OVERVIEW: JUNE 16 AT A GLANCE

Tuesday, June 16, 2026, brings three distinct contests to watch. In Alabama, voters return for primary runoffs five weeks after the May 19 primary failed to produce majority winners in several marquee races — most importantly the Republican nomination for an open U.S. Senate seat. In Oklahoma, a crowded, wide-open Republican primary for governor will likely be the first round of a two-step nomination fight. And in Washington, D.C., a one-party town is choosing new leadership for the first time since 2014, with national implications given the federal government’s heightened involvement in the city’s affairs.

A note on Virginia: Virginia is not voting on June 16. The Commonwealth moved its entire 2026 primary from June 16 to August 4 under House Bill 29 (signed February 2026) as part of the mid-decade redistricting fight. We will cover Virginia’s U.S. Senate and congressional primaries in a dedicated August report.

ALABAMA — PRIMARY RUNOFF

Alabama held its primary on May 19. Where no candidate cleared 50%, the top two advanced to the June 16 runoff. The governor’s race is already settled — Senator Tommy Tuberville won the GOP nomination outright and will face former Democratic Senator Doug Jones in November, a rematch of their 2020 Senate contest. The runoff ballot is headlined by the fight to succeed Tuberville in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Senate (R) Runoff: Moore vs. Hudson

With Tuberville vacating the seat to run for governor, the Republican nomination is effectively the whole contest — the general election is rated Solid Republican. On May 19, U.S. Representative Barry Moore of Enterprise (AL-01) led with roughly 40% (about 188,800 votes), followed by former Navy SEAL and tactical-training business owner Jared Hudson at roughly 26% (about 123,500). Attorney General Steve Marshall finished third at about 25% and conceded, leaving Moore and Hudson in the runoff.

The storyline: Moore carries the endorsements of both President Trump and Vice President Vance. Hudson is running as the outsider — and recent runoff polling shows the endorsement may not be decisive, with Hudson leading or tied in the final stretch.

OKLAHOMA — PRIMARY

Governor (R): A Nine-Way Open Race Trump Just Scrambled

Governor Kevin Stitt is term-limited, producing Oklahoma’s first open Republican gubernatorial primary since 2018. In a state Trump carried with about 66% in 2024 — where Democrats haven’t won a statewide race since 2006 — the Republican primary is widely viewed as the decisive contest in the race for governor. Nine Republicans are running; four have raised and spent millions: Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former House Speaker Charles McCall, former state Senator Mike Mazzei, and Chip Keating, son of former Governor Frank Keating and a former state Secretary of Public Safety.

The late shake-up: Drummond was the longtime frontrunner, but the race tightened into a four-way scramble through the spring — and in late May, President Trump endorsed Mike Mazzei, vaulting him into the lead in the most recent surveys. With no candidate near 50%, an August 25 runoff between the top two is highly likely.

On the Democratic side, House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson is the likely nominee. Down-ballot, Oklahoma is also nominating candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General (open, with Drummond running for governor), and a seat on the Corporation Commission, where term-limited Todd Hiett’s exit has drawn a contested GOP field.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — PRIMARY

The District of Columbia is the bluest jurisdiction in the country — a Democratic nominee has won every mayoral election since the office became elective in 1974. That makes the June 16 Democratic primary the decisive contest. It carries unusual national weight this year: the capital’s next leaders will govern amid heightened federal involvement in District affairs, and the ballot is unusually open, with longtime officials stepping aside. June 16 is also the first D.C. election to use ranked-choice voting under Initiative 83.

Mayor (D): Open Seat — Lewis George vs. McDuffie

Mayor Muriel Bowser is retiring after three terms, the first open mayoral race in over a decade. Seven Democrats are running; two lead. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (Ward 4), a self-described democratic socialist backed by labor and progressive groups, holds a narrow edge over Kenyan McDuffie, a former at-large council member backed by business and real-estate interests who switched his registration from independent back to Democratic to enter the race.

An Open Delegate Seat

Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District’s non-voting delegate to the U.S. House since 1991, is not seeking a 19th term. Councilmember Robert White leads Councilmember Brooke Pinto for the Democratic nomination. The winner is the overwhelming favorite to represent D.C. in Congress — and to carry the District’s statehood push, a perennial flashpoint for conservatives who oppose it.

NATIONAL CONTEXT: WHAT JUNE 16 TELLS US

The endorsement test. Both Alabama’s Senate runoff and Oklahoma’s governor primary put a Trump endorsement directly on the ballot — for Barry Moore in Alabama and Mike Mazzei in Oklahoma. In both, the endorsed candidate faces a real fight. June 16 will be read nationally as a barometer of how much the endorsement moves low-turnout primary and runoff electorates.

Open seats, fresh benches. Alabama’s Senate seat, Oklahoma’s governorship, and D.C.’s mayoralty are all open. Each will hand power to a new figure, reshaping each party’s bench for years — and in the deep-red states, the Republican nominee chosen this month is the heavy favorite to win in November.

The capital question. D.C.’s elections unfold against an unusually adversarial federal posture toward the city. Who leads the District — and who carries its statehood argument to Congress — is a live national issue, not merely a local one.

METHODOLOGY & SOURCES

Race results and candidate fields verified against Ballotpedia, local media, and state and district election offices (Alabama Secretary of State, Oklahoma State Election Board, D.C. Board of Elections). Polling sourced from The Alabama Poll, Remington Research Group, NonDoc/Amber Integrated, Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates, and City Cast/TrueDot. Vote totals from the Alabama Reflector and Alabama Daily News. All data verified as of June 7, 2026.

All data verified as of June 7, 2026.

This report was prepared by LeadRight America for informational purposes. Polling data carries margins of error as noted. LeadRight America does not endorse candidates. For questions or corrections, contact us at leadright.us.