Election News

July is usually one of the slower months for special elections and that is the case again this year.

The most interesting contest is next week's primary in Arizona's 7th congressional district, which became vacant with the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva in March. It is a deep blue district, so the winner of the Democratic primary is highly likely to be the next representative.

There's just one election we're following this Tuesday. It is a primary for the one open seat in the Rhode Island State Senate.

Rep. Mark Green (TN-07) announced Friday that he would leave Congress on July 20. 

It's with a heavy heart that I say farewell.

To my constituents across Tennessee’s 7th District—thank you. The trust you put in me is humbling. I will look back fondly on my years of serving as your voice in Washington. pic.twitter.com/fwjVMCRtpQ

— Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) July 4, 2025

Green had previously communicated his intention to resign after the One Big Beautiful Bill was passed by Congress. He said at the time that he would be taking a job in the private sector, although he has not provided much detail on that.

After Green's departure, the Republican majority will be 219-212 with four vacancies.

Gov. Bill Lee will call a special election after the vacancy is official. Based on Tennessee law, it will likely take place somewhere between late October and the middle of November.

Reps. Dwight Evans (D, PA-03) and Dusty Johnson (R, SD-AL) will not run for reelection to the U.S. House in 2026. Evans, 71, is retiring after six terms. Johnson is running for governor of South Dakota. Both these districts are safe for the incumbent party.

Philadelphia's 3rd congressional district is the most Democratic in the country, as measured by The Cook Political Report Partisan Voting Index. Evans was unopposed on the ballot in 2024; Kamala Harris won this Philadelphia district by a 77% margin over Donald Trump.

South Dakota hasn't elected a Democrat statewide since 2008. Johnson won his 4th term by a 44% margin in 2024.

On July 1, New York City Board of Elections will conduct a preliminary ranked choice tabulation. The results are expected to be released around noon, Eastern Time.

This will take place for contests where no candidate received a majority of the vote in the June 24 primary.

Voters that day had the option to rank up to five candidates in order of preference.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said Sunday that he will not seek a third term in 2026. The announcement came after the Republican voted "no" to advance President Trump's signature legislation.

As one might expect, that didn't go over well with the president who berated Tillis in a series of Truth Social posts. Trump said he would work to find a primary challenger.

Seven members have now said they will leave the Senate at the end of this term.

Don Bacon, a Republican representing the 2nd congressional district of Nebraska, will not seek a 6th term in 2026. He has often been at odds with President Trump, putting him out of step with most of the GOP caucus.

An official announcement is expected Monday.

Bacon's departure improves the odds for Democrats to flip this Omaha-area district, which has been trending leftward. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris each won the district by over 4% in the two most recent presidential election.

Tuesday is primary day in New York City. Voters will nominate candidates for mayor and other city offices.

Also on Tuesday: Buffalo mayoral primary and a number of legislative special elections Tuesday. 

Buffalo Mayoral Primary and Special Elections >> 

While most attention will be on Tuesday's New York City mayoral primary, there are a few other contests we are watching.

Also on the docket is a mayoral primary in Buffalo and a number of legislative special elections and primaries. This article will cover those.

New York City Primary Live Results >>

New Jersey and Virginia are the only states with gubernatorial and legislative elections in 2025. New Jersey held its primary last Tuesday.

Virginia Primary Overview and Results

This year, there are elections for statewide offices and the House of Delegates. The general election is November 4.

Polls close at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.

Statewide Offices 

Governor

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is ineligible to run. Virginia is the only state where governors cannot serve consecutive terms.

While open races - especially competitive ones - can draw crowded primary fields, that is not the case here. The general election is set, as only one candidate from each party ultimately qualified. Lt. Gov Winsome Earle-Sears (R) will meet Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) in November. The winner will become the state's first female governor.

New Jersey and Virginia are the only states with gubernatorial and legislative elections in 2025. New Jersey voters will select nominees in Tuesday's primary. Results are on this page.

There are also a number of legislative special elections Tuesday.  Special Election Live Results >>

Virginia's primary is next week. That state's nominees for governor have already been determined. There will be Democratic primaries for Lt. Governor (the office is elected separately from governor) and Attorney General. There will also be some nominating contests in each party for seats in the House of Delegates.