DOVER, Del. – Delaware voters return to early-voting locations Wednesday with less than a week remaining before a primary that features contested races for U.S. Senate, attorney general, state treasurer and a long list of legislative seats.
More than 20,500 voters had cast early or absentee ballots through the first four days, according to figures reported Tuesday by WGMD from Delaware Department of Elections data. That represents an early snapshot rather than final turnout, but it shows thousands of voters aren’t waiting for Sept. 15 to make their choices.
- Early voting locations are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and continue through Sunday.
- Democratic Sen. Chris Coons faces three primary challengers, while Republicans Michael Katz and John Shulli compete for their party’s Senate nomination.
- Attorney General Kathy Jennings faces two Democratic challengers, while three Democrats are running for state treasurer.
Delaware Voters Are Already Casting Ballots
Early voting began Sept. 2, paused Sunday and Labor Day, and resumed Tuesday. From Wednesday through Sunday, polls are open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Under the Delaware Department of Elections early-voting rules, voters can cast ballots at any early-voting site within their county of residence. Delaware’s primary is closed to the participating parties, meaning Democratic voters receive Democratic ballots and Republican voters receive Republican ballots.
There’s an unusual exception this year for some voters automatically registered through the DMV. Those voters who never selected a party can still designate themselves Democratic or Republican through Primary Day and vote in that party’s contest. The state says 2026 will be the final election in which that special provision applies.
The early turnout numbers also need some context. Delaware had more than 530,000 registered Democratic and Republican voters heading into the primary, according to Department of Elections figures cited by WGMD.
A direct comparison with the same point in previous Delaware primaries wasn’t available in the current state election reporting Wednesday morning, so the early figure shouldn’t yet be read as evidence of unusually high or low turnout.
Chris Coons Faces a Four-Way Democratic Senate Primary
The biggest name on Delaware’s primary ballot is U.S. Sen. Chris Coons.
Coons, first elected to the Senate in 2010, is seeking another term but must first get through a four-candidate Democratic primary. His challengers are Jeff Appelhans, E. No-Trump Hansen and Mary Louve, according to the state’s official candidate list.
Coons formally launched his reelection campaign in June. He currently serves on the Senate Appropriations, Judiciary, Foreign Relations, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Ethics committees.
Republicans have their own contested Senate race.
Michael “Dr. Mike” Katz and John Shulli are competing for the GOP nomination. Katz previously ran for U.S. Senate as an independent in 2024 and has received the Delaware Republican Party’s endorsement in this year’s race.
Shulli is an Army colonel and faculty instructor at the U.S. Army War College who previously worked as a policy analyst and program manager at the Pentagon. He also ran unsuccessfully for the Red Clay Consolidated School District board in 2023.
Whoever wins the Democratic and Republican nominations advances to November.
Attorney General and Treasurer Races Add to Statewide Ballot
The Senate contest isn’t the only statewide race with choices for primary voters.
Democratic Attorney General Kathy Jennings faces Dwayne J. Bensing and Patty Rickman. There is no Republican attorney general primary listed by the state, making the Democratic contest particularly important in determining the November field.
Three Democrats — Ted Lauzen, Mike Miller and Michael Alexander Smith — are competing for state treasurer.
Republicans also have a three-way primary for Delaware’s lone U.S. House seat. Joseph “Dr. Joe” Arminio, Earl L. Cooper and John J. Whalen are seeking the nomination.
The stakes extend well beyond those statewide and federal contests.
An analysis by Spotlight Delaware found that more than half of the statewide and statehouse races on this year’s ballot effectively will be decided in the September primaries because no opposing-party candidate filed for November.
That makes some lower-profile legislative primaries functionally decisive.
Several Democratic State Senators Face Primary Challenges
New Castle County has a particularly busy Democratic legislative ballot.
First-term Sen. Dan Cruce faces progressive challenger Adriana Bohm in Senate District 1. Bohm has the backing of the Working Families Party, while Cruce is trying to secure the nomination for another term.
Sen. Ray Seigfried faces a similar challenge from Shay Frisby in District 5. Frisby also has Working Families Party support.
Other Democratic Senate contests include Jose Lopez against Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos in District 7; Dawn Briggs against Sen. Jack Walsh in District 9; Sen. Nicole Poore against Keonna Watson in District 12; and Chris Beardsley against Sen. Kyra Hoffner in District 14.
There are also contested House races scattered across the state, giving voters considerably more to decide than the federal races at the top of the ballot.
For campaigns, Wednesday brings another deadline. Candidate committees, political committees and political action committees involved in the primary must file their eight-day campaign finance reports by 11:59 p.m., potentially providing a late look at money flowing into the final days of the races.
Early voting ends Sunday. Delaware’s primary follows Tuesday, Sept. 15, with Election Day polling places open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Early voting is already drawing thousands of Delaware voters.
More than 20,500 early and absentee ballots had been cast through the opening stretch of voting, according to figures reported Tuesday.
The U.S. Senate race has primaries in both parties.
Chris Coons faces Jeff Appelhans, E. No-Trump Hansen and Mary Louve among Democrats, while Michael Katz and John Shulli compete for the Republican nomination.
Some September primary winners may effectively win the office.
More than half of statewide and statehouse races lack an opposing-party candidate for November, putting added importance on several primary contests.
Sources: Delaware Department of Elections candidate filings, voting calendar and primary guidance; WGMD early-voting report; Delaware Public Media candidate reporting; Spotlight Delaware election coverage.
