Senator Darline Graham faces her first real electoral test Tuesday as South Carolina holds its Republican primary for U.S. Senate, one of several high-stakes races across the country.
Graham, who holds the seat previously occupied by her late brother, former Sen. Lindsey Graham, enters the race with a significant advantage — an endorsement from President Donald Trump. But with 10 Republicans on the ballot, including sitting members of Congress and former Gov. Mark Sanford, the race is far from settled.
There is big question mark as to who's going to be, for the next six years, the next elected U.S. senator from the state of South Carolina.
Because South Carolina is a runoff state, Graham must clear 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff later this month. Failing to hit that threshold would extend the race and introduce new uncertainty into what is already a crowded field.
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Wisconsin is also drawing close attention Tuesday, where Democrats are locked in a competitive gubernatorial primary that mirrors tensions playing out across the party nationally.
Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong leads in the polls, while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley — who previously exited the race before returning — has the backing of the party establishment, including current Gov. Tony Evers.
The Wisconsin race draws a notable comparison to last week's Michigan Democratic gubernatorial primary, where progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed performed strongly. One key distinction separates the two contests: while El-Sayed earned endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, neither Sanders nor Ocasio-Cortez endorsed in the Wisconsin governor's race.
Hong's positions are also described as going further on many issues than El-Sayed's.
The outcome in Wisconsin could carry major implications, raising the question of whether a Democratic Socialist could become the state's next governor.
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