On Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, primary elections took place in five US states: Michigan, Missouri, Washington, Kansas, and Virginia. Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary drew particular attention as a significant test of the party’s direction ahead of the November midterms.

In Michigan, voters chose between Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official, and Haley Stevens, a centrist representative of Michigan’s 11th House district since 2019. Stevens has been supported by over $60 million in outside spending from super PACs, making this the Democratic Party’s most expensive and contentious Senate primary. Despite this, recent polls showed El-Sayed holding a slight lead as voting began.

The outcome is closely watched by lawmakers as an indicator of whether Democratic voters prefer a progressive, anti-establishment approach or a centrist path moving forward.

Meanwhile, in Kansas, three Democrats competed for the governor’s seat, while Republican candidates included Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Senate President and Trump-endorsed Ty Masterson, and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt.

The Michigan primary also became a proxy battle over the Democratic Party’s stance on supporting Israel’s military. After losing her seat two years ago, Bush, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, sought to reclaim it amid efforts by a Super PAC linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has spent over $3 million to oppose her.

These primaries will determine the candidates appearing on the ballots for the November midterm elections, which will decide control of both chambers of Congress.

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