Tuesday marks another primary election day in a handful of states — Maine, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Nevada — and while not all the races are contested, there are several in which Trump-endorsed candidates are challenging incumbent Republicans in showdowns between two camps within the GOP. The former president is currently 110-7 in the midterm primaries, per Ballotpedia, but there have been a few losses for his picks — most notably Madison Cawthorn, Charles Herbster, David Perdue, and Jody Hice. Here's what Townhall is watching on Tuesday.
SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina's House primaries contains some of the most contentious GOP contests this week. Incumbent Rep. Tom Rice faces six challengers in the Seventh Congressional District after he voted for Democrats' second impeachment of former President Donald Trump.
State Rep. Russell Fry — who landed Trump's endorsement — has a chance at unseating the incumbent, but conflicting internal and outside polls means Tuesday's result is still anyone's guess depending on whose tea leaves you're reading.
Then, over in the First Congressional District, incumbent GOP Rep. Nancy Mace faces a challenge from Trump-endorsed former Katie Arrington who was the GOP's candidate in 2018 but lost to a Democrat Mace subsequently bested the following cycle.
Trump also endorsed incumbent Rep. William Timmons in the Fourth Congressional District, where the GOP congressman faces challenges from his former adviser, George Abuzeid, pastor Mark Burns, and retiree Michael LaPierre, most of whom make the case that Timmons is not conservative enough.
On the Democrats' side, Rep. James Clyburn is being challenged for the Sixth Congressional District — a seat he's held since 1993 — by teacher Gregg Marcel Dixon and chiropractor Michael Addison. Clyburn's 2020 endorsement of Joe Biden was a turning point in the Democrat primary that ushered the former Vice President to victory in the state's presidential primary and righted his struggling candidacy for a path to nomination.
Apparently, being considered responsible for Biden's victory in the primaries is no longer a position of power among Democrats in 2022.
NEVADA
In Nevada, former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt — who Trump endorsed — is the favorite to win the GOP Senate primary in a bid to unseat incumbent Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. Laxalt, who was recently clocked 14 points ahead of his closest competitor, will appear on the GOP ballot against Army veteran Sam Brown — whose grassroots campaign has narrowed Laxalt's lead in the closing days of the campaign — and Sharelle Mendenhall, Air Force veteran Bill Hockstedler, and a smattering of long-shot candidates.
In the race to lead Nevada, incumbent Democrat Governor Steve Sisolak faces a challenge from Tom Collins, while 15 GOP candidates will compete to put the governor's mansion back in Republican hands. GOP primary candidates include Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo — Trump's pick in the race — former U.S. Senator Dean Heller, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, and former boxer Joey Gilbert.
The First Congressional District's GOP primary has former Trump campaign operative Carolina Serrano, Army veteran Mark Robertson, activist Morgun Sholty, former Rep. Cresent Hardy, and others competing to challenge Titus in November's general election.
GOP incumbent Rep. Mark Amodei is being challenged in the Second Congressional District by professional poker player Brian Nadell and Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian. Six Democrats are running in their party's primary, though the Second District covering the northern chunk of Nevada is solidly Republican.
Republicans seeking to challenge incumbent Democrat Rep. Susie Lee in the Third Congressional District are lawyer April Becker — who narrowly lost a state Senate race in the last cycle — Army veteran and business owner Noah Malgeri, and three other candidates.
Over in the Fourth Congressional District, Republicans seeking to challenge Democrat Rep. Steven Horsford in November include Air Force veteran and business owner Samuel Peters, realtor and former city councilor Annie Black, and Chance Bonaventura.
MAINE
In Maine, the state's gubernatorial primary is merely a formality — only one Republican, Former Maine Governor Paul LePage, is again running against his successor, Incumbent Democrat Governor Janet Mills. The general election battle between the two is expected to be one of the most contentious gubernatorial contests in the 2022 cycle, so Tuesday is only a preview.
In the First Congressional District, both the incumbent Democrat Rep. Chellie Pingree and GOP challenger Ed Thelander are unopposed. The state's Second Congressional District has two Republicans facing off — former U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin up against local elected official and small business owner Liz Caruso — while incumbent Democrat Jared Golden is unopposed.
NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota also has few contested races, with the U.S. Senate primary being the lone federal office with multiple GOP candidates. Incumbent Senator John Hoeven faces one challenger, but having raised $3.2 million to his opponents less than $5,000, he's set to coast to renomination in another easy winning endorsement for Trump.
As always, stay with Townhall throughout Tuesday for live results and analysis as votes are counted and races are called.
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