The News Journal · September 2, 2026
How Delaware voters can cast ballots in the September primaries
Most states have already wrapped up their primary season.
In Delaware, primary voters won't head to the polls until Sept. 15, though there are few major statewide showdowns on the ballot beyond a competitive race for state treasurer and several closely watched legislative contests.
The ballot also includes statewide primaries for U.S. Senate, Delaware's at-large U.S. House seat and attorney general.
While the federal incumbents face little serious opposition in their bids for renomination, the open treasurer's race has emerged as one of the most competitive contests of the election season.
Under Delaware law, primaries are held on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in September, pushing key races later into the election calendar and delaying decisions in many November contests.
This has stirred up debate among lawmakers, as Delaware was one of four U.S. states that hold their primary elections in September 2024, one of the latest that year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Efforts to change this date in the General Assembly have been unsuccessful, though primary bill sponsor Rep. Stephanie Bolden said she plans to keep pushing the measure, even if someone else ultimately carries it forward.
Which races are on the ballot?
At least a few races this year will see new lawmakers join the ranks at Delaware's capital.
Notable statewide races include:
* State Senate District 1: Democratic incumbent Sen. Dan Cruce, facing Democratic challenger Adriana Leela Bohm. Bohm has been endorsed by both the Delaware Working Families Party and Gov. Matt Meyer, the latter of which was criticized by outgoing President Pro Temp Dave Sokola.
* State Senate District 5: Democratic incumbent Sen. Ray Seigfried, facing community leader Shay Frisby. Frisby was also endorsed by Meyer and the Working Families Party.
* State Senate District 8: With Sokola opting not to run for reelection, this leaves current Rep. Mara Gorman facing Republican Shane Cavanaugh in November.
* State Representative District 3: Democratic incumbent Rep. Josué Ortega faces challenges from organizer Branden Fletcher-Dominguez, Wilmington City Councilmember Yolanda McCoy and LaDonna Graham. Ortega faces a misdemeanor charge tied to a domestic violence incident earlier this year.
* State Representative District 6: With Rep. Debra Heffernan retiring, Democrats Rae Krantz, business owner Ed Mulvihill and veteran Ralf Santana will vie for the nomination.
In addition to Sokola and Heffernan, six other longtime lawmakers - including five House Republicans and one Senate Republican - have signaled earlier last session they would not be running again. Half of those seats - once held by Reps. Kevin Hensley, Charles Postles and Richard Collins - are on primary ballots.
This opens the possibility of one Republican House seat flipping blue, according to Karl Stromberg of the Delaware Working Families Party.
Delaware also has some minor county races on the ballot - most notably county council and recorder of deeds.
Statewide races to watch
In addition to the General Assembly, other big-name state seats include:
* State Attorney General: Democratic incumbent Kathy Jennings will face Democratic Dwayne Bensing and Patty Rickman in September.
* State treasurer: With current treasurer Colleen Davis not seeking reelection, Democrats Ted Lauzen, Mike Miller and Michael A. Smith will duke it out for the party nomination. Whoever wins will face Republican candidate Mike Ramone in November.
* State auditor of accounts: Democratic incumbent Lydia York will face two challengers later this fall. These candidates include Republican nominee April Callaway and Independent candidate Austin Cassidy.
Federal offices on the ballot
This year, two Delaware seats on Capitol Hill - occupied by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons and U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride - are on the ballot.
Incumbent Coons faces three Democratic challengers next month: Jeff Appelhans, E. No-Trump Hansen (former Republican politician Eric Hansen) and Mary Louve. Two Republicans - physician and business owner Dr. Michael Katz and retired Air Force Col. John Shulli - are competing for their party's nomination.
Three Republicans are also vying for the party's nomination to challenge McBride: businessman Earl Cooper, Joseph "Dr. Joe" Arminio and John J. Whalen III. (Lifelong Delaware resident Lee Murphy withdrew his candidacy on July 21.)
Fellow U.S. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, the third member of Delaware's federal delegation, won't be back on the ballot until 2030.
Despite a packed primary for Republican candidates, it is unlikely Coons or McBride will be unseated in November, given their track records.
McBride won the seat with close to 58% of the vote against opponent Whalen back in 2024, while Coons won reelection with more than 59% of the vote in 2020, according to the Elections Department.
What are the key issues this year?
In short, affordability.
Last year, the average grocery expense per person in Delaware clocked in at roughly $433 per month, according to the grocery delivery company Instacart.
In a similar vein, the average cost of gas in the state is close to $3.93, about 15 cents less than the national average as of Aug. 31.
Delawareans' pocketbooks have also been impacted by public utility bill spikes these past several months, with at least another on the horizon.
Customers of Delmarva Power are slated to see an increase of about 67 cents on their electricity bills, which took effect July 9, and could potentially see a "$5 total increase" by their case's conclusion, according to Delmarva Power Regional President Marcus Beal.
On top of that, Andrea Maucher - a Division of the Public Advocate regulatory policy administrator - has said a second interim increase is at hand. That's expected in December.
How Delaware's legislature works
Delaware's General Assembly is made up of two chambers: the state Senate and House of Representatives.
The legislature contains 21 state senators and 41 state representatives - 62 lawmakers in total.
Last session saw 15 Democrats and six Republicans in the Senate, while the House possessed 27 Democrats and 14 Republicans.
These lawmakers are primarily responsible for crafting, discussing and voting on bills that either create new state laws or adjust ones already in place, such as through constitutional amendments.
The General Assembly is also responsible for drafting and establishing a statewide budget, as well as overriding a governor's veto on certain bills.
State senators serve a four-year term, while state representatives serve a two-year term. There are no term limits for state legislators in Delaware.
Lawmakers in each chamber must also abide by a series of rules in order to serve. This ranges from being of a certain age to district residency.
Why no amendments on the ballot?
Other states may have constitutional amendments listed alongside candidates this year - but in Delaware, it's a different story.
As of now, Delaware is one of the only states that does not provide voter referendums for proposed amendments.
Lawmakers did introduce a first-leg constitutional amendment that would have changed how Delaware modified its most sacred document last session, but it did not make it all the way through.
When can I vote?
Early voting for the primary is scheduled from Sept. 2 to Sept. 5 and on Sept. 8 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Early primary voting is scheduled to take place Sept. 9 to Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
No early voting will take place on Sept. 6 and Sept. 7 for the upcoming Labor Day holiday.
Early voting sites can be found online on the Elections Department website.
If you're eligible and voting absentee, you must request an absentee ballot to be mailed no later than Sept. 11. The department must receive absentee ballots by 8 p.m. on Sept. 15.
Polls on both primary and general election days will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those voting in person can do so at their assigned polling location.
To register, you must be 18 years of age or older "on or before the date of the next General Election," a U.S. citizen and a resident of Delaware, according to the Elections Department.
Eligible Delawareans can register online via the state Voter Portal, in person at any Elections Department office in Delaware or at a voter registration event held by a state Organized Voter Registration Program group with trained registrars, among other methods.
More information on and related to registration can be found on the Elections Department website.
Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.