It's Tuesday evening, and we're back again — with primaries and/or special elections in six states: Alabama, Connecticut, Minnesota, South Carolina, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
One of the more closely watched contests Tuesday evening is one that wasn't anticipated until a month ago, when Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) passed away suddenly. His beloved sister, Darline Graham (Nordone), was quickly appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R) to succeed him, and announced her intent to run for the contested seat not long after that. She's squaring off against a crowded field that includes Republican Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-05) and former Rep. and Gov. Mark Sanford. This one could very well head to a runoff on August 25.
Alabama is holding four special primary elections today due to congressional redistricting in the wake of the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision. The winner of the Republican primary in newly drawn CD-2 will face off against the current Democrat Rep. for the 2nd District, Shomari Figures.
Connecticut's gubernatorial and CD-1 Democrat primaries both feature long-time incumbents (Gov. Ned Lamont and Rep. John Larson) fending off upstart challengers (state Rep. Josh Elliott and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, respectively).
Minnesota's got a hotly contested Senate primary on the Democrat side, with current Sen. Tina Smith exiting — Rep. Angie Craig (MN-02) and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are duking it out in that one. On the Republican side, former sports broadcaster Michelle Tafoya is running in a crowded field that also includes former NBA player Royce White and Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze. And then, of course, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) is vying for the Minnesota Governor's Mansion (and an odds-on favorite to win that one), which ultimately would/will open up her seat to an appointment, presumably by outgoing Gov. Tim Walz.
Neither the Vermont gubernatorial contest nor the at-large primary for its House seat is thought to be much in play, so Vermont, unfortunately, gets short shrift this evening.
That leaves Wisconsin, and the drama surrounding the Democrat gubernatorial primary there, with state Assemblymember Francesca Hong (a proud Democratic Socialist — though suddenly moderating that progressive rhetoric of late) vying against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. The winner of that match-up is likely to face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07) in November.
Poll closing times are as follows:
- Alabama: 8:00 PM ET
- Connecticut: 8:00 PM ET
- Minnesota: 9:00 PM ET
- South Carolina: 7:00 PM ET
- Vermont: 7:00 PM ET
- Wisconsin: 9:00 PM ET
We'll be watching the returns here at RedState, and you can, too. We'll bring you the live results right here, thanks to our partnership with Decision Desk HQ, so be sure to check in — and participate in the comments below. (And if you don't see the race you're looking for, click on the down arrow at the right of the field just under "Race," and it will give you a dropdown menu to choose from.)
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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