BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Democratic and Republican voters will head to the polls Tuesday to pick their candidates for the 2026 midterm elections, setting up high-profile races in November.
With no one opposing them on the ballot, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Treasurer Stacy Garrity are all but assured of carrying the Democratic and Republican nominations in the gubernatorial races.
But down-ballot campaigns have the potential to shape critical races that could influence state and national politics.
There are no local contested Republican primaries in Lehigh or Northampton counties.
The only choice Republican voters will face is in the lieutenant governor's race, where Pittsburgh attorney Jason Richey faces author and conspiracy theorist John Ventre.
The position's main responsibilities are to break ties in state Senate and to lead the state should the governor resign or become incapacitated.
But local Democrats will have more decisions to make.
Chief among them is in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District's four-way primary. The race has drawn national attention and could turn into a nail-biter.
A clerical error in Lehigh County's Voter Registration office has complicated matters.
The county inadvertently used a year-old voter list to send mail-in ballots, meaning thousands of people who didn't request a ballot received one and about 100 people who switched parties were sent the wrong one.
While county officials have worked to notify people of the error, the mistake has the potential to lead to litigation if results are close in any of the races.
7th Congressional District
While the governor's race is at the top of the ballot, the most consequential contest may be the Lehigh Valley's congressional race.
It's regarded as among the most competitive swing seats in the country, and both parties have already invested millions of dollars into the campaign this cycle.
U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie is running unopposed in the Republican primary for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, but four Democrats are locked in a tight race for the opportunity to challenge him in November.
The district represents all of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties, plus a sliver of Monroe County.
Firefighter union boss Bob Brooks has campaigned on his blue-collar roots, saying he's the candidate best equipped to connect with working-class voters who have backed President Donald Trump in recent years.
He's drawn endorsements from Democrats with national profiles, including Shapiro, former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont.
However, he's also been dogged by litigation, problematic social media posts and missteps on the campaign trail.
Former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell has made fighting corruption within the Trump administration a central tenet of his campaign.
He's presented himself to voters as the only candidate who has already stood up to Trump — he testified before Congress about Trump's decision to drop corruption charges against then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Crosswell's opponents, though, have questioned his place in the race. Crosswell was a Republican as recently as December 2024 and moved to the Lehigh Valley last year, only weeks before launching his campaign.
Lamont McClure is the only Democratic candidate who's held public office before; he served two terms as executive of bellwether Northampton County and 10 years on county council.
While his name recognition will be an asset in the race, he's struggled to raise funding.
County officials also have criticized his handling of Gracedale, the county home. It's operating on a provisional license because of the county's struggles to have enough nurses at the Upper Nazareth Township facility.
Carol Obando-Derstine's identity as the only woman and Latina in the field provides her inroads with the Democratic voters.
She's highlighted her time working for former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, argued her career training gives her a leg up in addressing rising energy prices and boasts the support of former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley.
Obando-Derstine's campaign has avoided many of the criticisms that muddied her opponents at times, but she's also struggled to find funding in an expensive primary race.
All four candidates engaged in three debates over the past month.
In addition, Crosswell, McClure and Obando-Derstine participated in "PA-7 Talks," a five-part series by Lehigh Valley Public Media in which the candidates tackled questions on different subjects in one-on-one interviews.
The closing days of the race have seen mysterious outside groups spend dark money on mailers and commercials promoting McClure.
One such group has been linked to Republican fundraising, and all four candidates have denounced the interference.
16th Senate District
With President Donald Trump's popularity waning in public polls, Pennsylvania Democrats are optimistic they may be able to flip the state Senate for the first time since the 1990s.
If they're going to pull it off, the path may go through Pennsylvania's 16th state Senate District, which represents parts of Lehigh County and the northern half of Bucks County.
Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by 22,578 voters in the 16th District, but last year's general election saw Democratspull off landslide victories.
If Democrats can repeat that performance, it could put the 16th District in play.
State Sen. Jarrett Coleman is running unopposed in the Republican Party as he seeks a second term.
The Democratic primary pits Pennridge School Board Director Bradley Merkl-Gump against Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley. They faced off in a debate televised on PBS39 in late April.
22nd state House District
Political drama has surrounded the 22nd state House District since incumbent Josh Siegel resigned in December to become Lehigh County executive.
State and local Democrats snubbed Allentown City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach and eventually nominated Allentown School Board Director Ana Tiburcio to run in February's special election, even though Tiburcio didn't apply for the position.
Tiburcio won the election but now faces Gerlach in the primary as the women seek a full two-year term.
The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face Republican Robert Smith Jr., who is running unopposed on primary day.
The district represents Allentown's East Allentown neighborhood, parts its Center City neighborhood and parts of Salisbury Township.
Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2.5-to-1 margin in the district, giving them a significant advantage in general elections.
187th state House District
State Rep. Gary Day is running unopposed in the Republican primary for the 187th state House District.
The seat represents parts of northern and western Lehigh County. Republicans enjoy almost an 11-point voter registration advantage over Democrats, giving them an edge in general elections.
Middle school teacher Geoffrey Whitcomb and Rachel Cuevas, a human resources professional, are competing for the Democratic nomination.
Both are first-time candidates and are campaigning on data centers, taxes and the rising cost of living.
