(NewsNation) — Voters head to the polls in Delaware, New Hampshire and Rhode Island as Tuesday marks the last day of primary elections, signaling that midterm elections are less than two months away.
These primary elections could carry a big weight if Republicans win control of Congress. All eyes will be on New Hampshire. The state may be small, but the purple state and Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan remain vulnerable.
Delaware
Delaware’s primary election will feature just one contested statewide race — the Democratic primary for auditor. Convicted incumbent Kathleen McGuiness will face off against lawyer and accountant Lydia York, according to the State of Delaware Department of Elections.
New Hampshire
The top race to watch today will be the Republican Senate primary in New Hampshire. Retired Army Gen. Don Bolduc takes on state Senate President Chuck Morse.
Democrats spent millions of dollars propping up Bolduc, who they see as an easier opponent for Hassan.
Bolduc has come out as an election denier and former President Donald Trump supporter, even calling the current Republican governor a “Chinese communist sympathizer.”
Morse, on the other hand, has been endorsed by the governor and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He’s viewed as the more mainstream candidate.
Another race to watch Tuesday is New Hampshire Republican House primary. It’s being called a “MAGA civil war.”
Two former Trump staffers go head-to-head in this race. Former Trump State Department adviser Matt Mowers received House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s endorsement while his opponent, former Trump press aide Karoline Leavitt, has attracted people like Sen. Ted Cruz on the campaign trail.
At just 25 years old, Leavitt would become the youngest congresswoman ever elected if she wins.
Former TV reporter Gail Huff Brown, also the wife of former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, hopes to possibly score a surprise win as the other two try to woo MAGA supporters.
Rhode Island
Primary elections in Rhode Island Tuesday will determine both the GOP and Democratic candidates for the state’s race for governor in November.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee is trying to fend off four Democratic challengers as he seeks his first full term in office. McKee, the former lieutenant governor, became governor a year and a half ago when then-Gov. Gina Raimondo was tapped to be the U.S. commerce secretary in the Biden administration.
McKee is expected to be in a close contest against Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. Both were first elected to statewide office in 2014 and maintain a base of support and name recognition among voters.
Other candidates include former CVS Health executive Helena Foulkes, former Rhode Island secretary of state Matthew Brown and community activist Dr. Luis Daniel Muñoz.
Another race to watch is for the state’s 2nd Congressional District seat. It has been held by Democrats for more than three decades, but national Republican leaders believe now is their best chance to flip it.
U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, who has represented the district since 2001, announced his retirement in January. The state’s Democratic treasurer, Seth Magaziner, had been running for governor but switched races after Langevin’s announcement to try to keep the seat in Democratic control.
Magaziner, who is considered the front-runner and has been endorsed by Langevin, faces several Democratic candidates. His candidates include former top aide to Langevin Joy Fox, former Biden administration official Sarah Morgenthau, executive director of The Refugee Dream Center in Providence Omar Bah and former state lawmakers David Segal and Spencer Dickinson.
A popular former Rhode Island mayor, Allan Fung, is running unopposed for the Republican nomination after two rivals dropped out of the race.
FILE – New Hampshire Republican 1st Congressional District candidate Gail Huff-Brown, left, speaks as Matt Mowers looks on during a debate, Sept. 8, 2022, in Henniker, N.H. New Hampshire will hold its primary on Tuesday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)
FILE – New Hampshire Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Fenton speaks during a debate as Chuck Morse looks on, Sept. 7, 2022, in Henniker, N.H. New Hampshire will hold its primary on Tuesday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)
FILE – Democratic challenger for Rhode Island governor, community activist Dr. Luis Daniel Muñoz, right, speaks during a gubernatorial election forum hosted by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce in Warwick, R.I., Sept. 8, 2022. From left are Democratic challengers, former Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown, former CVS Health executive Helena Foulkes, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, moderator Laurie White, President of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Republican challenger, businessperson Ashley Kalus, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee and Muñoz. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
FILE – New Hampshire Republican 1st Congressional District Candidates from left Gail Huff-Brown, Matt Mowers, Russell Prescott, Tim Baxter, and Karoline Leavitt, participate during a debate, Sept. 8, 2022, in Henniker, N.H. New Hampshire will hold its primary on Tuesday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)
FILE – State Rep. Tom Sherman, D-Rye, center, and state Sen. Nancy Stiles, R-Hampton, listen to state Sen. Andy Sanborn on Oct. 2, 2013, in Concord, N.H. during a break in the meeting of the special commission charged with recommending whether New Hampshire should expand Medicaid. Sherman is running unopposed for his party’s nomination for governor. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)
FILE – Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner is photographed in his office in Providence, R.I., Feb. 7, 2022. Magaziner had been running for Rhode Island governor but switched races after Rep. Jim Langevin’s retirement announcement to try to keep the seat in Democratic control. New Hampshire, Delaware and Rhode Island will hold their primaries on Tuesday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
FILE – New Hampshire Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Bolduc, right, stands next to Kevin Smith during a debate, Sept. 7, 2022, in Henniker, N.H. New Hampshire will hold its primary on Tuesday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)
FILE – New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu arrives for the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 17, 2022, in Loudon, N.H. Until late last year, New Hampshire’s Republican Gov. Chris Sununu was widely expected to run for U.S. Senate, taking on Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. Instead, he opted to seek a fourth two-year term as governor, dealing a major blow to Republicans who had hoped he could help them retake control of the Senate. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
FILE – Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., speaks during a hearing on March 14, 2022, in Manchester, N.H. New Hampshire’s 1st District flipped five times in seven elections before Democrat Chris Pappas won his first term in 2018. He faces no primary opponent this year, while more than 10 Republicans are competing for a chance to challenge him. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
FILE – New Hampshire Republican U.S. Senate candidates from left Bruce Fenton, Chuck Morse, Vikram Mansharamani, Kevin Smith, and Don Bolduc participate in a debate, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in Henniker, N.H. New Hampshire will hold its primary on Tuesday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)
FILE – Democratic challenger for Rhode Island governor, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, center, speaks during a gubernatorial election forum hosted by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce in Warwick, R.I., Sept. 8, 2022. Rhode Island will hold its primary on Tuesday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
FILE – Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., listens during a hearing March 14, 2022, in Manchester, N.H. Hassan, seeking a second term in the battleground state, faces two virtually unknown challengers on the Democratic side. Although Democrats hold all four of New Hampshire’s congressional seats, Republicans control the state Legislature, and Hassan’s 2016 win was a narrow one. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
FILE – Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee speaks during a gubernatorial election forum hosted by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce in Warwick, R.I., Sept. 8, 2022. Rhode Island will hold its primary on Tuesday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
