If it's Tuesday, it's another primary day in a handful of states across the country. From the Midwest to New England, voters will make their voices heard in elections that will determine their party's standard-bearer in November's midterm elections. Here's what Townhall is watching when polls close and ballots are counted Tuesday evening.
Wisconsin — polls close at 9:00 p.m. ET
The primary race to select Republicans' nominee to challenge incumbent Democrat Gov. Tony Evers features a proxy battle that's played out in numerous other states so far this cycle between candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Former Wisconsin Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch received Pence's endorsement, and is also backed by former Governor Scott Walker, Ambassador Nikki Haley, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), and more than 50 Republicans in the state legislature. Meanwhile Tim Michels, owner of Michels Infrastructure Corporation, is Trump's pick in the contest. The two leading candidates, in the final days of the election, were polling in a dead heat 27 percent to 26 percent.
Democrat voters will also be voting to pick their candidate to challenge GOP U.S. Senator Ron Johnson in November, likely to be Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes after several of his fellow Democrat contenders dropped out to support Barnes.
In the Third Congressional District, the retirement of Democrat incumbent Rep. Ron Kind opened up a seat for which four Democrats are competing: Rebecca Cooke, Deb McGrath, Mark Neumann and Brad Pfaff. Across the aisle, Trump-endorsed GOP candidate Derrick Van Orden — who almost beat Kind in 2020 — is the unopposed Republican primary candidate.
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Minnesota — polls close at 8:00 p.m. ET
In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, voters in the First Congressional District will be voting in a special election to replace late GOP Rep. Jim Hagedorn. Republican Brad Finstad is taking on Democrat Jeff Ettinger, and there's sure to be tea leaf-reading to be done to apply the results to November's midterms.
First district voters will also vote in a primary to determine the candidates for November's general election, and Republicans have a rematch from the previous special primary in which Finstad beat fellow GOP candidate Jeremy Munson by roughly 400 votes.
In the Fourth Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Rep. Betty McCollum faces a challenge from community organizer Amane Badhasso, a refugee from Ethiopia.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, too, faces a challenger from inside the Democrat party for the Fifth Congressional District from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels.
The race for Minnesota's governor will also take place on Tuesday, with DFL-incumbent Gov. Tim Walz and GOP-endorsed Scott Jensen set to win their respective primaries.
Vermont — polls close at 7:00 p.m. ET
In the Green Mountain State, voters in both parties will vote for their choice to replace retiring Democrat U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. Current at-large Rep. Peter Welch is seeking the Dem nomination and has Bernie Sanders' endorsement — facing competition from lagging opponents in peace activist Isaac Evans-Frantz and physician Niki Thran.
On the Republican side looking to challenge Democrats for the Senate seat are U.S. Army veteran Gerald Malloy, former U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan, and commercial banker Myers Mermel.
Voters will also pick nominees for Vermont's one at-large House seat that's open due to its current occupant running to replace Senator Leahy. Vying for the Democrat nomination are Lt. Governor Molly Gray, progressive president pro tempore of the state Senate Becca Balint, and physician Louis Meyers. Republicans will choose their nominee from a field made up of conservative YouTube personality Ericka Redic, former GOP congressional nominee Anya Tynio, and U.S. Marine veteran Liam Madden.
Connecticut — polls close at 8:00 p.m. ET
In the Constitution State, Republicans will select their challenger to incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday, choosing from former state Rep. Themis Klarides, Leora R. Levy — who fled Castro's regime in Cuba as a child — and Peter Lumaj — who fled Albania after being tortured by communists for speaking out against the government.
Another primary, for Connecticut's Fourth Congressional District, GOP candidates Jayme Stevenson, a former local government official, and physician Michael Goldstein will face off to determine which Republican will challenge Democrat Rep. Jim Himes for the seat in November.
As always, Townhall will have live results for all these races throughout Tuesday evening until races are called, plus insight on what the results show for the midterms that are now less than 99 days away.
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