Four States Vote June 9: A Toss-up Maine Senate Primary, Nevada's Race for Governor, and a Crowded Field in South Carolina

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 is the next primary day of the cycle. Four states vote: Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina. Two of the night's races are rated Toss-up for November. Maine's Democratic Senate primary picks a challenger to Republican Susan Collins. Nevada's Democratic primary for governor picks a challenger to Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo.

Below is what's on each state's ballot.

Maine: a Toss-up Senate seat, an open House seat, and an open governorship

Polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Maine opens its polls between 6 and 10 a.m. depending on town size. It runs a semi-closed primary, so registered party members vote their own party's ballot and unaffiliated voters may pick one party's ballot at the polls. Maine also uses ranked-choice voting in its primaries: voters rank the candidates, and if no one wins an outright majority, lower-ranked finishers are eliminated and their votes redistributed until someone clears 50 percent.

The Senate seat held by Republican Susan Collins is the only Toss-up on the June 9 calendar. Democrats are choosing a challenger. Governor Janet Mills entered the primary last fall but suspended her campaign on April 30. She did not formally withdraw, so her name remains on the ballot. Also running are oyster farmer and Marine veteran Graham Platner and 2024 nominee David Costello. Cook rates the general election Toss-up.

ME-2 is open. Democratic incumbent Jared Golden announced he would not seek reelection, and the Democratic primary to replace him is contested, with former Maine Senate candidate Jordan Wood, Bangor city councilor Joseph Baldacci, and former Secretary of State Matt Dunlap among the candidates. Former governor Paul LePage is unopposed in the Republican primary. The seat is rated Likely Republican. ME-1 has Democratic incumbent Chellie Pingree defending a Safe Democratic seat.

The governorship is open because Mills is term-limited. The Democratic field includes Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, former House Speaker Hannah Pingree, former state CDC director Nirav Shah, and businessman Angus King III. The Republican primary is also contested. The general election is rated Likely Democratic. Find your district at the Maine ballot lookup.

Nevada: a Toss-up race for governor

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Time. Nevada runs a closed primary, so only registered Democrats and Republicans may vote in their party's primary. The registration deadline has passed.

The governor's race is rated Toss-up. Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo is seeking a second term and faces a primary field of lesser-known challengers. The contested race is on the Democratic side, where Attorney General Aaron Ford and Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill lead a six-candidate field.

NV-3 has Democratic incumbent Susie Lee defending a seat rated Lean Democratic. NV-2, held by Republican Mark Amodei, is open after his retirement and has crowded primaries on both sides. NV-1 and NV-4 are rated Likely Democratic. Find your district at the Nevada ballot lookup.

North Dakota: a rematch in the at-large House primary

Polls close between 7 and 9 p.m. local time (the eastern part of the state is Central; the southwest is Mountain). North Dakota runs an open primary, so any voter may choose one party's ballot. The state does not register voters by party.

North Dakota's only federal race on the ballot is its at-large House seat. Republican incumbent Julie Fedorchak faces Alex Balazs in a rematch of the 2024 primary. On the Democratic side, Trygve Hammer is running again. The seat is rated Safe Republican. Find your race at the North Dakota ballot lookup.

South Carolina: a crowded race to replace a term-limited governor

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you may vote. South Carolina does not register voters by party. The Republican primary is run as closed and the Democratic primary as semi-closed, but in practice any voter may choose one party's ballot on primary day. If no candidate clears 50 percent, the top two return for a runoff on June 23.

The governorship is open because Republican Henry McMaster is term-limited. The Republican primary is crowded. Candidates include U.S. Representative Nancy Mace, U.S. Representative Ralph Norman, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and state senator Josh Kimbrell. The general election is rated Safe Republican.

Senator Lindsey Graham is seeking a fifth term and faces a primary field. On the Democratic side, pediatrician Annie Andrews is among the candidates running for the nomination. The seat is rated Safe Republican. SC-1, the seat Mace is leaving to run for governor, is open, with a contested Republican primary. Find your district at the South Carolina ballot lookup.

Before you go: rules to know

Primary rules vary by state. A few things worth knowing for June 9:

• Ranked-choice voting in Maine. Maine's primaries use ranked-choice voting. You rank candidates in order of preference. If no one wins a majority of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those ballots move to their next choice, repeating until someone passes 50 percent. You can rank just one candidate if you prefer.
• South Carolina's June 23 runoff. South Carolina holds a runoff two weeks later in any primary where no candidate wins a majority. If you vote in one party's primary on June 9, you may only vote in that same party's runoff.
• Closed primary in Nevada. Only voters registered with a party may vote in that party's Nevada primary, and the deadline to register has passed.
• Open primary in North Dakota. North Dakota does not register voters by party. Any voter may request one party's ballot at the polls.
• Bring ID. Each state voting June 9 asks for identification at the polls. We covered the specifics in what to bring on Election Day.
• Provisional ballots. If your name is missing from the rolls, the machine rejects your ID, or you are told you are at the wrong polling place, ask for a provisional ballot. You have a legal right to one, and it will be counted if you were eligible to vote.
• For your federal picks, you can mark your Senate, House, and governor selections ahead of time with a My Ballot account and pull them up on your phone in line. For state legislative races, judges, school board, and county offices, your county clerk's sample ballot is the source of truth.

Not voting on June 9?

Check the election calendar for the next primary date in your state and its registration deadline.

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