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WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Democratic voters are showing up for the 2026 primaries in numbers not seen in decades, a pattern emerging across several states that has the party optimistic about its prospects in November when control of Congress will be at stake.<\/p>\n
In the Aug. 11 primary<\/a>, Wisconsin Democrats cast nearly 800,000 ballots, their highest total for a midterm in more than 20 years. That followed 1.5 million Democratic voters in Michigan the week before, a midterm record for the state.<\/p>\n The enthusiasm<\/a> extends beyond the Midwest. Democratic turnout also surged earlier in 2026 in Texas and Georgia, states that will have competitive Senate races in the fall. It is giving Democrats a string of strong showings heading into the midterms, when the president\u2019s party is normally at a disadvantage. That is compounded in 2026 by President Donald Trump\u2019s weak approval ratings<\/a>, persistent inflation<\/a> and an unpopular war with Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe big news is that Democrats are getting huge turnouts,\u201d said David Axelrod, who was a top adviser to Democratic President Barack Obama. \u201cThat\u2019s been a steady story throughout this period.\u201d<\/p>\n Competitive Democratic primaries have helped drive the surge, giving the party\u2019s voters more reason to participate. Republican primary turnout remained closer to historic norms in Michigan, even with a competitive statewide contest.<\/p>\n Voter turnout in primary elections is an imperfect predictor of general election results, especially when one party has the more compelling early contests. Republicans say they are responding with a major effort to turn out their voters in the fall.<\/p>\n GOP leaders say they can energize voters by tapping into a major fundraising advantage over Democrats and sending Trump back out campaigning, including during a midterm convention in Texas<\/a> in September.<\/p>\n \u201cPrimary turnout doesn\u2019t win general elections,\u201d said Mike Marinella, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. \u201cHouse Republicans are entering November with the money, momentum, stronger candidates and a battle-tested operation built to turn out voters when it actually counts.\u201d<\/p>\n Democratic turnout in some states is the highest in two decades<\/p>\n The scale of the Democratic turnout advantage varied across states, but the pattern extended across much of the 2026 competitive landscape for House, Senate or governor\u2019s races.<\/p>\n In Wisconsin, more than 790,000 people voted in the Democratic primary for governor, putting turnout at about 22% of registered voters. More than 1.5 million people voted in Michigan\u2019s Democratic Senate primary a week earlier, which accounted for a little more than 18% of registered voters. It was the state\u2019s highest midterm turnout rate in a Democratic primary since at least 2002 \u2014 the same as in Wisconsin, according to an analysis of Associated Press election data.<\/p>\n In Minnesota, Democratic primary turnout was on par with the 2018 midterm election, with both years marking the state\u2019s highest Democratic primary turnout in a midterm year so far this century.<\/p>\n For Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan, turnout in their primaries was in line with previous GOP midterm primaries in each state. In Michigan, turnout for the Republican governor\u2019s race was about 11%. In Wisconsin\u2019s Republican primary for governor, it is expected to be about 14%.<\/p>\n \u201cRepublicans in Michigan will close the enthusiasm gap by highlighting the massive differences between our nominees and the extreme, out-of-touch politicians the Democrats have nominated,\u201d said Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for the Michigan GOP. \u201cIt\u2019s one thing to lead in enthusiasm before we know who is running. Now, the differences are clear.\u201d<\/p>\n Other states that held elections earlier in 2026 also saw significant Democratic primary turnout. In Georgia and Texas, the midterm turnout rate in the Democratic primaries was higher than it\u2019s been since at least 2002. In Georgia, just over 1 million people voted in May in the Democratic governor\u2019s race, a little more than 13% of registered voters. In Texas, about 2.3 million people voted in March in the Democratic Senate primary, a little more than 12%.<\/p>\n Competitive primaries fueled turnout, but may complicate Democratic unity<\/p>\n The robust primary turnout has been a \u201cgood sign for Democrats,\u201d said Corwin Smidt, a political science professor at Michigan State University. But he cautioned that it is \u201cnot a very solid predictor\u201d of how voters will break in November.<\/p>\n Smidt pointed to several factors behind the numbers, including high turnout in recent elections, which has created a larger pool of regular voters.<\/p>\n \u201cVoting is a lot of habit-forming,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He also noted that many of the states with high turnout had what he described as \u201cmedia spotlight candidacies.\u201d<\/p>\n Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota all held marquee progressive versus moderate races in August that likely helped drive Democratic participation.<\/p>\n In Michigan, spending<\/a> in the Democratic Senate primary topped $80 million, making it one of the most expensive races of the year so far, according to AdImpact. Progressive Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens after a campaign that drew national attention and energized<\/a> younger voters and university communities.<\/p>\n But Stevens carried Wayne County, the state\u2019s largest source of Democratic votes, and some of the congresswoman\u2019s supporters said before the primary that they would not back El-Sayed if he became the nominee.<\/p>\n In Wisconsin, the governor\u2019s primary was repeatedly reshaped as moderate Democrats left and reentered the race while democratic socialist Francesca Hong consolidated progressive support. Hong lost<\/a> narrowly to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a more moderate candidate.<\/p>\n The races highlight how competitive primaries helped drive attention and also how the winning candidates have work to do to bring their party together for November. Both Wisconsin and Michigan Democrats held unity breakfasts in the days after the primaries.<\/p>\n Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who backed El-Sayed and Minnesota Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan but did not endorse Hong, said in an interview that he expects Democratic voters to bridge their differences for the general election.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, when it comes to taking on Trump and creating a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate, there is going to be unity, because I think everybody knows how important that is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A favorable environment, but a difficult map<\/p>\n Democrats have reason to believe the primary enthusiasm could last. The president\u2019s party has historically lost ground in midterm elections, and Trump enters the fall deeply unpopular amid economic unease and an unpopular war.<\/p>\n Some 33% of American adults approve of his job performance, according to the most recent polling by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs<\/a>.<\/p>\n