(Reuters) — Voters in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Idaho and Kentucky hold nominating primaries on Tuesday where voters will pick their parties’ candidates for the U.S. Congress and other offices, helping to shape the field for the Nov. 8 midterm elections.
Here are four contests to watch:
Mehmet Oz v. David McCormick v. Kathy Barnette
The Pennsylvania battle for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination has heated up in its final week. It features Mehmet Oz, a television wellness celebrity backed by former President Donald Trump, running against David McCormick, a wealthy former hedge fund CEO.
Adding to the complexity, conservative commentator Kathy Barnette has put in a strong closing performance and the three candidates were virtually tied in a recent public opinion poll.
John Fetterman v. Conor Lamb
With incumbent Republican Sen. Patrick Toomey retiring, Pennsylvania represents one of the best opportunities for Democrats to add to their razor-thin Senate majority, though President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings could make that difficult.
Democratic voters will choose between John Fetterman, a colorful progressive who has sought to burnish his working-class bona fides as lieutenant governor, and U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, a centrist who currently represents a suburban Pittsburgh district in the House of Representatives.
State legislator Malcolm Kenyatta could also be a factor, after challenging Fetterman’s record on racial issues in a recent debate. Polls show Fetterman in the lead.
Pat McCrory v. Ted Budd
The contest to replace retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr in North Carolina pits former Gov. Pat McCrory, a fiscally conservative standard-bearer of the Tea Party era, against U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, a member of the House who voted against certifying Trump’s 2020 election defeat. Trump has endorsed Budd and several opinion polls have shown him leading McCrory and 12 other candidates.
If no candidate receives 30%, a runoff will take place on July 26.
The winner of this nominating contest will likely face Democrat Cheri Beasley, a Black woman who formerly served as chief justice of the state Supreme Court. Analysts say the race could be competitive in November, though Republicans are favored.
Kathy Barnette, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, takes part in a forum in Newtown, Pa., Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) 
FILE – In this March 2, 2020, file photo, state Rep. Attica Scott, D-Louisville, speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. On Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, The race to replace retiring Democrat John Yarmuth in Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District pits state Sen. Morgan McGarvey against state Rep. Attica Scott in the Democratic primary for what has been the lone seat held by Democrats in Kentucky in recent years(AP Photo/Bryan Woolston, File) 
FILE -Kentucky Senator Morgan McGarvey holds a state map showing infection rate of COVID-19 among Kentucky counties during the opening day of the Kentucky State Legislature special session in Frankfort, Ky., Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The race to replace retiring Democrat John Yarmuth in Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District pits state Sen. Morgan McGarvey against state Rep. Attica Scott in the Democratic primary for what has been the lone seat held by Democrats in Kentucky in recent years. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File) 
Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., speaks before former President Donald Trump takes the stage at a rally April 9, 2022, in Selma, N.C. A series of unforced political and personal errors by Cawthorn has brought the forces of big-name Republicans and traditional enemies to bear on his reelection bid in North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File) 
John Fetterman arrives at the Holy Hound Tap Room in downtown York, Pa., Thursday, May. 12, 2022. (Mark Pynes/The Patriot-News via AP) 
David McCormick, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, meets with attendees during a campaign stop in Lititz, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) 
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Walker answers a question during an hour-long debate moderated by Spectrum News political anchor Tim Boyum at the Spectrum News studio in Raleigh, N.C. Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP) 
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pat McCrory answers a question during an hour-long debate moderated by Spectrum News political anchor Tim Boyum at the Spectrum News studio in Raleigh, N.C. Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP) 
FILE – U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., speaks during a meeting of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party State Committee in Harrisburg, Pa., Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. The Leading candidates for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat are scheduled Thursday, April 21, 2022 to meet for their first live-televised prime-time debate in a race that is perhaps the party’s best opportunity to pick up a seat in the closely divided chamber. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) 
Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read participates in a debate with former Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives Tina Kotek on Friday, March 18, 2022, in Portland, Ore. The debate, between two of the top candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination in the upcoming Oregon governor’s race, was held by Oregon AFL-CIO. Read hopes to capitalize on voter unrest and a seeming tack back to moderates when Democrats choose their candidate May 17 for the state’s highest office. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP)
Madison Cawthorn v. Chuck Edwards
Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn has been a magnet for controversy since taking office in January 2021. He has been rebuked by his fellow Republicans for calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “thug” and saying that he has witnessed cocaine use and been invited to orgies in Washington. He also faces accusations of sexual harassment and has been stopped twice for carrying firearms into airports.
State Sen. Chuck Edwards leads a field of seven Republican candidates looking to unseat him. The seat, based in the mountainous western part of the North Carolina, is considered safely Republican.
Brad Little v. Janice McGeachin
Idaho Gov. Brad Little is facing a Republican primary challenge from Janice McGeachin, who recently spoke at a political conference hosted by a white nationalist. McGeachin, who is endorsed by Trump, has been dogging Little from the right as the state’s lieutenant governor. She took the gubernatorial reins several times while Little was out of the state, issuing executive orders that banned mask mandates and ordering National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump’s endorsement of McGeachin has perplexed political observers because Little is a staunch conservative who has not had public spats with Trump.
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)
