Delaware's Sept. 15 primaries produced decisive results: Sen. Chris Coons secured the Democratic Senate nomination with about 81% of reported votes, while former state Sen. Michael Katz won the GOP Senate primary and will challenge him in November. Rep. Sarah McBride— the first openly transgender member of Congress—was renominated unopposed and will face Republican Joseph Arminio. Incumbent Attorney General Kathy Jennings prevailed in the Democratic primary; Republican David Graham is the GOP nominee for AG.
Coons, McBride Score Decisive Wins in Delaware Primaries; GOP Picks Katz, Arminio
Sen. Chris Coons is pictured speaking at an event honoring New Castle County Councilman Penrose Hollins on March 16, 2026.
Delaware voters turned out Sept. 15 for the state's final primaries of the year, delivering clear outcomes for several high-profile races.
Sen. Chris Coons comfortably secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. First elected in 2010 to fill the seat once held by Joe Biden, Coons was projected to win as returns came in with about 45% of precincts reported. With roughly 37,000 votes — about 81% of those counted — he led a field of lesser-known challengers; Jeff Appelhans trailed with roughly 4,000 votes.
On the Republican side, former state Sen. Michael Katz won the GOP Senate primary and will challenge Coons in November. Katz led the Republican field with about 13,000 votes to U.S. Army Reserve Col. John Shulli's roughly 4,000. Delaware has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1966.
U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) mills about prior to President Donald Trump delivering the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress at the Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump delivered his address days after the Supreme Court struck down the administration's tariff strategy, and amid a U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf threatening Iran.
Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, won the Democratic nomination for Delaware's at-large U.S. House seat after running unopposed. Since winning the seat two years ago, McBride has faced organized opposition from some GOP lawmakers, including restrictions announced in 2024 by House leadership on transgender access to certain Capitol restrooms and instances of public misgendering during hearings in 2025.
McBride will face Republican Joseph Arminio in the general election. Media outlets called the GOP contest for Arminio about an hour after polls closed, reporting he led the field with roughly 7,500 votes to runner-up John Whalen's 5,300.
Further down the ballot, incumbent Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings defeated primary challengers Dwayne Bensing and Patty Rickman and will remain the Democratic nominee. Republican David Graham ran unopposed and will be the GOP nominee for attorney general this fall.
What to Watch
November's general election will pit long-serving Democratic incumbents against GOP challengers in a state that has been reliably Democratic in federal contests for decades. Key races to watch are the Senate matchup between Coons and Katz and McBride's re-election battle in Delaware's at-large House seat.
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