What you need to know about the primary elections in the US state of Pennsylvania | US Midterm Elections 2026 News

Voters are preparing to head to the primary polls in Pennsylvania, a state in the eastern US that has been a battleground in recent national elections.

Republican and Democratic candidates are facing each other to represent their parties in the upcoming mid-term elections in November, the attempt of United States President Donald Trump for a second term that will ensure control of the US Congress for the rest of his term in office.

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When is the first? What will the voting affect? What species are being monitored? We answer those questions and more in a brief explanation.

When is the first?

The election day is scheduled for May 19.

According to state election officials, the last day to register to vote was May 4, and the last day to request a referral or vote was May 12.

The state has a closed system, meaning that voters can vote in the primaries of their registered party.

Pennsylvania generally does not require voters to provide information. However, those voting at a polling station for the first time must present a valid ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.

When will the polls open?

Voting will open at 7am local time (11:00 GMT) and close at 8pm (midnight GMT).

What roles are expected, and why is this decision important?

Several races are under scrutiny for their political importance, including a gubernatorial race that could be a reflection of Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro’s political ambitions.

The Democratic Party also hopes to win majorities in both houses of the state legislature for the first time in decades, with the entire state House and half of the state Senate up for grabs in November. Although Democrats currently hold one seat in the state House, they have not held a majority in the state Senate for more than 30 years.

A tracker for state primaries from Pennsylvania’s Spotlight PA news report that there are 228 primaries this year, most of which are uncontested. Tracker has listed the 16th and 36th states as primaries that will have competitive elections in November for control of the state senate.

Pennsylvania is also expected to play an important role in the midterm elections, where voters must choose candidates for the state’s 17 seats in the US House of Representatives. All but one of the US senators are seeking re-election.

Voters will also elect their party’s candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

Who are the candidates for governor?

Both Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates are running unopposed in their primary races.

Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, often discussed as a future candidate, is running as the front-runner, while State Treasurer Stacy Garrity is running unopposed on the Republican ticket.

“We all know he loves Pennsylvania Avenue more than helping Pennsylvania families,” Garrity said of Shapiro’s White House aspirations during a recent interview. “He thinks that if he can give Pennsylvania a plate for the Democratic Party, then maybe they’ll keep an eye on him.”

Supporters of former Republican incumbent and state Sen. Doug Mastriano have launched a write-in campaign against Garrity, whom Trump endorsed in January.

The Trump administration announced last week that it was appointing Mastriano to serve as ambassador to Slovakia.

What about the Lieutenant Governor?

Austin Davis will be the Democratic leader, while the Republicans are choosing between Jason Richey and John Ventre.

Richey, an Allegheny County attorney, is a Garrity ally, but is facing a challenge from Ventre, a retired UPS executive whom Garrity’s campaign has accused of spreading falsehoods and misleading voters on television, according to reports from National Public Radio (NPR) WESA.

Ventre shared a photo on social media of him and Garrity on the Republican ticket “working on May 20”, prompting the incumbent’s attorney to say the two had never met and to criticize him for sharing a “misleading photo”.

What other species are being monitored?

The retirement of Democratic representative Dwight Evans has opened a second race for the state’s third district, which represents parts of Philadelphia, the state’s largest city.

In the race, progressive Chris Rabb is up against Ala Stanford and Sharif Street, both of whom appear to be close to the party’s wing. Rabb was endorsed by several progressive figures, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Axios recently reported that Shapiro has used his influence to drum up support for people other than Rabb, who has previously opposed the governor from the left on issues such as refugees and whose Palestinian politics are at odds with Shapiro’s, a staunch supporter of Israel.

What do the votes say?

Most polls show Shapiro leading his rivals in the race by a wide margin, with a February Quinnipiac poll showing him winning 55 percent of the vote to Garrity’s 37 percent.

An April poll from Susquehanna Polling also shows Shapiro winning with 58% to Garrity’s 36%.