What to know about this week’s US primary elections
Primaries are set to take place in Alabama, California, Oklahoma, Georgia, and the national capital, Washington, DC, on Tuesday. Voters will head to the polls
Primaries are set to take place in Alabama, California, Oklahoma, Georgia, and the national capital, Washington, DC, on Tuesday. Voters will head to the polls in several states and the national capital this week as the United States takes another step towards the all-important midterm elections in November, when control of the US Congress will be on the line. The midterms will also serve as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term in office, as the Republican leader struggles with flagging popularity amid a tumultuous war against Iran that has heightened concerns over the cost of living. Primary elections, which take place to select a political party’s candidate in the general election, are scheduled in Alabama, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, and the capital city of Washington, DC. Which races are being watched, who are some of the main candidates, and what will it mean for the midterm elections? We take a look at those questions and more in this brief explainer. What elections are taking place in Alabama? Residents of the southern state of Alabama will choose a candidate in the Republican primary to succeed Senator Tommy Tuberville, who chose to run for governor rather than seek a second congressional term. A first-round vote on May 19 failed to yield a clear winner, sending two candidates, former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson and Trump-backed Congressman Barry Moore, into a Republican run-off on June 16. The race will test Trump’s continued sway over Republican voters. Trump’s endorsement helped Moore win the highest portion of votes in the first round, and the president reiterated his support for Moore last week, calling him “the best America First candidate you can imagine”. But Moore is facing a strong challenge from Hudson, who owns a security and arms training company along with a nonprofit focused on human trafficking. Moore won 39 percent of the vote in the first round compared with 26 percent for Hudson. Democrats will also select a Senate candidate, choosing between a pet aromatherapy entrepreneur, Dakarai Larriett, and a former municipal judge, Everett Wess. What time do polls open, close in Alabama?
Polls will open at 7am and close at 7pm local time on Tuesday (12:00 GMT, Tuesday and 00:00 GMT, Wednesday). Primaries for four of the state’s seven congressional districts were rescheduled for August 11, following a decision from the US Supreme Court that saw several Republican-led states rush to redraw their district maps. What elections are taking place in California? California is once again in the news, with a primary vote ahead of a special election for the seat of former House of Representatives member Eric Swalwell. Swalwell, who was a frontrunner in the race to become California governor, exited that race and resigned his House seat in April over allegations of sexual abuse. Governor Gavin Newsom announced that a special election to replace him in the state’s 14th Congressional District would take place on August 18, with a special primary on June 16. Among the best-known candidates are Democratic state Senator 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, meaning that all candidates run in a single primary regardless of party affiliation. If Democrats hold onto the seat in the firmly blue state, it would benefit their chances of retaking the US House from Republicans in November. But to the exhaustion of local voters, the seat is subject to two separate election tracks with the same main candidates. The 14th district was one of several maps redrawn as part of a redistricting measure approved by California voters, and a June 2 primary was held to decide which two candidates would compete for a full term under the newly drawn map in November. Wahab placed first and Hernandez second in that primary. The special election will decide who serves in the seat until the end of the year, with that vote taking place on August 18. What time do polls open, close in California? Polls will open at 7am and close at 8pm local time on Tuesday (14:00 GMT, Tuesday and 03:00 GMT, Wednesday). What elections are taking place in Georgia?
The BriefWire