Midterm primaries in Kansas, Missouri, Virginia and Washington spotlight key congressional contests and party divisions

Voters in Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, Michigan and Washington went to the polls on Tuesday for a round of midterm primaries that will determine the candidates competing in November’s general election. The contests are seen as early indicators of which party may gain control of the U.S. Congress, where Democrats need to flip four Senate seats and three House seats to win a majority.

In Kansas, the most closely watched race is the Republican primary for governor, an open seat after Democrat Laura Kelly is term-limited. Trump has endorsed Senate President Ty Masterson, who faces six other GOP hopefuls, including Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who has drawn national attention for defending Kansas’s election integrity and breaking with his party on voting-rights issues. On the Democratic side, state senators Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher are competing with Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog for the nomination.

Kansas’s 3rd Congressional District also features a primary contest between incumbent Democrat Sharice Davids and progressive challenger Sarah Preu, who is campaigning on abolishing ICE, ending U.S. military aid to Israel and refusing corporate PAC money.

Missouri’s 1st District sees a Democratic rematch between incumbent Wesley Bell and former Representative Cori Bush, a contest framed as a test of progressive influence and the party’s stance on the war in Gaza.

"This race is about the future of our party and the values we stand for," Bush said in a campaign statement.

Bell, who received about $3.1 million in support from the political arm of the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, has been endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In Virginia, the 2nd Congressional District remains one of the nation’s most competitive House races, with Republican incumbent Jen Kiggans defending the seat against former Democratic Representative Elaine Luria. Both candidates are Navy veterans, and the district is a top target for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The state’s Senate primary features three Republicans vying to challenge Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who is expected to retain his seat.

Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, a Trump-won district, pits incumbent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez against Trump-endorsed Republican State Senate Minority Leader John Braun. Analysts describe the race as a toss-up and a bellwether for the midterms.

In the state’s safe 9th District, longtime Democrat Adam Smith faces progressive challenger Melissa Chaudhry and independent socialist Kshama Sawant, reflecting ongoing debates within the party over Gaza, defense spending and the role of the party’s left flank.