Tuesday’s Primaries to Shape Key Races in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Vermont
Primaries held this Tuesday in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Vermont will determine the candidates for several important races that could influence control of the House and Senate in November.
While the primaries aren’t expected to be particularly dramatic, they will officially start the general election season in these four states. Wisconsin, a key battleground in presidential elections, will be especially crucial as Democrats try to maintain their narrow Senate majority.
In Wisconsin, businessman Eric Hovde, who has former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, is expected to win the Republican primary and challenge Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin. Hovde doesn’t face any major opponents in the primary.
Three other senators up for re-election—Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar, Connecticut’s Chris Murphy, and Vermont’s Bernie Sanders—will find out who their Republican challengers are on Tuesday. However, these races aren’t expected to be very competitive in the fall.
In Minnesota, Republicans hope to make the presidential race more competitive, but unseating Klobuchar will be difficult, as she has consistently won by large margins. Former NBA player Royce White, who leads the GOP field in fundraising and has the state party’s endorsement, has faced criticism over unpaid child support and controversial past comments.
Tuesday’s primaries will also set the stage for several important House races, where Republicans aim to protect their slim majority.
In Wisconsin, GOP Representatives Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil could face tough races in November. Steil is likely to face Democratic former Rep. Peter Barca, while multiple Democrats are vying to challenge Van Orden, including nonprofit leader Rebecca Cooke, state Rep. Katrina Shankland, and activist Eric Wilson.
In Minnesota and Connecticut, two potentially vulnerable House Democrats—Angie Craig and Jahana Hayes—will find out which Republican they’ll face in the general election. Hayes is likely to have a rematch in Connecticut’s 5th District against former state Senator George Logan, who she narrowly defeated in 2022.
In Minnesota’s 2nd District, Trump has endorsed Marine veteran Joe Teirab in the GOP primary to challenge Craig. Teirab is the frontrunner after his main competitor dropped out last month.
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