Voters in six states participated in primary elections on Tuesday, featuring several open-seat contests and intra-party challenges. In Wisconsin and Minnesota, Democratic candidates from different wings of the party faced off for gubernatorial and Senate nominations, while South Carolina Republicans voted to fill the vacancy left by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The primary elections occurred following several shifts in candidate lineups. In Wisconsin, the Democratic gubernatorial race was reshaped by the late withdrawals of former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. In South Carolina, a special election was triggered by the death of Sen. Graham last month, leading to the temporary appointment of his sister, Darline Graham, who then entered the race for a full term.
In the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor, state lawmaker Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, faced Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a moderate endorsed by Gov. Tony Evers. In Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig competed for the Democratic Senate nomination to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith. Meanwhile, CBS News projected that South Carolina's Republican primary would proceed to a runoff between Darline Graham and a second candidate, as no one in the 10-person field secured a majority on Tuesday.
For residents in Alabama, the primary followed a Supreme Court ruling involving the Voting Rights Act, which led to the redrawing of congressional districts. This change moved the 2nd District into the "likely Republican" category according to Sabato's Crystal Ball, directly impacting the reelection prospects of Rep. Shomari Figures (D-AL) and the approximately 700,000 residents of that district. In Connecticut, the primary results included a projected victory for Gov. Ned Lamont (D) and the defeat of 14-term incumbent Rep. John Larson (D-CT), marking a shift in long-standing representation for the 1st District.
The results will shape the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In Minnesota, where a Republican has not won a Senate seat since 2002, the GOP is attempting to gain ground in a state won by Kamala Harris by four points in 2024. The next steps include a runoff election in South Carolina later this month to finalize the Republican Senate nominee. General elections for all these positions are scheduled for November.