Welcome, PJ Media readers! We have another exciting night of primaries for you. This week, six states head to the polls: Alabama, South Carolina, Vermont, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Let's take a closer look at what's at stake for each one.
Alabama
In deep red Alabama, voters are going to the polls for special primaries in U.S. House Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7. It all stems from a June 2026 decision by the Supreme Court that allows the state to adopt a 2023 congressional map, despite a lower court ruling that the redistricting plan intentionally discriminates against black people.
The new map heavily favors the GOP and could help the party pick up some congressional seats in November. In all but one of the districts, the Republican who wins on Tuesday night will face off against a Democrat nominee who is running unopposed. Only District 6, which is in Central Alabama, will see both Republican and Democrat primaries.
There will be no runoffs. Whoever wins in each primary is the nominee. Polls close at 8 PM ET.
South Carolina
South Carolina is, of course, going to the polls for a special Republican primary that was triggered by Lindsey Graham’s sudden death in July. It's a crowded field, led by Sen. Darline Graham (Lindsey's sister, who is currently serving out the rest of his term and has Donald Trump's support), Rep. Russell Fry, Rep. Ralph Norman, businessman Mark Lynch, and former governor and Appalachian Trail enthusiast Mark Sanford.
My friend and colleague Jennifer Rust has been covering this for us, and last week, she reported some poll numbers:
Besides the Emerson poll, which had Norman ahead, the Trafalgar Group conducted a poll July 28-30 with 989 respondents and a 2.9% margin of error. This poll showed Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) ahead with 27%, Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) tied with 17.4% each, Sanford at 15.1%, and Mark Lynch at 8.1%. The rest of the 10 candidates were polling at 1% or lower. Undecided came in at 12.4%.
Co/efficient polled 837 likely Republican primary voters in the same time period, with a margin of error of 3.3%. The results were in the same order as Trafalgar, with slightly different numbers: Graham at 30%, Fry at 16%, Norman at 15%, Sanford at 9% and Lynch at 6%. Undecided was 20% in this poll.
The one sure thing: There will be a runoff on Aug. 25.
As Jennifer suggests, if no one candidate reaches 50%, there will be a runoff on the 25th. Polls close at 7 PM ET.
Vermont
The land of Bernie Sanders is holding its statewide primaries on Tuesday. Republican Gov. Phil Scott is running unopposed, hoping to win another term in a deeply blue state. His potential opponents on the Dem side include Amanda Janoo, an economist, and Aly Richards, the former CEO of a child-advocacy group.
Another biggie is the race for lieutenant governor, where incumbent Republican John Rodgers will learn who he'll face in his battle for reelection in November. Right now, it's a three-way race between Democrats Esther Charlestin, Molly Gray, and Ryan McLaren.
Democrat Rep. Becca Balint's seat in the House is also up for grabs. She runs unopposed in her primary, while there's a battle between Republicans Mark Coester and Gerald Malloy.
Vermont's polls close at 7 PM ET.
Connecticut
Connecticut also has statewide and congressional primaries, and while the most notable races are all about the Democrats, there is something else to watch for: infighting. We're going to see if older establishment types can go up against younger newcomers who have a more progressive agenda.
The first biggie is Gov. Ned Lamont seeking another term but also facing a challenge from the more progressive state Rep. Josh Elliott. Lamont is likely to win, and he won the party convention endorsement, but Elliott is popular enough that he forced a primary.
The other is the state's First Congressional District, a seat that is currently held by Rep. John Larson. He's 78 years old and has held the seat since 1999. He faces three Democrat challengers: former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin, state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, and Hartford Board of Education member Ruth Fortune. Bronin is the frontrunner heading into Election Day.
Polls close in Connecticut at 8 PM ET.
Minnesota
Minnesota is also holding statewide primaries, but the two big ones to watch are the race for the U.S. Senate and the race to replace disgraced outgoing Gov. Tim Walz.
Democrat Tina Smith is retiring after holding the Senate seat for eight years, and the field to replace her is pretty crowded, particularly on the Republican side. Former journalist and sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya leads the GOP field in most polling.
For the Dems, once again, you have the newer progressive wing of the party represented by Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan vs. the more moderate Rep. Angie Craig. There are other candidates, but it will come down to these two. This has been one of the most heavily funded races in the country.
In the race to replace Walz, Sen. Amy Klobuchar will most likely be the Democrats' nominee. On the Republican side, it all comes down to three people: Trump-backed Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow; Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth; and businessman and veteran Kendall Qualls, who has the state party's endorsement.
Minnesota's polls close at 9 PM ET.
Wisconsin
Last but not least, Wisconsin's governor's race is the one to watch in the Badger State. Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany should easily win the GOP's primary, but the Democrats' side is a bit more crowded. Some candidates dropped out over the summer, but now it's basically down to four contenders: socialist Democratic Socialist and state Rep. Francesca Hong; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley; Joel Brennan, an administration official for outgoing governor Tony Evers; and Kelda Roys, a state senator from Madison.
Once again, Democrats find themselves choosing between traditional establishment candidates and, quite frankly, socialism.
Polls close at 9 PM ET.
As always, you can find the latest results below courtesy of our friends at Decision Desk HQ.
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