Primary season is underway with one state casting ballots on March 10.
Election season is fully underway, with voters in several states having gone to the polls and others getting set to cast their ballots in the weeks ahead. These early contests are shaping the battlefield for the 2026 midterms, with Democrats hoping to take back control of the House and hoping to flip the Senate—and set the political tone for the remainder of PresidentWhile March features fewer primary dates than the busy late-spring and summer calendar, the elections that do take place this month carry outsized importance.
The early primaries can help clarify party dynamics, winnow crowded fields, and signal which candidates could become the next national figures as the campaign season accelerates. On Tuesday, March 10, only one state—Mississippi—holds a primary. But the day is still closely watched by political strategists, especially as it coincides with a high-profile special election in Georgia to fill a suddenly vacant House seat previously held by GOP firebrand RepresentativeTogether, those contests offer an early look at voter enthusiasm, intraparty divisions, and how national political forces are shaping local races heading into the heart of election season.Mississippi voters are heading to the polls for the state’s 2026 congressional primary elections, which include races for the Senate and the House. Polls will be open statewide, with any necessary runoffs scheduled for April 7. The state's primary is limited to federal offices because the state holds elections for governor and most statewide executive offices in odd-numbered years. Mississippi has four U.S. House seats and one U.S. Senate seat on the ballot in November. The Senate race is drawing particular attention. Mississippi is a reliably Republican state at the federal level and the GOP primary effectively determines the winner come November. The state's Democratic candidates, meanwhile, are competing to emerge as the party’s standard-bearer in what will be a difficult general election environment. Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. GOP Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's seat is up for reelection after she was first nominated to the seat in 2018 and won the seat for a full term in 2020. She's the first woman to represent Mississippi in the Senate and has built a profile as a reliable conservative aligned with party leadership. A former state agriculture commissioner and Mississippi state senator, she currently serves on several influential committees, including Appropriations, Agriculture, Energy and Natural Resources, and Rules and Administration, positions that have allowed her to steer federal funding.Hyde-Smith is being challenged in the Republican primary by Sarah Adlakha, who has positioned herself as a grassroots conservative alternative to the incumbent. Adlakha, a physician and businesswoman who lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, is running on a message that the state needs new leadership in Washington, D.C., criticizing what she describes as congressional inaction and entrenched political interests. A Chicago native who later moved to Mississippi, Adlakha has emphasized her background in medicine and small business while campaigning across the state, but enters the primary as a long‑shot challenger against the incumbent, who has a significant fundraising advantage. On the Democratic side, voters will choose among three candidates. The field includes Scott Colom, the district attorney for the state’s 16th Circuit Court District, who has campaigned on a message centered on lowering costs, protecting health care, and increasing federal investment in Mississippi; Albert R. Littell, a Marine Corps veteran, who has emphasized public service and national security; and Priscilla W. Till, an educator and community advocate who is also the cousin of civil rights icon Emmett Till. The winner will face a steep hill to climb to gain relevance in the November general election. Mississippi voters will also cast a ballot in several house races, but they'll only be able to vote in the race that corresponds to the district where they live.Republican ballot: Trent KellyDemocratic ballot: Bennie G. Thompson, Evan Turnage, Pertis Williams IIIDemocratic ballot: Michael A. ChiaradioDemocratic ballot: Paul James Blackman, D. Ryan Grover, Jeffrey Hulum IIIMississippi uses a majority-vote requirement, meaning candidates must receive more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two finishers advance to a runoff election in early April. Beyond the races themselves, turnout in Mississippi will be closely analyzed. Early primary turnout is often used as a barometer of voter engagement, particularly among Republican voters in a deeply red state. Strong participation could signal enthusiasm heading into November, while lower turnout might raise concerns about complacency or internal party divisions. Mississippi’s primary also serves as a marker in the broader 2026 calendar. It follows last week’s primaries in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas, and comes ahead of Illinois’ March 17 primary, where there's an open Senate seat.Although Georgia does not hold its regular statewide primaries until later this spring, voters in one congressional district are participating in a special election on Tuesday to replace Greene, who vacated her House seat earlier this year. The special election has drawn national attention due to Greene’s prominence as one of the most polarizing figures in Congress and a former high-profile ally of President Donald Trump. Her departure triggered a crowded field, with more than 20 candidates vying for the seat in the heavily Republican district. Because Georgia law requires special elections to be held on a nonpartisan ballot, candidates from all parties appear together, with no party labels listed. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two finishers—regardless of party—will advance to a runoff election. The district is considered safely Republican, but the race is still being closely watched as a test of how voters respond to candidates aligned with Greene’s combative political style versus those campaigning on a more traditional conservative platform. National Republican groups are monitoring the contest but have so far been cautious about intervening heavily, given the unpredictable dynamics of a large special-election field. Democrats, while considered a long shot in the district, are also viewing the race as an opportunity to test messaging in rural and exurban Georgia districts ahead of November. The outcome could offer early clues about the direction of the GOP base in Georgia, a state that has become increasingly competitive in recent election cycles.After March 10, the primary calendar quickly expands. Illinois holds its primaries on March 17, followed by a wave of contests in May and June that will include major battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, California, and New York. By late summer, most nominees for federal office will be set, allowing campaigns to shift fully into general election mode. For now, though, the primary contests mark another step in a long election season toward the 2026 midterms.
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