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Primary Dates: 2026 House & Senate

Key election deadlines and voter registration windows by state.

Primary election dates for the 2026 U.S. House and Senate races vary by state, as each state sets its own schedule for congressional primaries. These are not held on a single national date.The general election for all House seats and about one-third of Senate seats (plus any specials) is on November 3, 2026.

Here are the congressional primary dates (as of early January 2026, per sources like the FEC, NCSL, and election calendars; note that dates can occasionally change):

    • Early Primaries (March–April)
      • March 3, 2026: Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas (some with runoffs later in March/May/June)
      • March 10, 2026: Mississippi (runoff April 7)
      • March 17, 2026: Illinois
    • May Primaries
      • May 5, 2026: Indiana, Ohio
      • May 12, 2026: Nebraska, West Virginia
      • May 16, 2026: Louisiana (runoff June 27)
      • May 19, 2026: Alabama (runoff June 16), Georgia (runoff June 16), Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, Pennsylvania
    • June Primaries
      • June 2, 2026: California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota (runoff July 28 possible)
      • June 9, 2026: Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina (runoff June 23)
      • June 16, 2026: District of Columbia, Oklahoma (runoff August 25), Virginia
      • June 23, 2026: Maryland, New York, Utah
      • June 30, 2026: Colorado
    • Later Primaries (August–September)
      • August 1, 2026: Guam, Virgin Islands
      • August 4, 2026: Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Washington
      • August 6, 2026: Tennessee
      • August 8, 2026: Hawaii
      • August 11, 2026: Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin
      • August 18, 2026: Alaska, Florida, Wyoming
      • September 1, 2026: Massachusetts
      • September 8, 2026: New Hampshire, Rhode Island
      • September 15, 2026: Delaware

Some states (like California) use a top-two primary system, while others have separate party primaries and possible runoffs if no candidate reaches a required threshold.

For your specific state, check your state’s election office or sites like the FEC (fec.gov), NCSL, or 270toWin for the most up-to-date details, voter registration deadlines, and polling info. These primaries determine which candidates advance to the general election!