Voters in three states will go to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in primaries that could help decide the Senate majority in November.
The Democrats in the Senate currently have a narrow majority of 51 seats, but are facing an unfriendly situation this election season.
The states holding primaries on Tuesday — Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska — are generally considered safe red or blue states, but based on who’s running for office, this could lead to some commotion this fall.
Republicans are trying to win back the House after missing their chance in the 2022 midterm elections.
Competitive primaries in Maryland
Maryland voters head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the state’s Senate primary, where the Democratic race for the nomination is fiercely competitive and Republicans could force a competitive race in the generally blue state in November .
It is an open race to fill the seat vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Ben Cardin. The 80-year-old announced a year ago that he would not seek another term.
Angela Alsobrooks and Congressman David Trone appear to be neck-and-neck in the Democratic primaries.
Alsobrooks is at 42 percent among the Democratic primary voters, while Trone is at 41 percent, according to the latest Emerson College poll. Several other recent polls had Trone in the lead in the razor-thin race.
Alsobrooks has been executive director of Prince George’s County, just outside Washington, DC, since 2018.
She has the support of Maryland Democratic heavyweights, including Governor Wes Moore, Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Jamie Raskin.
If she wins the primary and is elected in November, she would be the first Black woman elected to the Senate from the state and the only Black woman to serve in the Senate nationwide.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is endorsed by Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Jamie Raskin
Representative David Trone has been a congressman since 2019 and has poured more than $50 million of his own money into the race
Former Gov. Larry Hogan was the state’s CEO and led the state during the coronavirus pandemic
Senator Ben Cardin announced he would retire at the end of his final term. He has been a member of the Senate since 2007
Trone has been a member of Congress since 2019 and represents Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, which includes several suburbs of Washington, DC.
While Alsobrooks has the support of the state’s top Democrats, Trone, a businessman, has a whopping cash advantage.
Trone has poured more than $54 million of his own money into his campaign through April 24, according to federal election filings.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary will face likely Republican Senate candidate Larry Hogan.
Hogan, a critic of Donald Trump, served as Republican Party governor in the blue state from 2015 to 2023 and left office with high marks from both Democrats and Republicans.
The latest general election poll from Emerson College shows Alsobrooks and Trone both have him leading in the race, but other polls show Hogan leading by as much as double digits, indicating his entry into the Senate fight has made the battle much more competitive this fall.
Voters cast their ballots during the Maryland primary on May 14 in Chester, MD
A voter casts his ballot during the Maryland primary on May 14, 2024
Nearly $60 million was spent on the Maryland Senate primary alone, making it one of the most expensive. The vast majority of that spending has been made by Trone, which has dropped more than $45 million in advertising in the race.
The polling stations close at 8:00 PM Dutch time.
Joe Manchin’s departure from the Senate paves the way for a Republican from West Virginia
West Virginia has become a deep red state, with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin becoming the last Democrat to hold statewide office. But Manchin is not running for re-election.
His retirement from the Senate means Republicans will most likely take the open seat in November. Cook Political Report rates it solidly Republican.
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced in November that he would not seek re-election, paving the way for Republicans to flip the seat.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice held up the back of his dog Babydog during his State of the State address in the West Virginia House chamber in 2022
West Virginia’s Republican governor, Jim Justice, is leading by double digits in the Republican Senate primary
Former Democrat turned Republican governor Jim Justice is the front-runner in the Republican Senate race in West Virginia.
Justice is one of the richest people in the state and has the name recognition to match his position as governor since 2017.
Justice’s biggest opponent in the Republican party primaries is Congressman Alex Mooney.
Mooney has been a member of Congress since 2015. He’s getting a boost from the conservative super PAC Club for Growth Action, but Justice is leading in the polls by double digits.
Democrats running in the primary include former coal executive Don Blankenship, who served prison time for violating mine safety rules, Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliot and Navy veteran and community activist Zachary Shrewsbury.
Polls in the state close at 7:30 PM ET.
Nebraska will hold two Senate primaries
In Nebraska, voters are casting ballots in two Senate races thanks to the 2022 retirement of former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse.
In one race, Republican Senator Deb Fischer is up for re-election and seeking her third term. She is being challenged in the Republican primaries by Arron Kowalski.
Although the race is not considered competitive, Fischer does not have the support of the state Republican Party.
Nebraska voters are casting their ballots in two Senate races. Senator Fischer is up for re-election and Senator Pete Ricketts faces a special election as he has been appointed to fill the seat vacated by former Senator Ben Sasse
Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, who was appointed when Sasse retired, is running in the special election to serve two more years.
Ricketts is leading in a race against GOP challengers John Glen Weaver and Mac Stevens, but he also failed to receive an endorsement from the state party.
Also in Nebraska, Rep. Don Bacon faces a primary challenger in Nebraska’s second congressional district, which serves as a bellwether for the presidential election.
Representative Don Bacon and his wife Angie Bacon vote during the Nebraska primaries
Bacon, who has been in office since 2017, won re-election in 2020, but Biden also won the district with more than 56 percent.
Bacon is being challenged by businessman Dan Frei, who is backed by the state Republican Party.
Whoever wins the primary will face a tough primary against Democrat Tony Vargas, who lost to Bacon by fewer than 6,000 votes in the 2022 midterms.