ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore seeks the Democratic nomination for a second term in Tuesday’s primary for federal, state and local offices. Among the other top races on the ballot are two Democratic congressional primaries: one where two dozen hopefuls look to succeed a longtime congressional leader and another where a Democratic incumbent faces a tough challenge from her wealthy predecessor.
The 2026 midterm contests in Maryland take place under the shadow of the 2028 elections. Moore is running for reelection amid speculation that he also has his eye on a possible presidential campaign. Meanwhile, the contested primaries in all eight of Maryland’s congressional districts could be the last held under the current set of boundaries, as state lawmakers consider entering the national mid-decade redistricting fray with a map that could eliminate the state’s lone Republican congressional seat in time for the 2028 elections.
At the top of the ballot, Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller face a primary challenge from Eric Felber and his running mate, LaTrece Hawkins Lytes. In Maryland, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run on the same ticket. Felber is a physician who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin in the 8th Congressional District primary in 2024.
The Democratic ticket will face the winners of a nine-way Republican primary field that includes former state Del. Dan Cox and his running mate, Rob Krop. Cox lost to Moore in the 2022 general election for governor and ran unsuccessfully in 2024 for the 6th Congressional District Republican nomination.
In the 5th Congressional District, 24 contenders seek the Democratic nomination to replace former Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who is retiring after 23 terms. Among those running are former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, health care business executive Quincy Bareebe, Prince George’s County state Del. Adrian Boafo, Prince George’s County Councilwoman Wala Blegay and former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn.
Bareebe led the field in fundraising as of early June, followed by Dunn. Boafo has endorsements from Hoyer, Moore and Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks.
Dunn served at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters supporting President Donald Trump attacked the complex in an attempt to block certification of his 2020 presidential election defeat. Dunn ran in the 3rd Congressional District in 2024, placing second in the 22-candidate Democratic primary.
The district includes all of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s County in southern Maryland, but the bulk of voters come from parts of Anne Arundel County and heavily Democratic Prince George’s County.
U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney seeks a second term in the 6th Congressional District but first must clear a strong Democratic primary challenge from the man she replaced, former U.S. Rep. David Trone, who has loaned his campaign $25 million from his personal fortune. Trone gave up the seat for an unsuccessful 2024 U.S. Senate primary bid where he spent $63 million of his own money to place second behind Alsobrooks, who went on to win the seat.
A majority of voters in the 6th District come from Democratic leaning Frederick County and heavily Democratic Montgomery County, but the district also includes all of Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties in heavily Republican western Maryland.
Moore and his allies in the state Legislature attempted to redraw the state’s congressional districts in response to new Trump-backed maps in several Republican-controlled states, but the measure was blocked in mid-April by Democratic state Senate President Bill Ferguson, who said the plan put existing Democratic seats at risk.
But in the wake of an April U.S. Supreme Court decision that prompted some Republican-controlled southern states to eliminate several Democratic-held majority-Black districts, Ferguson said in a statement that “Maryland must respond as the ground shifts under us.” The Legislature may take up the measure again ahead of the 2028 election in the form of a state constitutional amendment that could go before voters as early as November.
Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:
Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for governor, U.S. House, state Senate, state House and local offices in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties.
Voters registered with a political party may participate only in their own party’s primary. Democrats may not vote in the Republican primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may not participate in either primary.
As of May 31, there were about 4.6 million registered voters in Maryland. That includes about 2.2 million active registered Democrats, about 1 million active registered Republicans and about 1 million active voters not affiliated with any party. There are an additional 250,000 inactive registered voters that the state does not break down by party.
About 671,000 registered Democrats and about 295,000 registered Republicans cast ballots in the 2022 primaries for governor. That was about 16% and 7% of registered voters at the time.
About 60% of Democratic primary votes and about 37% of Republican primary votes in the 2022 primaries were cast early in-person or by mail.
As of Wednesday, about 228,000 Democratic primary ballots and about 67,000 Republican primary ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.
The first vote reports of the night tend to be from early voting and mail ballots cast before Election Day.
In the 2022 primary, the AP first reported results at 8:42 p.m. ET, or 42 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 4:15 a.m. ET with about 56% of total votes counted.
In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, the two most populous in the state, the first votes were reported at 9:05 p.m. ET. The last election night update from Montgomery County was at 2:25 a.m. ET with about half the vote counted and from Prince George’s at 3:05 p.m. ET with about 59% counted.
The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Recounts in Maryland are not automatic. A losing candidate may request and pay for a recount if the vote margin between the top two candidates is 5% or less of the total votes cast for those two candidates. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
As of Tuesday, there will be 133 days until the 2026 midterm elections.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.
Visitors attend a street fair outside the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Md., Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert Yoon)
A couple sits on a bench on the grounds of the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Md., Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert Yoon)
A sorting machine separates sample ballots into bins during a demonstration of voting equipment at the Montgomery County Board of Elections headquarters in Gaithersburg, Md., Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert Yoon)
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned on Monday, paving the way for Britain to have its seventh prime minister in just over a decade.
He said he was stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party but would remain caretaker prime minister until a new head is chosen by the party.
Andy Burnham, who won a special parliamentary election last week, confirmed that he will run to succeed Starmer.
Starmer won a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, but a series of missteps badly damaged his credibility.
His resignation comes the day before Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a decision that still roils the country’s economy and politics.
Here's the latest:
Nigel Farage, who leads the anti-immigration party, wrote on X that “Reform demands an election, and we are ready to deliver radical change.”
“If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into No 10, it has another thing coming,” he said.
Farage said Labour has betrayed voters’ trust, citing the Starmer government’s unpopular welfare and tax policies and illegal immigration as examples of the party’s failings.
Britain’s next national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029. British politics allows parties to change leaders midterm without the need for a general election.
António Costa said on Monday that Starmer helped turn “a new page” in EU-UK relations ten years after Brexit.
“We turned a new page in EU-UK relations,” Costa said in a social media post. “The EU is committed to continued cooperation in this spirit.”
Starmer was seen as repairing relations with Brussels following Brexit and had helped schedule an EU-UK summit for July 22.
But on Monday, the European Commission said they were reassessing that plan.
“I respect the decision he has made,” Jonas Gahr Støre, a fellow center-left leader, said in a statement.
“The United Kingdom is Norway’s close ally in Europe, and over the past two years our countries have grown even closer through important agreements," he said.
Støre added: “We have worked closely together to strengthen security cooperation in Europe and to support Ukraine.”
In a post on X, Andy Burnham thanked Starmer for his service and leadership.
He said Starmer’s decision to step down “marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.”
“The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get.”
He added: “People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation. Political change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives.”
Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham confirms he will run to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister.
Wes Streeting, considered another leading contender, said he will back Burnham. That makes it more likely that Burnham will be selected without a leadership contest.
Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Leader, said Starmer’s replacement would have to change “our broken politics.”
“The British people are sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of prime ministers while nothing really changes for them,” he said. “This time must be different. It can’t just be about changing who’s in No. 10, it has to be about changing our broken politics so we can fix our country.”
Zack Polanski, who leads the Green Party, echoed that the U.K. needs a “bold change of direction.”
Referring to former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who many expect to become the next Labour leader, Polanski said: “The time for half measures and sticking plasters is long gone — if he becomes the next PM, Burnham must be bold or he will be bust.”
“The German government has always had in Keir Starmer a reliable and close partner in foreign policy questions, particularly regarding Ukraine,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, told reporters. He declined to comment on the “internal motives in Britain.”
He said the government believes a meeting that Merz plans to host in Berlin Wednesday of the so-called “E5” — Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland — will go ahead as planned despite Starmer’s announcement. The meeting is meant as part of preparations for the upcoming NATO summit.
"Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. A new Labour government. The first in 14 years. A page in our country’s history turned after years of disappointment and despair. ... The chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That’s what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy."
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question. And I accept that answer with good grace."
“Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision.
“I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. And I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power.”
Starmer stood behind a lectern featuring a crest with a lion and a unicorn.
One is not a native of the U.K. and the other is mythical.
Both have shared the distinction of being part of the royal coat of arms since the 17th century.
The lion, although never living in the wild of England, is its national animal. The unicorn, though fictional, is Scotland’s official animal.
The two became part of the crest when the two crowns were united in 1603, when King James I ascended the throne in England; he was already King James VI in Scotland.
When he was elected in 2024 in a landslide victory for Labour, Starmer pledged to steady the ship and end years of political chaos under his successors, the Conservative Party.
Starmer had succeeded Rishi Sunak, who held the top job from 2022 to 2024.
Before Sunak, Liz Truss lasted only 45 days. Truss followed three other Conservative prime ministers: Boris Johnson (2019-2022), Theresa May (2016-2019), and David Cameron (2010-2016.)
Starmer said Monday that nominations will open on July 9 and close when Parliament breaks up for its summer recess, which is scheduled to begin July 16. The contest will be open to members of Parliament from the ruling Labour Party.
Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is the leading candidate to replace Starmer. The question now is whether anyone will challenge him.
If there is no challenge, Burnham could become Labour leader and thus prime minister soon after nominations close. Even if there is a contest, Starmer said a successor would be selected by Sept. 1.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy after news of his resignation in a post online on Monday.
“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she said on X. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”
Starmer’s voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement.
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party.
Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen in the next few weeks.
Starmer made the announcement after facing growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government’s flagging fortunes. He has been in office since leading Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024. In those two years, his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.
As Starmer began his speech, protesters nearby played the EU anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
Expectation is building that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out a timetable for his resignation, conceding to pressure from his Labour Party to hand over the reins of power.
If he does, Starmer will be the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside 10 Downing Street and announce a premature departure.
Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following the victory of intraparty rival Andy Burnham in a special election for a seat in Parliament. Burnham, until last week the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, ran with the aim of challenging Starmer for leadership of the party and the country.
Burnham is due to be sworn in as a member of Parliament on Monday.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer hugs his wife Victoria after he announced his resignation outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and wife Victoria stand in front of 10 Downing Street door after after announcing his resignation in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
FILE - Labour party's Andy Burnham speaks after winning the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. in Wigan, England, Friday, June 19, 2026.(AP Photo/Jon Super, file)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and wife Victoria step out to speak to the media outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Larry the cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office waits on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026 as expectations are growing that Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce his resignation soon.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Labour Party leadership candidate Wes Streeting speaks in central London, Tuesday June 16, 2026. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
Labour party's Andy Burnham speaks after winning the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. in Wigan, England, Friday, June 19, 2026.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gestures as he speaks with local residents as he visits a housing development in north London, Friday, June 19, 2026. (Peter Macdiarmid/Pool Photo via AP)
