Voters in Colorado, New York, South Carolina and Utah will vote Tuesday in key races that will highlight friction within both parties and test former President Trump’s endorsement power.
In particular, all eyes will be on Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (DN.Y.) high-profile primary, which has turned into a proxy battle between competing wings of the Democratic Party. But there are also other highlights across the country.
Here are five things to watch.
Bowman’s moment of truth
Bowman’s primary in the Empire State divided Democrats and highlighted partisan tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war.
Bowman, member of the progressive Squad and one of the voices that called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, is on a difficult path to re-election against Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
Bowman is supported by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.), while Latimer is supported by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Representative Mondaire Jones (DN.Y .
Latimer also has the support of the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee, which spilled millions in campaigns this cycle. An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll earlier this month showed Latimer with a 17-point lead.
The race could serve as both the end for Bowman and the first time an incumbent House Democrat has lost this year.
Another test of Trump’s endorsement power
Trump’s endorsement power has been demonstrated in several primaries since his historic conviction in a Manhattan criminal trial last month. The legal blow failed to dent the former president’s momentum as he headed toward a rematch with President Biden, and his candidates continued to score victories in key races.
Trump’s influence will be put to the test again in several contests on Tuesday. In Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, he Supported state party chairman Dave Williams instead of radio host Jeff Crank.
In Utah, Rep. Celeste Maloy (R) is running for a full term in the seat she held through a special election last year, and although she has Trump’s support, the state party has rejected her for its official endorsement.
Trump also supported conservative candidate Trent Staggs against more moderate Rep. John Curtis for Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R) Utah seat, although Curtis is seen as the favorite.
Boebert’s likely resurgence
Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert (R) nearly lost to Democrat Adam Frisch by a razor-thin margin of 546 votes for her 3rd Congressional District seat during the midterms.
When fellow Colorado Republican Ken Buck announced last year that he was leaving his seat in the 4th Congressional District, Boebert switched to that district, which is seen as more Republican-friendly. Buck accelerated his retirement, leaving office earlier this year and reducing the GOP’s slim majority in the House.
Although the controversial Boebert has been accused of cheating as she faces a crowded primary field for Buck’s seat, she is the clear favorite to win Tuesday’s primary. And if she wins the party’s approval, she will be the clear favorite in November’s general election. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report ranks his former 3rd District seat as Republican — while the 4th District is solidly republican.
A Special Election in Colorado Will Test Dem and GOP Enthusiasm
Buck’s departure from the Chamber triggered a special election to fill your vacancy, which is separate from the race this will see Boebert fighting for a full term.
The Republican candidate for Buck’s seat is former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez, who is not running for a full term. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ pick, speechwriter Trisha Calvarese, is in both races. They face two other third-party candidates and will appear on the ballot alongside the race for a full term.
While the seat is a long shot for Democrats, observers will be closely watching turnout in the special elections to see how Democratic enthusiasm compares with that of the Republican Party. A special election in a ruby-red Ohio district earlier this month caught many by surprise when the Democrat came close to winning.
“It remains highly unlikely that Democrats will flip the 4th District, but if any Republican can put it into play, they believe it will be Lopez,” Matthew Klein of the Cook Political Report said in a statement. analysis.
Are there any surprises in the Utah governor’s race?
The Utah Republican Party snubbed popular incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox when he backed a primary challenger from his right, exposing tensions among Republicans in the red state.
The moderate Cox is still the favorite to win another term in the governor’s mansion, but the state party’s roughly 4,000 delegates booed him and sided with Phil Lyman, a strong Trump supporter, at its convention earlier this year.
Cox has told the media that he has not voted for a major presidential candidate since 2012, while Lyman he said he has supported the former president “unapologetically” since 2016. Lyman was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after being convicted of a misdemeanor related to illegally operating an all-terrain vehicle on public lands.
Cox collected enough signatures to secure an alternative path to the ballot and will appear in Tuesday’s primary despite failing to win his party’s nomination. Voting put him as the clear favorite over Lyman, but while Republicans are also fighting to replace the retiring Romney, who is an outspoken critic of Trump, the results could still show a notable percentage of voters souring on moderates in the GOP. .
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
