Delaware holds its state primary on Tuesday, September 15 — the final state primary of the 2026 election cycle nationwide. The ballot sets nominees for U.S. Senate, the state’s lone U.S. House seat, attorney general and an open state treasurer’s race, along with dozens of state legislative contests, most of them uncontested.
Coons faces intra-party challengers
“Coons’s last contested primary came in 2020, when he defeated progressive challenger Jessica Scarane with about 73% of the vote.”
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, seeking a third full term, faces three primary challengers: Jeff Appelhans, a college professor; Eric Hansen, a corporate executive who ran as the Republican Party’s 2024 U.S. Senate nominee in Delaware and has since switched parties (he has also legally added “No-Trump” to his name as, he says, a statement of opposition to the president); and Mary Louve, a naval architecture consultant. Coons’s last contested primary came in 2020, when he defeated progressive challenger Jessica Scarane with about 73% of the vote. On the Republican side, Michael “Dr. Mike” Katz, a physician and former state senator, faces John Shulli, an Army Reserve colonel and Iraq War veteran. Republicans have not won a U.S. Senate election in Delaware since 1994.
McBride unopposed; three Republicans compete to face her
“Three Republicans are competing for their party’s nomination to face her in November.”
Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride, elected in 2024 to the state’s single at-large U.S. House seat, faces no primary opponent. Three Republicans — Joseph “Dr. Joe” Arminio, Earl L. Cooper and John J. Whalen — are competing for their party’s nomination to face her in November.
Down-ballot statewide races
“State Treasurer Colleen Davis is not seeking reelection, leaving an open Democratic primary.”
Attorney General Kathy Jennings, seeking reelection, faces two Democratic primary challengers: Dwayne J. Bensing, an attorney and the ACLU of Delaware’s legal director, and Patty Rickman, a paralegal and domestic-violence victim’s rights advocate. No Republican has filed for a primary in that race, though Dave Graham is listed as a general-election candidate pending completion of the state’s candidate background and residency review.
State Treasurer Colleen Davis, who won a second term in 2022, is not seeking reelection, leaving an open Democratic primary among Ted Lauzen, an investment manager and Iraq/Afghanistan War veteran; Mike Miller; and Michael Alexander Smith, an economist. No Republican has filed for the seat; former lieutenant governor candidate Michael Ramone has filed to run in the general election as a Republican.
State Auditor Lydia York faces no Democratic primary and will face Republican April Callaway and independent Austin Cassidy in November.
The down-ballot picture
“One House seat, District 8 in New Castle County, has contested primaries on both the Democratic and Republican sides simultaneously.”
Most of Delaware’s 21 state Senate seats and 41 state House seats are uncontested in both parties this cycle, according to Delaware Department of Elections filings compiled by Delaware LIVE News. Eight legislative seats are open due to retirements. One House seat, District 8 in New Castle County, has contested primaries on both the Democratic and Republican sides simultaneously — the only district in the state to do so. Six Republican candidates across various races remain listed as “provisional” pending the State Bureau of Identification’s criminal background and residency review, a status that could still affect the general-election ballot.
Ahead
“Delaware’s results close out the nomination phase of the midterm cycle nationwide.”
Because Delaware’s is the last state primary on the 2026 calendar, its results close out the nomination phase of the midterm cycle nationwide; all attention now shifts to the November 3 general election. Election Desk will track the Coons primary and the state’s competitive down-ballot legislative races through the fall.
Sourcing and methodology
This article is based on candidate filing tables published by Delaware LIVE News (updated September 3, 2026), which the outlet compiled from the Delaware Department of Elections’ filed candidate lists, cross-referenced against Wikipedia’s 2026 Delaware U.S. Senate and U.S. House election pages, WHYY’s Senate primary voter guide, and BallotReady’s primary ballot listing. Delaware’s governor and lieutenant governor are not on the 2026 ballot; Gov. Matt Meyer, elected in 2024 to a four-year term, is not up for reelection this cycle. Coons’s 2020 primary result is drawn from WHYY’s September 2026 reporting. The “provisional” status noted for several Republican candidates reflects Delaware’s process for verifying newly nominated candidates named after the original filing period closed; Election Desk will confirm final ballot status closer to the primary. County and municipal races, and the large majority of uncontested legislative primaries, are not itemized here; voters can confirm their full local ballot through the Delaware Department of Elections’ district lookup tool.
Election Desk 
Leave a comment