By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) – An oyster farmer and political newcomer besieged by questions about his sexting practices. A Republican congresswoman who was years ago branded “disloyal” and “nasty” by President Donald Trump.
These are two of the story lines we are watching on Tuesday as primary voters go to the polls in Maine, South Carolina, Nevada and North Dakota.
Graham Platner will likely be the winner of Maine’s U.S. Senate Democratic primary, even though his own party has the jitters over a New York Times report quoting former girlfriends saying he at times behaved in ways they described as unsettling.
Meanwhile, in the South Carolina primary for governor, Representative Nancy Mace could be the latest casualty of Trump’s efforts to topple fellow Republican officeholders after she demanded the release of the government’s Jeffrey Epstein files.
THE MAINE EVENT
Democrats had high hopes of capturing a U.S. Senate seat from Republicans in Maine, where five-term Senator Susan Collins is running for reelection at a time when voters are soured by high consumer prices and the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Platner, a former combat Marine, built momentum on a pitch as a man of the people that resonated with moderates and progressives, drew substantial campaign funding and led Democratic Governor Janet Mills to suspend her primary bid.
Now, the married Platner is fighting off reports he sent sexually explicit texts to multiple women last year. Platner, 41, has apologized for the behavior and said he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression following combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The big question: Does any of this matter, considering that Trump himself has thrived politically despite successive controversies over his alleged extramarital activities including a videotape in which he is heard boasting of grabbing women’s genitals. The answer could determine whether Democrats can capture majority control of the Senate.
If Platner cannot put the controversy to rest, he could be facing intra-party pressure to drop out of the race by July 13, the deadline for putting a replacement on the November ballot.
GOLDEN MOMENT FOR REPUBLICANS?
Representative Jared Golden, one of the most moderate Democrats in the U.S. Congress, is retiring and Republicans can taste victory in the race for his replacement.
Former Republican Governor Paul LePage is running for the seat in a district that Trump won in 2024 and he has Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” as the president likes to say.
Three Democrats appeared to be locked in a tight race for their party’s nomination. This race could help define whether Republicans hold onto their narrow U.S. House majority.
ANOTHER TRUMP PRIMARY TARGET
Already in this year’s primary elections Trump-backed candidates have defeated Republican Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, John Cornyn of Texas and Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Will Representative Nancy Mace lose out too as she seeks the Republican nomination for governor? That is looking more and more likely following Trump’s late May endorsement of South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, who is running on an “America First” platform.
A crowded field could result in a June 23 runoff between the top two contenders. The Cook Political Report has raised the prospect of Mace failing to make the cut.
The Republican primary winner is expected to also win the November general election as it has been nearly three decades since a Democrat has been elected governor in this Republican-leaning state.
DEMOCRATS’ NEVADA GAMBLE
If Democrats are to win control of the House of Representatives in November they need to hang on to Nevada’s 3rd congressional district, a Las Vegas-area seat now held by Democrat Susie Lee.
Trump narrowly won the district in 2024, but Lee also won her race by nearly 7 percentage points and the seat is one of 13 that Trump won that are currently held by Democrats.
Lee is seeking renomination against cardiologist James Lally, a self-funded Republican-turned-Democrat who has infused his campaign with $1 million.
Republicans have a four-way primary, led by three largely self-funded candidates: Trump-endorsed video game composer Marty O’Donnell, neurosurgeon Aury Nagy and former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter. The fourth candidate is businesswoman Tera Anderson.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Michael Learmonth and Howard Goller)
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