Voters will head to the polls this week in multiple states and the nation’s capital as the United States takes another step toward the pivotal November midterm elections for control of Congress.
The midterm elections will also serve as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term in office. That’s because Republican leaders are struggling with waning popularity as the war with Iran escalates and concerns about the cost of living grow.
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Primary elections to select party candidates for the general election are scheduled in Alabama, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Washington, DC.
Which races are being watched, who are the leading candidates, and what does it mean for the midterm elections? This brief will address these questions and more.
What kind of elections are held in Alabama?
Residents of the southern state of Alabama will choose a candidate in the Republican primary to succeed U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who chose to run for governor rather than seek a second term in Congress.
The first round of voting on May 19 did not determine a clear winner, and two candidates, former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson and pro-Trump Rep. Barry Moore, were sent to a June 16 Republican runoff.
The race will test Trump’s continued influence with Republican voters. Thanks to President Trump’s support, Moore received the most votes in the first round, and the president reiterated his support for Moore last week, calling him “the best American first candidate imaginable.”
But Moore faces a strong challenge from Hudson. Mr. Hudson runs a security and weapons training company and a nonprofit organization focused on human trafficking.
In the first round, Moore received 39% of the vote, compared to 26% for Hudson.
Democrats will also select their Senate candidates, choosing between pet aromatherapy entrepreneur Dakarai Larriet and former district judge Everett Wess.
What time does voting start and end in Alabama?
Voting will open at 7am local time on Tuesday and close at 7pm local time (12pm GMT on Tuesdays and 12pm GMT on Wednesdays).
Primary elections for four of the state’s seven congressional districts have been rescheduled for Aug. 11, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that led several Republican-led states to rush to redraw their district maps.
What kind of elections are held in California?
California is once again in the news as primary voting takes place ahead of a special election for former Congressman Eric Swalwell’s seat.
Swalwell was a front-runner in the California gubernatorial race, but withdrew from the race and resigned from the House of Representatives in April amid allegations of sexual abuse.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that a special election to replace him in the state’s 14th Congressional District will be held on August 18th, followed by a special primary election on June 16th.
Some of the best-known candidates include Democratic state Sen. Aisha Wahab, former Dublin mayor and Bay Area Rapid Transit board member Melissa Hernandez, and Republican real estate investor Wendy Huang.
California has an open primary system, where all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, run in a single primary. If Democrats hold onto seats in resolutely blue states, they will have a better chance of taking back the U.S. House of Representatives from Republicans in November.
However, due to local voter fatigue, this seat has been the subject of two separate electoral courses by the same main candidate.
The 14th District was one of several maps redrawn as part of California’s voter-approved redistricting plan, and a primary election was held on June 2 to determine which two candidates would run for a full term under the newly drawn map in November. In that primary, Mr. Wahab came in first place, and Mr. Hernandez came in second.
A special election will determine who will hold the seat until the end of the year, with voting taking place on Aug. 18.
What time does voting start and end in California?
Voting will start at 7am local time on Tuesday and close at 8pm (14:00 GMT on Tuesday and 03:00 GMT on Wednesday).
What kind of elections are held in Georgia?
Voters in Georgia will choose candidates for the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races, and the southern state is being watched as a hot battleground for control of the U.S. Senate in November.
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is up for re-election, but Republicans want to seize his seat and limit Democrats’ path to a majority in the upper chamber.
His opponent in the Republican primary is Congressman Mike Collins and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley.
After the first round of preliminary voting on May 19, Collins came out on top with about 41% of the vote. Trump did not participate in the first round of primary voting, but endorsed Collins over the weekend.
Mr. Dooley said he did not vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections, further distancing himself from Mr. Trump. Governor Brian Kemp, who has clashed with President Trump in the past and is resigning, also supports Dooley.
Republicans will also make a final decision on the governor’s race, with Trump and Kemp lining up behind Lieutenant Governor Bert Jones, the top vote-getter in the first round of voting.
He failed to win a majority and will face healthcare executive Rick Jackson, who won 33% of the vote in the first round, in the runoff.
The winner receives more than 50% of the vote in the Democratic primary and will face Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, in the general election.
What time does voting start and end in Georgia?
Voting will open at 7am local time on Tuesday and close at 7pm (11am GMT and 11pm GMT).
What kind of elections are held in Oklahoma?
The midwestern state of Oklahoma is holding a series of primaries for federal and state-level positions, with the most closely watched race to replace Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Nine candidates have gathered in the race to succeed Stitt, who cannot run again due to term limits. They include current and former state officials such as Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former Public Safety Secretary Chip Keating, former state Sen. Mike Mazzei and former state House Speaker Charles McCall.
President Trump supports Mazzei, and polls show him in a close race with Drummond.
Democrats are expected to select candidates including state House Minority Leader Cindy Munson and former state Sen. Connie Johnson.
The primary race to replace Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, whom President Trump nominated to head the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is also drawing attention. Mr Mullin’s successor, Senator Alan Armstrong, has decided not to seek a full term.
In that race, Trump supported Congressman Kevin Hahn.
Hahn and Democratic candidate Jim Priest, a lawyer and minister, are leading their respective fields in fundraising, and Republicans generally have an advantage in national elections in red states.
Voters will also weigh in on a measure known as State Question 832 on whether to raise the state’s minimum wage.
What time does voting start and end in Oklahoma?
Voting will open at 7am local time on Tuesday and close at 7pm local time (12pm GMT on Tuesdays and 12pm GMT on Wednesdays).
What kind of elections are held in Washington DC?
District-wide primaries are also being held in the capital, Washington, D.C., with several local and federal government positions up for grabs.
Last year, the city became a hub for President Trump’s deployment of federal agents and troops to primarily Democratic-led U.S. cities, and a competitive Democratic mayoral primary race is underway following the retirement of three-term mayor Muriel Bowser.
The fight to replace Bowser highlights the division between progressives and establishment factions within the Democratic Party, with organizations aligned with Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders lining up behind Rep. Janice Lewis George in the 4th District.
Meanwhile, Bowser and other prominent members of the NDP have expressed support for Councilor Kenya McDuffie.
President Trump last week threatened to consider a federal takeover of the city if he voted for Louis George.
The city will also vote on non-voting delegates to the U.S. Congress.
What time do polling places open and close in Washington, DC?
Voting will open at 7am local time on Tuesday and close at 8pm local time (Tuesday at 11am GMT, Wednesday at 12am GMT).
