Delaware voters head to the polls Tuesday for the final primary contests of the 2026 midterm election cycle. The state’s U.S. Senate race is the biggest draw, with Democratic Sen. Chris Coons facing three primary challengers, including one named “E. No-Trump Hansen.”
State and local primaries in Delaware must take place on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in September during general election years, according to state law. This timing placed this year’s primary in the third week of September.
Coons Faces Three Nominal Challengers
He took office to fill a vacancy caused by Joe Biden becoming vice president, and he has held the seat ever since. Coons was first elected to it in 2010, and he is widely expected to win again on Tuesday.
Coons faces three main rivals in his race, led by former business executive Eric Hansen, who will be listed on the ballot as “E. No-Trump Hansen.” Coons has brought in more than $6.8 million for his reelection campaign, while his closest primary challenger has reported just $150,000. The other two challengers, including Hansen, have not disclosed any fundraising at all.
Two Republicans are competing to take on Coons in November. The state strongly favors Democrats, and Coons is expected to emerge victorious in November. Since 1966, when J. Caleb Boggs was elected to the upper chamber, no Republican has secured a Delaware Senate seat.
Six years after losing to Biden, Boggs was beaten by a 29-year-old challenger, which made him one of the youngest individuals ever chosen for the Senate. Almost fifty years afterward, Biden took office as one of the most senior presidents in American history.
McBride Runs Unopposed in the Primary
Sarah McBride, the state’s sole representative in the U.S. House, is seeking a second term with no primary opponents on the ballot. The seat has been held by Democrats since 2010.
Since McBride took office, she has become the first transgender member of Congress and has endured pressure from Republicans because of her identity. Before she arrived in Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson made a statement in November 2024 that all House members would have to use the restroom corresponding to their biological sex.
When the ban was introduced by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, she said it was aimed at McBride. McBride responded with a statement at the time, saying it was meant to be “distract from the real issues facing this country,” but she added that she would comply with the rules.
The Bathroom Ban Backlash
Last year, McBride told The New York Times that there have been “folks who are coming after me” in Congress. She said they “were trying to bait me into a fight to get attention, and I refused to be used as a political pawn.”
The primary season has been quieter for McBride. There are three Republicans running to take on McBride in November, including an opponent from her 2024 Democratic primary who has switched parties, Earl Cooper, and her opponent in the 2024 general election, John Whalen III.
Key Numbers From the Race
- Coons has raised more than $6.8 million for his reelection bid
- His closest primary challenger has raised $150,000
- The last Republican to win a Delaware Senate seat was J. Caleb Boggs, elected in 1966
- Boggs was defeated six years later by a 29-year-old Biden
- A Republican has not won a Delaware Senate seat since 1966
What This Primary Actually Decides
Coons is the clear favorite in the Senate race, and his fundraising edge is enormous. The Republican field has not demonstrated any signs of narrowing the gap.
On paper, McBride’s House race is straightforward: she faces three Republican challengers in November. In practice, it is anything but simple, thanks to the bathroom ban, which has become a source of tension in Congress.
McBride is projected to take the general election in November, while Coons is projected to win his Senate primary with ease.
The Bottom Line on Tuesday
The vote on Tuesday determines who competes in November. A Republican rival appears likely for Coons, although the specific matchup remains uncertain until the Republican primary concludes.
Delaware’s primary election gives voters their final say before the midterms take shape. Once Tuesday passes, the field will be locked in, leaving November’s elections to decide who ends up representing the state in Washington.
While the Senate race carries the main billing, the House contest comes with its own share of drama. McBride’s stance against the bathroom ban has put her in the national spotlight, and her opponents plan to probe that issue when voters head to the polls in November.
Delaware voters will learn by Tuesday evening which candidates advance in both contests, since the primary’s schedule allows for a swift count of the votes.
The key facts are simple:
- Coons faces three primary challengers, including “E. No-Trump Hansen”
- McBride runs unopposed in the primary
- A Republican has not won a Delaware Senate seat since 1966
- The primary is held in the third week of September
The story is about as strange as it gets. A senator facing a challenger named “No-Trump,” a transgender representative targeted by a bathroom ban, and a state where Republicans have not won the Senate in decades. It is a weird mix of facts, and it is all happening on one day in Delaware.
See the video the story is built around at Cbsnews.
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