As several states hold primary elections Tuesday, attention is focused on races pitting progressive Democrats against more moderate candidates.
The primaries come just one week after progressive Abdul El-Sayed defeated incumbent Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.
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But eyes are also on South Carolina, where Sen. Darline Graham — who was appointed to the seat after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham — is battling nine other Republicans in a fierce primary race.
Here’s a look at major races across the nation:
Wisconsin
In the Badger State, a significant amount of coverage has been on Francesa Hong, a former chef, restaurant owner and state lawmaker who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor. The democratic socialist is facing off against three other active candidates, including David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, who previously exited the race but reentered it after outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers endorsed him.
Much of the coverage of the race has focused on Hong’s progressive platform and her political alignment, as the national debate over progressive Democrats’ electability in general elections continues after multiple progressive candidates have defeated moderate Democrats.
The Pew Research Center found that about a third of Democrats say they like candidates who identify themselves as democratic socialists, with many others saying they neither like nor dislike them. But Democratic leaders are worried that democratic socialists like Hong — who once advocated canceling Thanksgiving — may turn off independents and other swing voters needed to win a general election.
Recent polling has shown Hong far ahead of her Democratic opponents.
On the Republican side, Andy Manske, a healthcare worker from Milwaukee who has never held public office, is facing off against Rep. Tom Tiffany, who has the backing of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Tiffany has an overwhelming lead, according to a Marquette University poll. But almost one-third of Republican primary voters said they have not yet decided which candidate to support.
Minnesota
Multiple key races are taking place in Minnesota, a state that saw two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents early this year.
In the race for governor, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is considered an almost guaranteed winner of her party’s nomination.
But the Republican race is far more volatile. Trump endorsed My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, who has promoted false conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential race. Lindell faces Lisa Demuth, the Minnesota House speaker, and businessman Kendall Qualls, who won the endorsement of Republican activists at the state party convention earlier this year.
A recent poll showed Lindell in the lead, but Demuth placed within the margin of error.
A poll conducted by the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication found that Klobuchar was more popular than any of the Republicans. But Lindell fared worse in a hypothetical matchup against Klobuchar than either Demuth or Qualls.
Minnesota’s Democratic Senate race is also gaining attention.
Polling for the GOP primary has former National Football League sideline reporter Michele Tafoya leading with 48% of the vote. Her closest opponent is Royce White, a former professional basketball player, with only 13%.
The Democrats are much closer. In a race similar to Michigan’s primary last week, progressive Lt. Gov. Penny Flanagan is running against the more moderate Rep. Angie Craig.
Flanagan, according to The Guardian, criticized Craig for her support of the Laken Riley Act, which required immigration detention for undocumented migrants accused of local crimes. After the killings by immigration agents in her state, Craig said she regretted her vote, writing in March that it has “become clear that supporting any bill that gives ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] new authority in this administration was the wrong decision.”
Polls show the race as a toss-up.
South Carolina
The South Carolina Senate race became unexpectedly contested after Sen. Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly on July 11. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline, to finish his term, which ends in January. Days later, with Trump’s blessing, Darline Graham announced she would seek a full six-year term.
She is facing off against nine other Republicans, including Rep. Ralph Norman, former Gov. Mark Sanford and Rep. Russell Fry. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote in the primary, the two leaders will compete in a runoff on Aug. 25.
In the most recent poll, Graham led with 26%.
The Republican nominee will face the only Democratic candidate on the ballot, pediatrician Annie Andrews. She became involved in politics after the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in 2018, running an unsuccessful campaign against Rep. Nancy Mace in 2022.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates this race as solidly Republican.
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