Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
· collected 2026-08-04 · by Al Jazeera Staff
Voters in five US states - Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, Washington, and Michigan - are heading to the polls for midterm primaries on Tuesday. The contests will shape the battle for control of Congress, with Democrats needing to flip four Senate seats and three House seats to regain the majority. In Kansas, a crowded Republican primary for governor is one of the key races to watch, with President Donald Trump endorsing Ty Masterson, one of seven candidates vying for the nomination. The Democratic primary in Kansas also features several state and local officials competing for their party's nod.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Democrats are locked in a heated primary battle in Michigan's Senate election, with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, facing off against Haley Stevens, a more moderate candidate supported by establishment Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer. The winner will go on to face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the general election.
The Michigan Senate primary has become a high-stakes battle within the Democratic Party, with some seeing it as a test of whether progressive candidates can replicate their success in other parts of the country. El-Sayed's campaign has focused on issues like climate change and racial justice, while Stevens has emphasized her experience as a moderate Democrat.
The primary election is being held on Tuesday, with voters in Michigan and four other states - Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington - heading to the polls to choose their candidates for November's elections. The outcome of the Senate primary could have significant implications for the balance of power in Congress, with Democrats needing to flip four Senate seats to regain control.
Abdul El-Sayed has been gaining support from Arab American voters, who are increasingly centering Palestine in their electoral choices. El-Sayed's campaign has also received endorsements from groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Arab American Institute. However, he is facing opposition from pro-Israel groups like AIPAC, which has spent millions of dollars to defeat him.
The Michigan Senate primary has become a national story, with many seeing it as a test of whether progressive candidates can win in traditionally moderate districts. The outcome will have significant implications for the balance of power in Congress and the Democratic Party's future direction.
Written for “Michigan Democratic Primary Results” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 13 other(s) covering the same event.
Voters in five US states – Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, Michigan, and Washington – are headed to the polls for another key round of midterm primaries, where they will choose the Republican and Democratic candidates to compete in November’s elections.
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they → head → elections
Several of the contests on Tuesday will help shape the battle for control of the US Congress, where Democrats need to flip four Senate seats and three House of Representatives seats to regain the majority.
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Democrats → help → majority
Others will test President Donald Trump’s influence over the Republican Party, and highlight growing divisions within the Democratic Party over issues including Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and a progressive flank that has been gaining ground.
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that → test → ground
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win → energise → 4Anti
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candidates → pose → Iran
- list 3 of 4US Arabs eye ‘historic’ Senate win for Abdul El-Sayed despite AIPAC attacks
- list 4 of 4How much has AIPAC spent against Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed?
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AIPAC → eye → Sayed
You can read about the Michigan primary here.
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You → read → primary
But there are also crucial races happening across four other states, from competitive House battlegrounds to high-profile intraparty fights that could offer an early glimpse of the political landscape heading into November.
uncertain
that → be → November
Here are the ones we are watching.
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we → watch → ?
In Kansas, a crowded battle to replace Laura Kelly
- When does voting in Kansas start?
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voting → replace → Kansas
Polls can open as early as 6am (11:00 GMT), although opening times vary by county.
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times → open → county
- When does voting in Kansas end?
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voting → end → Kansas
Polls close no earlier than 7pm on Tuesday (00:00 GMT on Wednesday).
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Polls → close → Wednesday
Most polling places close at 7pm local time, though some counties may remain open until 8pm (01:00 GMT on Wednesday).
uncertain
counties → close → Wednesday
What’s one big race to watch?
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race → ’ → ?
The biggest contest in Kansas is not for Congress but for governor, where both parties are choosing nominees to replace Democrat Laura Kelly, who has already served two terms and cannot run again.
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who → choose → terms
The open race gives Republicans a major opportunity to reclaim the governor’s office in a state that Trump won comfortably in 2024.
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Trump → give → 2024
But Kansas has a long history of electing governors from the opposite party, making the race more competitive than its Republican tilt might suggest.
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tilt → have → party
Trump has already weighed in, endorsing Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson.
asserted
Trump → weigh → Masterson
Masterson is one of seven Republicans running for the nomination, including Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, and several others.
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Masterson → run → Schwab
Schwab has emerged as one of Masterson’s highest-profile rivals after gaining national attention for defending the integrity of Kansas’s elections against Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen and breaking with Republicans on voting rights issues, even while maintaining a broadly conservative record.
uncertain
election → emerge → record
On the Democratic side, state Senators Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher are competing against Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog.
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Corson → compete → Skoog
Another closely watched race in Kansas will be in the 3rd Congressional District, one of the state’s few politically competitive seats, and a target for Republicans.
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race → watch → Republicans
Representative Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in Kansas’s congressional delegation, is seeking another term after winning the district four consecutive times, despite a redistricting effort to make it more favourable to Republicans.
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it → seek → Republicans
Davids faces a primary challenge from progressive Democrat Sarah Preu, who argues Davis has not gone far enough on issues like immigration.
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Davis → face → immigration
Preu is campaigning on abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, ending US military aid to Israel and refusing donations from corporate political action committees, positioning herself as the more progressive alternative to Davids.
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Preu → campaign → Davids
In Missouri, Wesley Bell and Cori Bush face off again
- When does voting in Missouri start?
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voting → face → Missouri
Voting starts at 6am on Tuesday (11:00 GMT).
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Voting → start → Tuesday
- When does voting in Missouri end?
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voting → end → Missouri
Voting closes at 7pm Tuesday (00:00 GMT on Wednesday).
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Voting → close → Wednesday
- What’s one big race to watch?
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race → ’ → ?
Missouri’s heavily Democratic 1st Congressional District will see Representative Wesley Bell face former Representative Cori Bush, who was part of a group of progressive House members known as The Squad, in a bitter rematch.
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who → see → rematch
The primary will also be the first held under Missouri’s newly redrawn congressional map, approved by Republicans after Trump urged Republican-led states to redraw congressional boundaries in hopes of expanding the party’s House majority.
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Trump → hold → majority
Bell narrowly unseated Bush in 2024, ending the progressive former Black Lives Matter organiser’s two terms in Congress.
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Bell → unseat → Congress
The two are now squaring off again in a race that has become an early test of whether Democratic voters are shifting back towards more progressive candidates, particularly as criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza has grown within the party.
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criticism → square → party
Bush, an early advocate of a Gaza ceasefire and a fierce critic of US military support for Israel, has cast the race as a fight against the Democratic establishment and the influence of pro-Israel money.
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Bush → cast → money
Bell has taken a more traditional Democratic approach, backing Israel while arguing the US should also press its ally to improve humanitarian conditions and protect civilians.
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US → take → civilians
The race has once again attracted millions of dollars in outside spending from the political arm of the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, which spent about $3.1m in July backing Bell and opposing Bush ahead of the primary, according to the Associated Press.
uncertain
which → attract → Press
Bell has also picked up endorsements from Democratic leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
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Bell → pick → Pelosi
Both candidates emerged from the political movement that followed the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and voters are also weighing their records on healthcare, disaster relief and local issues.
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voters → emerge → healthcare
…and 32 more, not listed.
