresponding to their biological sex. Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace, who introduced the ban, said it was aimed at Ms McBride.
Ms McBride said the policy was intended to “distract from the real issues facing this country”, but added that she would comply with the rules.
She later said that some members of Congress had been “coming after me” and “were trying to bait me into a fight to get attention, and I refused to be used as a political pawn.”
Three Republicans are seeking the nomination to challenge her in November. They include Earl Cooper, who opposed Ms McBride in the 2024 Democratic primary before switching parties, and John Whalen III, her Republican opponent in the 2024 general election.
