Tuesday is a big primary day. Here’s what you need to know
Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon and Pensylvania have primaries Tuesday
A voting sign can be seen on Election Day for Congressional district 14, on March 10, 2026 in Dalton, Georgia.
Megan Varner/Getty Images
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This story will be updated.
Tuesday will be the busiest primary election day of the 2026 midterms so far, with voters weighing in on key contests up and down the ballot in six states across several time zones.
In several Republican primaries, President Trump’s grip on his own party will be tested, like the challenge GOP Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie faces from Trump-backed Ed candidate Ed Gallrein. Recent GOP primaries in Indiana and Louisiana have shown that Republican voters are willing to push out incumbents in their own party who Trump considers disloyal.
Meanwhile, Democrats are setting their sights on November with the hopes of flipping Republican-held seats. And their primaries will shed light on the issues that are motivating Democratic voters. At the same time, Democrats continue to ride a wave of enthusiasm and voter turnout since Trump returned to the White House last year.
Voters continue to express concerns over rising gas prices, affordability, the war in Iran and how the Trump administration has handled them.
NPR Network reporting teams across the country are following these consequential primaries, the candidates and the issues in their community.
Here’s what we’re watching.
Skip to a specific state:
Alabama | Georgia | Idaho | Kentucky | Oregon | Pennsylvania
The recent SCOTUS decision has already changed plans for Alabama’s primary
Redistricting efforts across the South continue following the SCOTUS ruling which is making Alabama’s primary a bit confusing. Primaries for 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th congressional districts have been rescheduled. Primaries for the 3rd, 4th and 5th Congressional Districts will continue as planned.
The primaries will also help to decide who will replace term limited Gov. Kay Ivey (R).
Alabama resources:
📊 Results: : Head here for full results starting Tuesday evening
In Georgia, Republicans dominate spending and Democrats drive record turnout
Tuesday’s primary elections in Georgia have been defined by record-setting fundraising, contentious Republican primaries and turnout driven by Democrats.
Many of the top races are likely to head to runoffs, including the Republican race to face incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races in the country. Democrats and Republicans will also pick their nominees to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in what is expected to be another expensive, closely watched race this November.
A pair of state supreme court races will be decided on Tuesday, as Democrats look to unseat two incumbents appointed by Republicans in a race that has taken on heightened attention following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision weakening part of the Voting Rights Act.
Georgia resources:
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in Georgia, check out WABE’s election coverage and try GPB’s personalized Voter Guide
📊 Results: Head here for full results starting Tuesday evening.
All 105 legislative seats are up for grabs in Idaho
As Boise State Public Radio’s James Dawson reports, all state representative and state senator races are on the ballot, as are key congressional positions.
Idaho resources:
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in Idaho, read Boise State Public Radio’s full rundown here.
📊 Results: Head here for full results starting Tuesday evening.
The crowded race in Kentucky to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell and the true meaning of MAGA
In Kentucky, the crowded primary of Democrats trying to flip Sen. Mitch McConnell’s seat are squaring off. As Louisville Public Media’s Sylvia Goodman explains a Democrat has not represented the state in the U.S. Senate in over 25 years.
In addition to the race to see who will replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, incumbent Congressman Thomas Massie is facing a primary challenge from Ed Gallrein who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Related: Massie or Gallrein? Kentucky voters to decide the true meaning of MAGA in heated GOP primary
Kentucky resources:
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in KY head to vote.lpm.org.
📊 Results: Head here for full results starting Tuesday evening.
The race for governor of Oregon heats up
On Tuesday, Oregonians will nominate gubernatorial candidates and decide the fate of proposed gas taxes. As OPB’s Dirk VanderHart reports, due to the state’s closed primary system, “a plurality of the state’s registered voters will have no say in those contests until the November general election.”
Gov. Tina Kotek (D) is facing primary challenges, in addition to the GOP race to decide who will be on the ballot in November.
Oregon resources:
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in Oregon, check out OPB’s Voter Guide.
📊 Results: Head here for full results starting Tuesday evening.
PA voters will test the definition of ‘progressive’ and decide three toss up GOP seats
Pennsylvania is home to at least three competitive races that could help decide the balance of the power in the House this fall.
As WHYY’s Carmen Russell-Sluchansky reports, Philly’s 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary has seen division between the candidates over Gaza and fundraising, despite the three candidates’ policy positions bing very similar.
Plus, three Republican held Congressional seats in the state are considered a toss up according to the Cook Political Report, putting extra focus on those primary results.
Related: Some Trump-voting Catholics in Bucks County express buyer’s remorse over papal dispute
Pennsylvania resources:
🗳️ Voter Guide: For more on the state races in PA, check out WHYY’s election coverage and head to WESA’s Voter Guide for the primary election.
📊 Results: Head here for full results starting Tuesday evening.
This story will be updated.
Megan Varner is in a tough spot here, curious how they navigate it.
Considering in several Republican primaries, President Trump’s grip on his own party will be tested, like the challenge GOP Kentucky Rep, it raises some real questions about what happens next.
Considering voters continue to express concerns over rising gas prices, affordability, the war in Iran and how the Trump administration has handled them, it raises some real questions about what happens next.
The fact that tuesday will be the busiest primary election day of the 2026 midterms so far, with voters weighing in on key contests up and down the ballot in six states across several time zones really puts things into perspective.
Basically a voting sign can be seen on Election Day for Congressional district 14, on March 10, 2026 in Dalton, Georgia. What matters is whether anything changes because of it.
Megan Varner has been vocal about this, good to see them staying on it.
Reading that voters continue to express concerns over rising gas prices, affordability, the war in Iran and how the Trump administration has handled them — hard to argue with the logic there.
Think about it: in several Republican primaries, President Trump’s grip on his own party will be tested, like the challenge GOP Kentucky Rep. That speaks volumes.
Getty Images is in a tough spot here, curious how they navigate it.
If meanwhile, Democrats are setting their sights on November with the hopes of flipping Republican-held seats, then the bigger picture starts to look very different.
The detail about a voting sign can be seen on Election Day for Congressional district 14, on March 10, 2026 in Dalton, Georgia is something people should sit with.
If voters continue to express concerns over rising gas prices, affordability, the war in Iran and how the Trump administration has handled them, then the bigger picture starts to look very different.
Reading that tuesday will be the busiest primary election day of the 2026 midterms so far, with voters weighing in on key contests up and down the ballot in six states across several time zones — hard to argue with the logic there.
Election Day is in a tough spot here, curious how they navigate it.
Election Day has been pushing this agenda for a while now.