7 Races To Watch On The First Big Primary Day Of The Pandemic
Tuesday marks the first major multistate election day since the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, with the nominations for critical House and Senate races up for grabs and a number of nationally known politicians at risk of losing their seats.
Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Dakota are all holding primaries on Tuesday. Races across the eight states will point to additional signs about the direction of both the Democratic and Republican parties. Will Republicans tolerate Trump-like rhetoric on race from a candidate other than Donald Trump? Does Democrats’ preference for Joe Biden-like moderation translate down-ballot? How does the shift to vote-by-mail impact pandemic-era turnout?
The highest-profile contest is likely in rural northwest Iowa, where GOP Rep. Steve King, who has a long history of racist remarks, is trying to fend off a challenge from a fellow Republican. Meanwhile, the Democratic nomination to challenge GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is up for grabs, with Washington Democrats spending heavily to get their favored candidate over the finish line.
In New Mexico, former CIA agent Valerie Plame ― a Bush-era liberal darling ― is struggling to win the Democratic nomination in a district centered around Santa Fe. In the state’s southern half, Democrats are interfering in an already brutal Republican primary, hoping to pick an opponent for one of the GOP’s most vulnerable House members.
And in Montana, a third-party primary where it’s unlikely more than a few thousand votes will be cast could play a crucial role in determining control of the U.S. Senate.
None of Tuesday’s contests are likely to reveal much about how American politics will shift following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody and the resulting protests. Mail-in ballots mean many people voted before Floyd’s death, and most of the races are taking place far from major urban...
