Delaware Primary Elections 2024: Key Races, Voting Times, and What to Watch

Voters in Delaware are heading to the polls on Tuesday for the final state primary election in the United States ahead of the midterm elections in November. Voting begins when polls open at 7am ET (12:00 GMT) and concludes when polls close at 8pm ET (0:00 GMT).

Because Delaware utilizes a closed primary system, only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic Primary, and only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican Primary. Furthermore, primary elections in the state are exclusively held when more than one candidate from a party runs for an office, while unopposed candidates automatically advance to the November 3 general election.

Incumbent Democratic US Senator Chris Coons, US representative, and state attorney general are all running for re-election. Additionally, voters will select nominees for the state legislature and an open seat for state treasurer. Although the broader balance of power in the US Senate and House may depend on a few competitive races, Delaware's seats are anticipated to stay firmly within the Democratic column. The state has leaned heavily Democratic since the 1990s, with Republicans failing to win the governorship since 1988, a US Senate seat since 1994, or the US House seat since 2008.

US Senate Race in Delaware

Democratic US Senator Chris Coons is seeking a third full term and faces three primary challengers: University of Delaware history Professor Jeff Appelhans, naval architect Mary Louve, and former business executive Eric Hansen. Eric Hansen previously ran as the Republican US Senate nominee in 2024 but is now running as a Democrat under the name “E. No-Trump Hansen”. On the Republican side, former state Senator Michael Katz and US Army Reserve Colonel John Shulli are competing for the nomination.

US House Race in Delaware

In the race for the US House, Democratic US Representative Sarah McBride—the first out transgender member of the US Congress—runs unopposed in the primary as she campaigns for a second term as Delaware’s sole representative. Republicans Joseph Arminio, Earl Cooper, and John Whalen are vying for the Republican nomination to challenge her in November.

As of September 1, Delaware had approximately 808,000 registered voters, including roughly 331,000 registered Democrats and about 199,000 registered Republicans.