Voters in UtahMaryland and New York moved through pivotal 2026 primary contests that will set November’s ballots for Congress and key statewide posts. The races, clustered in heavily contested districts and newly redrawn maps, tightened as progressive and establishment factions tested their strength in core Democratic strongholds and competitive seats.
The outcomes matter because they will shape control of the House and the policy agenda heading into the final stretch of the current presidential term. With several retirements, legal fights over redistricting and a high-profile open primary in Utah, party coalitions faced immediate choices on candidates and priorities. Latest update: June 23, 2026.
Utah’s 1st District: Court-ordered map and an open Democratic primary
In Utah’s 1st Congressional District, a court required the state to use a map that keeps much of Salt Lake County together, creating a Democratic-leaning seat after years of wrangling over an independent commission voters approved in 2018 and lawmakers later repealed. The ruling followed a 2026 lawsuit over the legislature’s map, setting the stage for a competitive Democratic primary under new lines that could alter the state’s previously lopsided delegation.
The Democratic primary was open allowing any voter regardless of party to participate, prompting speculation about crossover participation by Republicans and independents. Former Salt Lake City Mayor Ben McAdams and State Senator Nate Blouin led the field, with Blouin centering his campaign on climate and housing costs while McAdams emphasized experience and electability. The winner stands to enter November favored by the court-altered geography.
Maryland contests: Redistricting backlash and open-seat endorsements
Maryland’s primaries featured intraparty tension and strategic endorsements with statewide implications. State Senator Bill Ferguson confronted a challenge from a fellow Democrat following his decision to oppose a partisan redistricting push, a move that energized critics and injected map politics into a legislative contest that typically draws lower turnout and attention.
Governor Wes Moore sought a second term while asserting influence in congressional races. He endorsed Del. Adrian Boafo in the open 5th Congressional District, positioning Boafo as a successor in a long-held Democratic seat. In western Maryland’s 6th District, former Representative David Trone aimed to reclaim the seat he held from 2019 to 2026, mounting a primary challenge to Representative April McClain Delaney and testing whether prior incumbency and name recognition outweigh a sitting member’s advantages.
New York’s congressional battles: Retirements, progressives and party leadership
New York’s slate drew the broadest national focus, with several districts set to define the state’s Democratic balance. In the 7th District, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso faced State Assembly Member Claire Valdez after the retirement of long-serving Representative Nydia Velázquez. The district’s progressive core elevated debates over immigration, health care and foreign policy, with Valdez backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Reynoso endorsed by Velázquez.
In the 10th District, Representative Dan Goldman confronted a high-profile challenge from former New York City comptroller Brad Lander. The race showcased divides over U.S.-Israel policy and campaign financing. Lander criticized Goldman’s self-funding and labeled him a career politician, while Goldman, backed by Governor Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, argued his record and coalition breadth fit a district with a sizable Jewish electorate. Lander’s description of Gaza as “genocide” contrasted with Goldman’s criticism of the Netanyahu government without adopting that term.
Open fields and proxy fights: NY-12, NY-13 and the path to November
The 12th District became one of the nation’s most crowded primaries as candidates vied to succeed Representative Jerry Nadler. State Assembly Members Alex Bores and Micah Lasher, attorney and commentator George Conway, and Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, led a field defined by endorsements and issue contrasts. Lasher drew support from much of the city’s establishment, including Hochul and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Bores emphasized A.I. regulation and Schlossberg secured an endorsement from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In the 13th District, Representative Adriano Espaillat fielded a primary challenge from Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Democratic Socialist and community organizer backed by Mamdani. The contest acted as a proxy for party divides over foreign policy and criminal justice, with Chevalier previously posting tweets calling for the abolition of prisons and criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris, while Espaillat held establishment backing from Jeffries, Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James. Separately, Democrats continued to target the 17th District held by Republican Mike Lawler, treating it as a top pickup opportunity under the current map.
Across the three states, the 2026 primaries centered on who can win in November and what policy mandates they would carry. Court-driven maps in Utah, redistricting backlash in Maryland and progressive-versus-establishment showdowns in New York combined to define the cycle’s immediate stakes, with congressional control and statewide agendas shaped by the candidates emerging from these contests.
