Maryland's Primary Is the Real Election. 72 Seats Have No GOP Opponent.

72 Maryland Legislative Seats Have No Republican on the November Ballot

Maryland holds its state legislative primary on June 24, 2026, and in dozens of races, whoever wins Tuesday wins the seat outright. Republicans failed to field candidates in 20 of the 47 Senate races and 52 of the 141 delegate races on the ballot, according to Maryland Matters reporting on the Board of Elections filing data. That is 72 legislative races where the Democratic primary is the only contested election.

Even in districts where both parties have candidates, flipping a seat is rare. Maryland’s legislative maps are drawn to produce heavily partisan outcomes, and Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 statewide.

“The primaries for a state like Maryland, it is the election. There are very few places where we are flipping seats.”

Joanne Antoine, Executive Director, Common Cause Maryland

Antoine also noted that this dynamic “plays a role in voter apathy,” a cycle that concentrates power among the smaller group of primary voters who do show up.

Closed Primaries Lock Out Independent Voters

Maryland uses a closed primary system. Only voters registered with a party can vote in that party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters, the fastest-growing registration category in many states, have no say in Tuesday’s races. In a state where the primary often determines the outcome, that exclusion is consequential.

Nikki Tyree, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Maryland, pointed to gerrymandering as a structural driver of low turnout. “You have to look at how heavily gerrymandered our districts are,” she said, noting that district lines create “super safe” races that make the average voter feel their choice doesn’t matter.

Primary turnout in non-presidential midterm years tends to run well below general election turnout. In those conditions, a small and motivated group of primary voters can set the direction of a legislative district for years.

What you can do now

Vote in Tuesday’s primary if you are a registered Democrat or Republican in Maryland. Polls are open June 24. Find your polling place at voterservices.elections.maryland.gov. If your district has a competitive primary, your vote is the deciding one.
Call the Maryland State Board of Elections at (800) 222-8683 and ask what the process is for registering to vote or changing your party affiliation ahead of future primaries. The deadline for the 2026 primary has passed, but knowing the next deadline matters for unaffiliated voters who want to participate in 2027 and 2028 races.
Contact your state delegate or senator through the Maryland General Assembly directory and tell them you support open or semi-open primary reform so unaffiliated voters can participate in elections that effectively decide the outcome.
Check your district’s ballot at ballotpedia.org before Tuesday. If your race has only one Democratic candidate and no Republican, your primary still matters for contested delegate races in your district that may be lower-profile.

Sources

[Quote: “The primaries for a state like Maryland, it is the election. There are very few places where we are flipping seats.”, Joanne Antoine, Executive Director, Common Cause Maryland.

Maryland Matters]