Here are the key dates ahead in the 2022 midterm elections, as Democrats try to hold onto and even expand razor-thin majorities in the U.S. House and Senate and Republicans weigh the influence of former President Donald Trump.
AUG. 9 — Wisconsin, Connecticut, Minnesota and Vermont
—Wisconsin: Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is considered one of the most endangered Republican incumbents. The list of Democrats vying to replace him shrunk after Alex Lasry, an executive with the NBA Milwaukee Bucks and son of team owner Marc Lasry, a venture capitalist, dropped out of the race and endorsed Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski remains in the race but polls show her far behind Barnes. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers barely won in 2018 and will have a tough battle for reelection in a year that is favoring Republicans. Rebecca Kleefisch, a former lieutenant governor, is favored to win the GOP nomination.
—Connecticut: Gov. Ned Lamont and Sen. Richard Blumenthal face minimal opposition in this heavily Democratic state.
—Minnesota: Several candidates from both parties are vying to fill the 1st District seat left vacant by the death of Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn, though it’s favored to stay in GOP hands. At the same time, eight Republicans are seeking the nomination to take on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.
—Vermont: Rep. Peter Welch holds an early lead for the Democratic nomination to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy.
AUG. 13 — Hawaii
—Sen. Brian Schatz appears poised to keep the seat in Democratic hands.
AUG. 16 — Wyoming, Alaska
—Wyoming: The only House race in the sparsely populated state is also one of the nation’s most closely watched as Rep. Liz Cheney fends off Trump-backed backlash for her work on the committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
—Alaska: The single House race in Alaska, to replace the late Don Young, features a possible comeback for 2008 vice presidential nominee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who is hoping the political brand she pioneered will return her to office. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is facing a primary challenge by Kelly Tshibaka, who was endorsed by Trump because of Murkowski's vote to convict him in his second impeachment trial.
AUG. 23 — Florida, New York
—Florida: Republican incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio will likely face Rep. Val Demings in a hotly contested election in November. The governorship is also on the ballot but incumbent Republican Ron DeSantis is not facing serious primary opposition. Democrats will choose between Rep. Charlie Crist, who is favored, and state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.
—New York: A last-minute redistricting ruling has led to the rescheduling of New York congressional primaries. Two long-serving representatives are slated to face off in the 12th District: Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney.
SEPT. 6 — Massachusetts
—Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has opened up a wide lead in the Democratic primary for governor and is favored to succeed retiring Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.
SEPT. 13 — Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island
—Delaware: Delaware only has one congressional district, and incumbent Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is favored to win in President Joe Biden’s home state.
—New Hampshire: New Hampshire’s Republican primary to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan includes Harvard University lecturer and founder of Kelan Capital LLC Vikram Mansharamani, state Sen. Chuck Morse, former conservative advocacy group director and town manager Kevin Smith, and former executive director of the Bitcoin Foundation, Bruce Fenton.
—Rhode Island: Incumbent Rep. David Cicilline, who represents the 1st District, is expected to be reelected. Redistricting slightly changed the makeup of the 2nd District, though it's still expected to stay Democratic. Jim Langevin, the incumbent in that district, isn't seeking reelection and several candidates are running including Sarah Morgenthau, a U.S. Commerce Department official, state General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, refugee advocate and Gambian native Omar Bah and former state Rep. David Segal.
NOV. 8
—General Election Day
—Louisiana: The state holds a hybrid primary where all candidates are listed on the ballot for each seat. The winner is whoever gets a simple majority, but if no candidate breaks 50%, the race goes into a runoff on Dec. 10. It's unlikely any will, as no incumbent is facing serious opposition. Incumbent Republican Sen. John Kennedy can expect to keep his seat.
