What do a wine retail magnate and Jan. 6 rioter have in common? They’re both on the ballot Tuesday.

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Tuesday brings some of the wildest primaries yet this year — with everyone from one of the biggest self-funders in history to a convicted Jan. 6 rioter trying to punch their tickets to Washington.

Four states are holding primaries, with big races in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia, along with primary runoff elections in North Carolina. These contests have split both parties and drawn millions of dollars into races that could determine who controls Washington — and state capitals — next year.

And even though the presidential matchup is set, Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia voters will also cast their ballots for the top-of-ticket race. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are poised to overwhelmingly win these primaries, but anti-Biden and anti-Trump protest votes could crop up.

Here are the races to watch today:

— Maryland: Maryland Democrats have seen an incredibly contentious primary, pitting Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks against Rep. David Trone.

Alsobrooks has the backing of most prominent Democrats in the state, including Gov. Wes Moore and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, and would be the first Black woman to represent the state in the Senate should she win in November. But the self-funding Trone has made the argument that he’s the only candidate who can beat former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who’s likely to be the GOP nominee. Hogan’s entry in the race has made Maryland an unexpected target for Republicans, although some Democrats have downplayed the GOP’s chances come fall.

Big money has played out in another way in the Democratic primary in MD-03, a safe blue seat that Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes is retiring from. United Democracy Project, the super PAC arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent more than $4 million in support of state Sen. Sarah Elfreth. The outside spending has drawn the ire of Harry Dunn, a former Capitol police officer who relied heavily on his role fighting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to bolster his pro-democracy message.

There are two other open seats that have garnered crowded Democratic primaries: MD-02, held by retiring Democratic Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, and MD-06, Trone’s district. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski is the favorite for the blue Ruppersberger seat. And April McClain-Delaney, a former Department of Commerce official and the wife of former Rep. John Delaney, is locked in a tight race to replace Trone with state Del. Joe Vogel, in what could be a competitive seat in the fall.

Polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern.

— Nebraska: Every member of Nebraska’s congressional delegation is facing a primary challenge today. But the primary to watch is Rep. Don Bacon’s in NE-02, the Omaha-based seat that Biden won by around 6 points in 2020.


Bacon is facing a challenge from businessperson Dan Frei, who’s running to his right. The incumbent is in a strong position: He’s vastly outraised his challenger and has the backing of House GOP leadership, along with Gov. Jim Pillen and the rest of the state's congressional delegation. Bacon’s allies have spent more than $1 million on the airwaves to boost him ahead of the primary.

But Frei has come close to toppling an incumbent before. When he primaried then-GOP Rep. Lee Terry a decade ago in the same district, he came just 6 points shy of winning the primary.

If Bacon loses the primary, it would create an opening for state Sen. Tony Vargas, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Democrats are already bullish on the seat after the results of the midterms, when Vargas lost to Bacon by just 3 points.

Polls close at 9 p.m. Eastern.


— North Carolina: The Tarheel State is pretty quiet on Tuesday, with a primary runoff for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor being the biggest attraction. There’s little drama in the open, red NC-13, where Kelly Daughtry, the top vote-getter in March who dropped millions on her campaign, unexpectedly ended her bid earlier this month. That clears a path for Brad Knott, whom Trump endorsed last month. (Daughtry will still appear on the ballot.)

Polls close at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

— West Virginia: A throughline in West Virginia’s GOP primaries: Who’s the most loyal to Trump?

The NRSC has a chance to flex its muscle, as its backed candidate, Gov. Jim Justice, is the favorite over Rep. Alex Mooney in the GOP primary for Senate to succeed Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. Justice, who also has Trump’s endorsement, has slammed Club for Growth-backed Mooney for wanting to “cling to Trump's coattails.”

Either will be a massive favorite in November against the eventual Democratic candidate. There is a three-way race there: Manchin-endorsed Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott, veteran Zach Shrewsbury or Don Blankenship, a former coal executive who was imprisoned for conspiring to violate safety standards and who unsuccessfully ran for the seat in 2018 as a Republican.

The GOP primary to replace Justice has become a messy and expensive affair among state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey; businessperson Chris Miller, the son of Rep. Carol Miller; and former state Del. Moore Capito, the son of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. Accusations of insufficient support for Trump — who has not endorsed in the primary — and allegations that the men support transgender rights have dominated the messaging in the race.

Loyalty to Trump has also emerged as a factor in the primary for WV-01, a deep red seat held by Republican Rep. Carol Miller. The incumbent faces a challenge from former state Del. Derrick Evans, who served prison time for his participation in the Capitol riot and is leaning into the “Jan. 6 political prisoner” label in his campaign.

It’s a far less contentious primary in WV-02 to replace Mooney. State Treasurer Riley Moore has Speaker Mike Johnson’s backing among the crowded field.

Polls close at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

A version of this story first appeared in POLITICO Pro’s Morning Score newsletter. Sign up for POLITICO Pro.