News & Politics
Live blog: 2026 primary day in New York
A nice and humid referendum on the power of the left and the clout of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Primary Day 2026 is upon us. McDoculus/Getty Images
Voters are weird. They do things like vote for Donald Trump, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani. They fixate on the endorsement of one City Council member. Or they go from being completely committed to Mamdani in the summer of 2025 to not even realizing there’s an election in 2026. All this to say, their behavior is hard to predict. But all across New York, they’re the ones deciding races today, before the polls close at 9 p.m. So join us as we track and react to the candidates and voters on this steamy 2026 primary election day.
6 a.m. – Top congressional races
This year’s congressional races are not just about a changing of the guard. They’re also a test of whether there will be significant coattails following New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory. Will his endorsement win elections? And will the Democratic Socialists of America – and its army of energized organizers, volunteers and followers – turn out again in strong numbers? Here are the 2026 NYC congressional races to watch.
6 a.m. – Polls open
There’s sure to be a changing of the guard in Albany come January, but less certain is exactly what that will look like. Many of these races are in New York City, but there are plenty throughout the state too. While some races pit establishment Democrats against the left, others pit the left against the far left. And affordability will continue to be a major theme across the board. Here are the 2026 state legislative primary races to watch.