primary
n. countablen. an election where people in a political party choose the person they want to represent them in a bigger election later. It is the first step in deciding who will run for a high office like president.
n. a preliminary election in which voters of a specific party nominate candidates for office. Often used in the plural to refer to the entire cycle of early voting rounds.
She won the primary and will now run for governor.
Voters in the state primary must decide which candidate has the best chance of winning the general election in November.
The candidate's shift toward more moderate policies during the general election contrasted sharply with the ideological rhetoric used to secure the base during the primary.
Borrowed from Latin prīmārius (“of the first (rank); chief, principal; excellent”), from prīmus (first; whence the English adjective prime) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary); compare the French primaire, primer, and premier. Doublet of premier.
Often used in the plural ('the primaries') when referring to the series of elections across different regions.