Primaries to watch in New York, Colorado, Utah
Democrats in a New York congressional district are set to make a decision Tuesday in a historically expensive primary race, while Republican voters in Utah make their primary pick in the reliably red state to replace retiring GOP Sen. Mitt Romney.
Incumbent progressive in New York at risk of losing seat
AP Photos/Ted Shaffrey
Progressive New York Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is facing a difficult primary challenge from Westchester County Executive George Latimer. International affairs defined the campaign, with Bowman’s criticism of Israel as a member of the progressive “Squad” in the U.S. House underlining stark differences within the Democratic party.
Bowman has been targeted with more than $14 million in outside advertising spending opposing his latest campaign from the United Democracy Project, a Super PAC associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, according to data from AdImpact.
Ahead of the primary, AdImpact also posted on social media that the race for Bowman’s seat, which to date has resulted in over $24 million in advertising spending, is the most expensive House primary on record.
The race to replace Mitt Romney
Republicans in Utah are also voting Tuesday to pick a GOP nominee in the race to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney. While representing the reliably red state, Romney has been one of former President Donald Trump’s fiercest Republican critics.
Trump has sided with Riverton mayor Trent Staggs in Tuesday’s primary. Romney’s old seat isn’t expected to be competitive in the November general election, yet Trump’s influence hasn’t been as strong in the state, compared to other similarly conservative parts of the country. Other contenders seeking to replace Romney and defeat Staggs on Tuesday include GOP Rep. John Curtis and Brad Wilson, the former speaker of the Utah House.
Boebert tries to win primary in different Colorado district
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
After narrowly winning her reelection to Congress in a surprisingly close 2022 midterm race, GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert decided this cycle to run for what’s expected to be a more Republican-friendly U.S. House seat.
Boebert, a controversial member of the Republican conference, is running Tuesday in a six-person Republican primary for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, where Rep. Ken Buck resigned earlier this year.
The GOP primary race for Boebert’s old district
Six Republicans are also running for the congressional seat Boebert is leaving behind. Among the candidates is former GOP state Rep. Ron Hanks, who has spoken about being outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but has said he did not enter the building.
The Colorado contest is notable due to how close the general election margin was during the 2022 midterms, where Boebert narrowly defeated Democrat Adam Frisch by just 546 votes. Frisch is running again for the same seat this cycle.
South Carolina GOP congressional primary runoff
The race for the GOP nomination in South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District is down to two candidates in the June 25 runoff — Trump endorsed candidate Mark Burns is running against fellow Republican Sheri Biggs. Biggs has been endorsed by South Carolina’s GOP Gov. Henry McMaster.
