Voters in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming will head to the polls Tuesday for key state primaries, while California voters will decide a special congressional election. The contests will determine party nominees for several high-profile races and could offer an early indication of the political landscape ahead of the November midterm elections.
With 77 days remaining until the general election, several races stand out because of their competitive fields, open seats, redistricting battles and potential implications for the balance of power in Washington.
Here is a look at what elections are being held Tuesday, the key contests and the candidates involved.
Florida elections: Governor, Senate and House primaries
Florida’s primary elections are among the most closely watched contests on Tuesday. Voters will choose nominees for governor, the US Senate and several congressional seats.
Florida governor Republican primary
Eleven Republicans are competing to replace term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. The leading candidates include:
Byron Donalds, US representative and the Trump-endorsed candidate
Jay Collins, Florida lieutenant governor and a close DeSantis ally
James Fishback, former investment firm CEO
Paul Renner, former Florida House speaker
Donalds has a significant financial advantage and the backing of President Donald Trump. Collins has positioned himself as the candidate who would continue the DeSantis political legacy.
Florida governor Democratic primary
Six Democrats are competing for the nomination. Key candidates include:
David Jolly, former Republican US representative who joined the Democratic Party in 2025
Dotie Joseph, Florida state representative
Dayna Marie Foster, a former high school math teacher backed by the state’s Democratic Progressive Caucus
Jolly has a major fundraising advantage and is running with former Democratic Rep. Gwen Graham as his running mate.
The winner will face the Republican nominee in November. Florida Democrats are seeking to end a more than three-decade drought in gubernatorial victories.
Florida Senate primary
Republican Sen. Ashley Moody faces little opposition for the GOP nomination. Moody was appointed in 2025 to fill the Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio after he became secretary of state.
The Democratic nomination will be decided between:
Angie Nixon, a Florida state representative
Alex Vindman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and former National Security Council staff member who became nationally known during Trump’s first impeachment
The winner will challenge Moody in November.
Florida House races
The state’s congressional primaries are particularly important because Republicans recently adopted a new congressional map designed to strengthen their position in the November election.
Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor and Darren Soto are seeking reelection in newly redrawn, more Republican-friendly districts.
In South Florida, Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz faces a primary challenge from Oliver Larkin, a union organizer and democratic socialist.
Another closely watched Democratic primary pits former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the newly configured 20th District.
On the Republican side, Reps. Randy Fine and Cory Mills face primary challenges.
The race to replace Donalds in Florida’s 19th District has also attracted national attention. Candidates include former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn, former New York Rep. Chris Collins and a former Illinois state senator.
Alaska elections: Senate, House and governor
Alaska’s primary could have major implications for control of the US Senate.
Alaska Senate primary
Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is seeking a third term and faces a strong challenge from former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola.
They are among 16 candidates competing in Alaska’s unusual all-party, top-four primary. The four candidates receiving the most votes will advance to the November election regardless of party affiliation.
The November winner will be decided using ranked-choice voting.
Another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., shares the incumbent senator’s first and last name. He filed as a Republican but will appear on the ballot without a party affiliation.
The Sullivan-Peltola contest is one of the races that could help determine which party controls the Senate next year.
Alaska House race
Republican Rep. Nick Begich is seeking a second term in Alaska’s only congressional district.
His most prominent challenger is independent Bill Hill, a commercial fisherman and former Bristol Bay Borough School superintendent.
Alaska governor race
Seventeen candidates are competing to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
The Republican field includes former state Sens. Click Bishop, Shelley Hughes and Lesil McGuire, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, former state revenue Commissioner Adam Crum, Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, former Attorney General Treg Taylor and conservative activist Bernadette Wilson.
Former Gov. Bill Walker is running as an independent.
Democrats in the race include former state Sen. Tom Begich and former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins.
Voters will also decide a ballot measure dealing with campaign contribution limits.
Wyoming elections: Governor, Senate and House
Wyoming is holding an unusually important set of Republican primaries because the state has open races for governor, US Senate and US House simultaneously for the first time in 32 years.
Wyoming governor Republican primary
Four Republicans are seeking to replace term-limited Gov. Mark Gordon:
Megan Degenfelder, state superintendent of public instruction
Eric Barlow, state senator and former House speaker
Brent Bien, retired Marine Corps colonel
Curt Blake, professional bull rider and rodeo producer
President Trump has endorsed Degenfelder.
The winner will face Democrat Kenneth Casner in November.
Wyoming Senate Republican primary
Five Republicans are competing to replace retiring Sen. Cynthia Lummis.
The leading candidate is Rep. Harriet Hageman, who has Trump’s endorsement. Hageman became nationally prominent after defeating former Rep. Liz Cheney in the 2022 Republican primary.
Other candidates include former Kirby Mayor Sam Mead and former environmental services business owner Jimmy Skovgard.
The winner is expected to face Democrat James Byrd, a former state representative.
Wyoming House Republican primary
Nine active Republicans are competing to replace Hageman in the House.
The field includes:
Jillian Balow, former state superintendent
Bo Biteman, state Senate president
Steve Friess, businessman
Reid Rasner, businessman
Chuck Gray, Wyoming secretary of state
The race has become one of the most expensive contests on Tuesday’s ballot, with several candidates putting millions of dollars of their own money into their campaigns.
California special election: 14th Congressional District
California voters will also decide a special election in the 14th Congressional District to replace former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell.
The two candidates are:
Aisha Wahab, California state senator
Melissa Hernandez, president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board
Both candidates are Democrats, meaning the seat is expected to remain under Democratic control.
Wahab finished ahead of Hernandez in the June special primary and also led her by more than 20 percentage points in the primary for the full-term seat.
However, Hernandez has received significant support from outside groups. About $4.1 million has been spent by outside organizations in the race since mid-July, with most of that spending benefiting Hernandez or opposing Wahab.
The winner will serve the remainder of Swalwell’s current term and will also compete in the fall for a full term beginning in January 2027.
