DemDaily: Tuesday’s Five-State Primary Results! MI, KS, MO
August 6, 2026
Voters in Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington State went to the polls Tuesday to determine their political parties' nominees in the 2026 midterm elections -- now just 88 days away!
A number of the high-stakes primaries were closely watched as a measure of the mood of the electorate amid internal ideological battles within both political institutions over the direction of their party.
While Trump and conservatives celebrated their influence in several key contests, voters pushed back against GOP-led ballot measures in two red states. Both progressive and moderate Democrats notched major wins across the five states, as the overall landscape continues to lean in their party's favor going into November.
MICHIGAN
US Senate: In one of the most contentious primaries of 2026, former Wayne County Department of Health Director and 2018 gubernatorial candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated four-term Congresswoman Haley Stevens 48.48%-47.51% to win the Democratic nomination. The consequential contest is a major victory for the party's left wing, albeit closer than most polls had suggested.
El-Sayed now faces former Congressman Mike Rogers (CD-8), who retired in 2015 after seven terms and served as a CNN commentator and producer until his 2024 Senate bid, which he lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by 0.34%.
Victory in the contest to succeed retiring two-term Democratic Senator Gary Peters, in one of the nation's top battleground states, is critical to Democrats' hope of retaking the US Senate.
A July 24-31 general election matchup poll conducted by EPIC-MRA/MIRS showed Rogers leading El-Sayed 46%-43% among likely voters, within the margin of error (MOE: +/-4%).
Governor: In the high-profile election to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, two-term Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson easily won the Democratic nomination with 83.9% to face Trump-endorsed State Representative John James, who won the four-way Republican primary with 50.1%.
James, a military veteran who represents suburban Detroit and was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for US Senate in 2018 and 2020, would be Michigan’s first Black governor if elected in November.
US House
CD-7: In the top-targeted mid-Michigan 7th CD, held by vulnerable first-term Republican Congressman Tom Barrett, Democratic Socialist William Lawrence won an upset victory for the Democratic nomination,
Lawrence, who is co-founder of climate action group Sunrise Movement, prevailed with 43.7% of the vote, defeating two establishment-backed moderates.
CD-8: In the Republican contest to take on first-term Democratic Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet, small business owner Thomas Smith won the nomination -- despite having suspended his campaign weeks earlier. As the state's candidate withdrawal deadline had already passed, Smith remained on the ballot -- unexpectedly securing 50.4% of the vote and defeating Trump-endorsed Navy veteran Amir Hassan (33.2%) and Al Lemmo (16.4%).
CD-10: In the open suburban Detroit seat vacated by James to run for governor, Democrats nominated former prosecutor Christina Hines (47.6%) over attorney Eric Chung (29.7%), and former state lawmaker Tim Greimel (23.3%). In the R+3 swing district, Republicans nominated Trump-endorsed National Guard member Michael Bouchard, the son of a local sheriff.
CD-13: In a big win for progressives, State Representative Donavan McKinney unseated moderate two-term Congressman and millionaire businessman Shri Thanedar, 51.9%-48.1%, in the Democratic primary.
McKinney is heavily favored in the solidly blue, Detroit-based district against GOP nominee T.P. Nykoriak in the general election.
| 35 of the 100 US Senate seats are up for election in 2026, with Democrats defending 13 seats and Republicans defending 22. Democrats will need to flip a net four seats to overcome the GOP's 53-47 majority. In the US House, where Republicans hold a 220-215 majority (including four vacancies), Democrats need a net gain of three districts to win back the lower chamber. |
KANSAS
US Senate: First-term Republican Senator Roger Marshall will face moderate United Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton, who secured 34.8% to win the crowded 11-candidate Democratic primary.
Democrats are hoping that Hamilton, who is the popular leader of the largest church congregation in the state and raised a record $3.6 million in the first two months of his campaign, will end Kansas Republicans' 86-year run in the upper chamber.
Governor: Moderate Governor Laura Kelly, one of the few Democrats to hold the office in an otherwise red state, is term-limited -- giving Republicans a shot at retaking the seat. Self-described anti-establishment populist State Senator Cindy Holscher (48.8%) defeated State Senator Ethan Corson (38.7%), who was endorsed by Kelly, and Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog (12.5%) -- both moderates.
Trump-backed State Senate President Ty Masterson clinched the GOP nomination with 43.2%, defeating six other contenders in a heated and expensive primary. Businessman Philip Sarnecki followed with 22.4%, and the rest of the contenders came in under 14%.
Ballot Measures: Amendment 1. Voters in Kansas overwhelmingly rejected, 61.3%-38.7%, a Republican-backed constitutional amendment that would have changed the way Kansas Supreme Court justices are selected -- from appointment by the governor to instead being elected to six-year terms.
MISSOURI
US House
CD-1: In a win for establishment Democrats, Congressman Wesley Bell, who is backed by the national Party, fended off a challenge by former two-term Congresswoman Cori Bush, who was endorsed by national progressive leaders.
Bell, a former St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, unseated Bush by a 5.5% margin in 2024. The margin of the rematch was much wider Tuesday, with Bell prevailing 59.2%-36.9%. The incumbent will face bail bondsman and perennial candidate Paul Berry III in the general election for the heavily blue district.
CD-2: Incumbent Republican Ann Wagner, who is seeking an eighth term, won renomination with 73.9% of the vote, easily dispatching four primary challengers. She is being challenged by Democrat Fred Wellman, who won the democratic primary, defeating former educator Joan Vondras 45.8%-43%, as well as one other candidate.
Wellman is a four-time combat veteran, retired Army aviator and public affairs officer, who joined the anti-Trump organization The Lincoln Project as executive director in 2021. He also founded a veteran-focused communications firm and hosts a political podcast.
Despite Wagner's winning record in the comfortably red district, the shifting political landscape in the St. Louis suburbs -- and the caliber of the competition -- has prompted both parties to view it as competitive.
CD-5: Eleven-term Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver is seeking re-election in a very different district than what he has represented for more than two decades. The Republican-controlled state legislature's mid-decade redistricting plan passed last fall, carving up Cleaver's heavily Democratic Kansas City among three districts and putting him in a new seat that President Donald Trump would have carried with about 58% of the vote. He faces veteran and Republican State Senator Rick Brattin in the general election.
Ballot Measure: Amendment 4: Missourians resoundingly rejected, 80.32%-19.62%, a Republican-backed amendment to the Missouri Constitution which would have required voters in each of the state's congressional districts to approve citizen-initiated constitutional amendments, rather than statewide. The requirement would not have applied to constitutional amendments referred to the ballot by the state legislature.
Tomorrow: The rundown on Virginia and Washington State primary results!
DemList will keep you informed.
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Sources: Michigan Advance, CNN, NYT, Kansas Reflector, Kansas City Star, Bridge Michigan, NGA, Multistate, Cook Political Report, State Publications, NBC, Ballotpedia
