- Special election in California could determine who replaces Rep. Eric Swalwell.
- D.C. mayoral race could indicate which faction in the Democratic Party will have more success in November.
- Georgia's runoff winners will face off in highly contested Senate and gubernatorial seats.
The next round of primaries was held Tuesday as states across the country choose who will represent each party in the fall midterm elections.
Elections were held Tuesday in Alabama, California, Georgia, Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.
In Alabama, the races will determine who will run for the seat vacated by GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville who elected to run for governor.
In Georgia, runoffs will be held to determine the Republican candidate in both the Senate and gubernatorial races. The winner of the GOP Senate primary will face off against incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff.
The Georgia Senate race is considered one of the more competitive races this year.
In the nation’s capitol, Mayor Muriel Bowser is stepping down to “pass the baton on to the next set of leaders,” she said in an interview with NBC last November.
The mayoral race to replace her has underlined the tensions between progressive and establishment Democrats, with the sides backing different candidates.
California is holding a special election to replace U.S. House Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned earlier this year amid accusations of sexual misconduct.
Oklahomans gathered to choose their candidates for the race to replace Markwayne Mullin after President Donald Trump tapped the senator to head the Department of Homeland Security.
D.C. mayoral race
In Washington, D.C., a closely watched race could help determine the dominant faction of the Democratic Party going forward.
Bowser gained national attention as Trump centered his deployment of federal troops in her city. After deciding not to run for a fourth term, she threw her support behind Councilman Kenyan McDuffie, but did not offer an official endorsement.
McDuffie has received support from other establishment Democrats while progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders have backed Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George.
Polls done by The Washington Post-Schar School show that Lewis George is leading McDuffie by double-digits in the Democratic primary.
Special primary for House seat in California
In November 2025, Swalwell announced he would run for governor to replace term-limited California Gov. Gavin Newsom. After leading the polls for the majority of his campaign, Swalwell withdrew from the race after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced.
Swalwell denied the allegations, saying, “I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
Newson set up a special primary that will determine the race to replace Swalwell. If any candidate garners more than 50% of the vote in the primary, they will automatically serve out the rest of Swalwell’s term. If not, the top two candidates from the field of Republicans and Democrats will face off in a general election on Aug. 18.
Runoffs in Alabama, Georgia
After no candidate gained a majority of the vote in Georgia’s Republican gubernatorial race, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones will face off against Rick Jackson in a runoff. Jones has received support from both Trump and current Gov. Brian Kemp.
The winner of the race will face the Democratic candidate, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Another runoff will also be held to decide the Republican candidate for Georgia’s Senate race. Mike Collins, who Trump endorsed after he came out on top in the first round of the primary, will go up against former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who was endorsed by Gov. Kemp.
The winner of the Senate runoff will face off against incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Both the Senate and gubernatorial races will be some of the most watched battleground contests in November.