Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) during a debate with her Republican opponent in the 2024 general election, Nick Begich, at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association’s annual conference in Anchorage, August 28, 2024.
Ellen Schmidt Las Vegas Review Journal | Tribune News Service | Getty Images
The primary season continues on Tuesday, with voters in Alaska, Florida and Wyoming heading to the polls to choose their party’s candidates for November’s midterm elections, which are less than three months away.
November’s midterm elections will determine control of Congress for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. If Democrats, who lead in public opinion polls, take control of one or both chambers of Congress, it could significantly limit legislation and increase scrutiny of the White House and industry over the next two years.
“President Trump’s approval ratings have declined on a variety of issues, boosting Democratic prospects,” says a recent analysis by TD Cowen. “A divided government can lead to policy gridlock.”
Tuesday’s election came after races in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota over the past few weeks, and was closely watched on the Democratic side as the party struggles to decide whether to move further to the left or move more toward the center after a crushing 2024 loss. In the Senate primaries, Democrats nominated progressives Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota. At the same time, democratic socialist Francesca Hong fell behind centrist David Crowley in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary.
Progressive candidates are surging in primaries across the country, pushing for universal health care, known as “Medicare for All,” taxing the wealthy and getting tough on corporations.
alaska
Alaska voters head to the polls on Tuesday in a series of elections featuring a Senate race for the seat currently held by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). Alaska’s primary elections are not divided by political party, and the top four vote-getters will advance to the ranked general election in November.
Sullivan, who is running for re-election, faces a stiff challenge from former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola. The former congressman lost reelection in 2024, but won a second statewide election in Alaska in 2022, giving Democrats hope that she can oust Sullivan.
The Cook Political Report rates the Alaska Senate as a mess, making it a key issue in the battle for control of the Senate.
Mr. Peltola, unlike Mr. Flanagan and Mr. El-Sayed, is running a centrist campaign. She wants to pass targeted tax credits for oil and gas refineries in Alaska and permitting reform to move energy projects forward more quickly. But Mr. Peltola, drawing on left-leaning voices, calls for eliminating the federal income tax for Alaskans making less than $92,000 a year, paid for by higher taxes on millionaires and billionaires.
Mr. Peltola also rejects ties to the national Democratic Party, and has recently moved to distance himself from supporting 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to the New York Times.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) speaks to reporters in the office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) before a session at the U.S. Capitol on June 1, 2023, in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
Sullivan, a Marine Corps veteran, has represented Alaska in the Senate since 2015. He serves on the military, commerce, environment, public works, and veterans affairs committees. He is generally a reliable vote for Republicans, in contrast to Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who is one of the Senate’s swing votes.
Sullivan is backed by Trump, who carried the state by about 13 percentage points in 2024.
Daniel Sullivan, a former teacher who shares the same last name as the current senator, is also running as a Republican in Alaska’s Senate primary. Sen. Sullivan accused the other Sullivan of being a Democratic operative intent on confusing voters and siphoning votes from his campaign. That could become an issue in November if the Sullivans make it through the primary.
florida
Rep. Byron Donald (R-Central Florida) speaks to members of the media in Statuary Hall on his way to the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington.
Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Data centers will be the biggest issue among voters in Florida’s gubernatorial and Senate primaries on Tuesday, according to a recent Politico report. Hyperscalers are reportedly having trouble getting their projects across the finish line in the state due to backlash.
Many candidates are vying to distance themselves from facilities powered by artificial intelligence as voters push back against rising utility prices.
Congressman Byron Donald (R-Florida) is President Trump’s favored candidate to replace term-limited Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Donald is a heavy favorite in the Republican gubernatorial primary, which also includes Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and investor James Fishback.
According to Bloomberg, AI companies are investing millions of dollars to support Donald Trump.
Donald is pushing for data center builders to make their own payments in the state, similar to the White House’s ratepayer protection pledge to ensure hyperscalers can pay for increased utility bills. His campaign denies that campaign contributions from Big Tech will sway his support for data centers as governor.
DeSantis signed tough legislation on this issue, including a ban on shifting data center costs to ratepayers and new powers for local communities to veto data center construction.
Meanwhile, Collins argued, “The Florida Strong Standard requires operators to fund their own project infrastructure and meet Florida’s water, reliability, and ratepayer requirements so families and seniors are not stuck with Big Tech’s subsidies for their power needs.”
Fishbach then went further, saying he would ban data centers in “all 67 counties by preventing county commissions from approving data centers in the first place.”
Democrats have struggled mightily in Florida during the Trump administration. But he’s hoping his luck will improve this year, as former Republican-turned-independent Rep. David Jolly is campaigning for his party’s gubernatorial nomination. Recent general election polls have shown that Jolie is trailing, but well within striking distance of Donald Trump.
A Senate primary election will also be held in Florida. Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Florida) is running to replace current Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the end of his term. She is expected to face Democratic primary winners including military veteran Alex Vindman and state politician Angela Nixon.
wyoming
Congresswoman-elect Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) arrives on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington for the 118th Congressional Incoming Class Photo on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.
Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call Inc. | Getty Images
Wyoming voters will also head to the polls to decide who will replace Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who is retiring at the end of her term. Lummis, known as the “Queen of Cryptocurrency,” is a key figure in pushing for legislation related to cryptocurrencies.
Representative Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) has secured President Trump’s support and is considered a likely candidate to replace Mr. Lummis.
Although Hagemann is a firm vote in favor of cryptocurrencies, he has not made it a top priority like Lummis. Instead, Hageman is focused on curbing federal overreach and resource problems.
In Wyoming, a Democrat has not won a statewide office since 2006, when former Gov. Dave Freudenthal was reelected. Democratic candidates for the Senate race include state Rep. James Byrd.
