Voters across Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota cast ballots Tuesday in another day of primary elections in America, but much of the political world was focused on Maine鈥檚 high-stakes U.S. Senate contest.
The results aren’t in question. Neither Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins nor Democratic challenger Graham Platner faces serious opposition for their party鈥檚 nomination. And yet Tuesday marks an especially significant moment for Platner, the embattled veteran and oyster farmer, who’s fighting to rebuild his credibility in a campaign rocked by controversy.
Elsewhere, President clout within his party was being tested anew in states like South Carolina and Nevada, where he鈥檚 endorsed his favored candidates. Democrats hope to build momentum in Nevada in their broader push to reclaim key governor鈥檚 seats.
And in California, Republican Steve Hilton will for California governor, The Associated Press determined on Tuesday, one week after the state鈥檚 primary. Hilton argues that the state needs new leadership after years of Democratic dominance, and he will face , a former state attorney general and Biden administration health secretary, in November.
Here’s the latest:
Sen. Lindsey Graham says he wants to return to the US Senate to help Trump
鈥淧resident Trump,鈥� said Graham in a victory speech after winning the Republican nomination in South Carolina. 鈥淚鈥檓 coming back to the Senate in 鈥�27. I鈥檓 going to win in November and I鈥檓 going to help you change this world and change this country.鈥�
After thanking a slew of people for his primary victory, he said he鈥檚 going to repay them by 鈥渉elping President Trump put as many conservative judges on the Court as we can.鈥�
Graham Platner wins Maine Democratic primary, will face GOP Sen. Susan Collins
It鈥檚 a high-stakes Senate campaign that pits the veteran Collins, the only Republican senator from New England, against a progressive with no experience in high office. Platner, a brash political newcomer who has energized crowds, has faced a that the GOP will focus on throughout the campaign.
An oyster farmer and former chair of the planning board in the small town of Sullivan, Platner has drawn hundreds of people to rallies around the state.
He was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who campaigned with him in the run-up to the primary. He has said he plans to focus on economic issues such as housing and healthcare.
Platner鈥檚 mom tells Maine crowd her son represents 鈥榬eal change鈥�
The mother of the Maine Senate candidate told those gathered at his election night watch party that she鈥檚 proud of her son and hopeful for a big win.
鈥淕raham has always been very passionate about serving others and making life better for the people around him,鈥� Leslie Harlow said at the event in the small town of Blue Hill.
Harlow, who has been a fixture at Platner鈥檚 campaign events, told the cheering crowd that her son has been a dedicated worker since his younger days as a blueberry raker and supermarket grocery bagger. She said he鈥檒l bring that dedication to the Senate.
Trump calls South Carolina鈥檚 Evette, says he鈥檒l help her in coming gubernatorial runoff
The president called Evette as she advanced to a runoff to congratulate her.
A person with knowledge of Evette鈥檚 primary night activities but not authorized to publicly speak about them said Trump also told his chosen pick in the governor鈥檚 race he would lend his support over the next two weeks.
Trump endorsed Evette less than two weeks before Tuesday鈥檚 votes in South Carolina鈥檚 five-way GOP gubernatorial primary. He is also a close supporter of current Gov. Henry McMaster.
鈥� By Meg Kinnard
Alan Wilson advances to GOP runoff for South Carolina governor
Wilson moved forward despite not securing Trump鈥檚 endorsement in a race in which the top contenders vied for the president鈥檚 support.
Wilson has served as the state鈥檚 attorney general since 2011, taking actions to support Trump鈥檚 political and personal moves. In 2024, Wilson traveled to New York as he stood trial in a hush money case.
He is the son of longtime U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson.
Pamela Evette advances to GOP runoff for South Carolina governor
Evette鈥檚 achievement came about a week after securing Trump鈥檚 backing.
The Ohio native has for eight years served as lieutenant governor to current Gov. Henry McMaster, who is term-limited and was among Trump鈥檚 earliest supporters in his first presidential campaign.
All polls have closed in North Dakota
In-person Election Day voting concluded in North Dakota at 9 p.m. ET. Some polls located in Central time closed an hour earlier, at 8 p.m. ET.
Comparable primaries from past elections can about when to expect the first vote results and how long the vote count might take.
In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 9 p.m. ET, just as the last polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:56 p.m. ET, with about 99% of total votes counted.
Lindsey Graham wins South Carolina GOP primary as he seeks 5th Senate term
The key Trump ally defeated challengers including businessman Mark Lynch, who said Graham wasn鈥檛 conservative enough for the state.
Trump early on endorsed Graham, his , despite their on-again-off-again relationship.
In announcing he would seek a fifth term in the Senate, Graham also secured the state鈥檚 leading Republicans, Sen. and Gov. , to .
No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades, and Republicans in recent history typically take statewide seats by double-digit margins. When he last ran in 2020, Graham defeated his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, by .
Lindsey Graham鈥檚 ability to navigate Trump stood out for one of his primary supporters
A number of Republican challengers are vying against Graham, but one voter said he鈥檚 not worried about arguments the incumbent isn鈥檛 conservative enough.
鈥淚 think he鈥檚 perfectly fine,鈥� said Jimmy Hunt, a Spartanburg businessman, as he watched returns come in at Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette鈥檚 election night headquarters in Greenville.
鈥淗e navigates pretty well with President Trump,鈥� Hunt said. He鈥檚 kind of always on the edge of being in trouble, but that鈥檚 a tough game 鈥� really tough.鈥�
Jermaine Johnson wins Democratic primary for South Carolina governor
The state lawmaker who has represented a district in the Columbia area for three terms defeated businessman Billy Webster and attorney Mullins McLeod.
Seen as a rising star in the state party, Johnson was tapped to give this year鈥檚 Democratic response to Republican Gov. Henry McMaster鈥檚 state of the state address.
The winner of the November general election will succeed McMaster, who has been in office since Nikki Haley left her term early to join the first Trump administration.
Democrats have not won a general election for governor in South Carolina since 1998, and Republicans have controlled all statewide elected offices for more than a decade.
Annie Andrews wins Democratic primary for US Senate in South Carolina
The Charleston pediatrician secured the nomination in her campaign to keep Republican U.S. from a fifth term.
Andrews, who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in 2022, has challenged what she鈥檚 characterized as Graham鈥檚 waffling positions over the course of his political career.
No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades, and Republicans in recent history typically take statewide seats by double-digit margins.
When he last ran in 2020, Graham defeated his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, by .
Supporters filling up Platner watch party in Maine
Platner is holding his event at Blue Hill YMCA in the town of Blue Hill, about 30 miles from his hometown of Sullivan. Supporters were gathering to hear a speech from Platner, which is expected after results come in.
Platner is expected to win the primary because his main competition, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, suspended her campaign weeks ago. The winner will face longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
The mood at his event is high, with the crowd expecting a victory and beginning to assemble in front of a podium where Platner will speak.
Democratic voters weigh in on Nevada primary for governor
Las Vegas resident Laurie Trowbridge voted for Alexis Hill because of Hill鈥檚 stance on data centers. Hill has pledged to stop new tax abatements on data centers and require them to implement renewable energy policies.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have enough water for data centers,鈥� Trowbridge said. 鈥淎nd they pollute everything, and we can鈥檛 have it. We have enough problems in the state without adding that to it.鈥�
Teresa Ray, also a Las Vegas resident, voted for Attorney General Aaron Ford because of his experience as a leader.
鈥淗e has shown me since he鈥檚 been attorney general that he鈥檚 going to be the one that should be able to lead Nevada into a better place than where we are now,鈥� Ray said.
She hopes that if he is elected, he will be able to encourage other Democrats to 鈥済row some spine鈥� and send a better message to voters.
Tough choice in South Carolina leads Republican voter to outsider
Juliana Palyak studied the Republican candidates for South Carolina governor for months. She didn鈥檛 like any of them.
Finally as primary day came, she said she decided to vote for self-funded businessman Rom Reddy.
鈥淚 do not want career politicians any more. I am tried of it,鈥� Paylak said of the other four candidates who are all currently in elected office.
Her disgust extends to Trump, who has lost her support by going to war in Iran and not keeping other promises made during his campaign.
鈥淗is social media. It鈥檚 ridiculous,鈥� Paylak said.
Polls have closed in Maine
In-person Election Day voting concluded in Maine at 8 p.m. ET.
Comparable primaries from past elections can about when to expect the first vote results and how long the vote count might take.
In the 2024 general election, the AP first reported results at 8:44 p.m. ET, or 44 minutes after polls closed. About 50% of the total vote had been counted by 12:54 a.m. ET, and counting stopped for the night at 4:11 a.m. ET. By 3:13 p.m. ET the day after Election Day, about 90% of the vote had been counted.
Some of Maine鈥檚 primary elections could advance to ranked choice voting if no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes. This could delay the release of final results for another week or two.
Republican Steve Hilton advances to general election in race for California governor
Hilton has made the case that the state desperately needs new leadership following more than 15 years of Democratic dominance.
He鈥檒l face Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and Biden administration health secretary, whom The Associated Press previously determined had won enough votes. Election day was a week ago.
Hilton faces a challenging electorate in the November election, as California has nearly twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans. If elected he would be the first GOP candidate to win statewide office since 2006.
Nevada governor looks ahead to November and lays out the biggest issues
Gov. Joe Lombardo thanked campaign volunteers Tuesday afternoon in front of a Las Vegas polling location, taking pictures and signing supporters鈥� shirts as people huddled under a tent in the 94 degree heat.
The Republican governor, who is expected to easily win his primary, touted his record on improving education and 鈥渆xpanding upon the economy and the jobs front, healthcare, and public safety.鈥� He said next on the list is working on affordable housing.
鈥淲e鈥檙e running again because we still got a lot of work to do in that space,鈥� Lombardo said at his campaign鈥檚 booth. Along the sidewalk leading to the polling location, campaigns sent up booths in a last effort to sway voters.
Lombardo will likely face either Attorney General Aaron Ford or Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill in November.
California waiting game leaves candidates guessing
Election day in California was one week ago, but candidates in the race for governor are still waiting to find out who will be paired in a November runoff for the state鈥檚 highest office.
Democrat Xavier Becerra qualified last week, but it鈥檚 still not clear if the second spot will be claimed by Republican Steve Hilton or Democrat Tom Steyer.
Becerra told reporters Tuesday that he was 鈥渁nxious to find out who 鈥� is going to be in there with me.鈥�
California has a notoriously slow vote count, and Becerra said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 a great thing that it takes such a long time.鈥� But he also defended the system, saying he would oppose 鈥渁nything that reduces a Californian鈥檚 chance to vote.鈥�
Earlier in the day, Hilton said the vote-counting system that can sometimes take weeks or longer to determine a winner desperately needed a complete overhaul.
鈥淚t鈥檚 insane,鈥� Hilton said.
Maine Republican governor candidates chide use of ranked choice voting
Two of the GOP candidates said they felt the use of ranked choice voting in the GOP primary made for an uglier election season.
Maine uses the ranked the style of voting for some races, including governor primaries, though it will not be used in the general election for governor. Ranked voting could factor heavily in Tuesday鈥檚 results because there are seven Republican candidates and five Democrats.
Jonathan Bush, one of the Republican candidates, said the role of ranked choice voting is to 鈥渕ake people less trusting of our democracy right now.鈥� Another Republican, Owen McCarthy, said it led to candidates attacking each other.
鈥淭he thing with ranked choice voting is it鈥檚 supposed to make the race nicer. It didn鈥檛 make the race nicer,鈥� he said.
South Carolina redistricting came down to the midterms wire, then failed
The state鈥檚 primaries seemed to be on the verge of being upended over Trump鈥檚 push to ahead of the November elections.
However, the Republican-controlled state Senate to cancel congressional votes and schedule a new primary .
The new lines had been designed to help Republicans oust U.S. Rep. , currently seeking his 18th term and the state鈥檚 sole congressional Democrat.
Some senators, including Republicans, said it was simply too late to make a change. Last weekend, during their annual fundraising dinner and convention.
Platner鈥檚 texting controversy explained
The Maine Democratic Senate candidate has been scrutinized recently after reports that he sent with several women while married to his wife, Amy Gertner.
Gertner has called news coverage of the issue 鈥済ossip.鈥�
Genevieve McDonald, a then-campaign staffer for Platner, told The Associated Press that Platner was 鈥渟exting multiple women while married鈥� and 鈥渢he campaign tried to assess that as an election vulnerability.鈥�
According to The Wall Street Journal, Gertner told the campaign in August about the messages, which she had discovered on Platner鈥檚 phone last year. Platner鈥檚 campaign team reportedly decided that the texts were private and being handled by the couple, who were married in 2023.
The two are in counseling, Gertner has said, and Platner has his own therapist.
Lindsey Graham bounced several primary foes from the race before voting began
Graham often faces primary challengers, and he鈥檚 vying against several on Tuesday. But leading up to this year鈥檚 primary, several Republicans bowed out before voting began.
Andr茅 Bauer, a former South Carolina lieutenant governor nominated as ambassador to Belize in both of Trump鈥檚 terms, ended up shuttering his bid after only a month as an announced candidate.
And Paul Dans, a chief architect of , bailed on the last day to remove his name from ballots.
Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman, is still running. On social media, Trump has said Lynch 鈥渨ould be a DISASTER for the Republican Party鈥� if elected.
Defeating Collins in November is on some Maine voters鈥� minds
Maine supporters of Graham Platner said Tuesday that ousting incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins was on their mind.
Merrill Poddle of Ellsworth, Maine, said he voted for Platner. He questioned how much Collins actually stands up to President Donald Trump.
鈥淭he only time that she鈥檚 ever voted against him, what he wants, is when she knew it was gonna pass anyway,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he always has concerns, but that鈥檚 about all she ever has.鈥�
Anne Dickens, also of Ellsworth, said she鈥檚 backing Platner as well. She questioned whether Collins had a vision for Maine.
鈥淚 think that Susan Collins has had her chance. She鈥檚 been too conservative and too much with the Trump view,鈥� she said.
Voters will use ranked choice voting in Maine
Among the several quirks about Maine, it鈥檚 one of just two states that uses ranked choice voting for its statewide elections.
It鈥檚 a system, adopted in 2016, that allows Maine voters to rank their lesser choices.
If no candidate wins a majority of first-place votes, then other rounds of tabulation begin without the last-place finisher. That candidate鈥檚 votes are reallocated to other candidates based on the second-place choices of their voters. The process continues until one candidate has a majority.
The Senate Democratic primary election isn鈥檛 expected to head to ranked choice voting, but other races might, including the one for governor.
Democratic governor candidate Nirav Shah has campaigned asking to be voters鈥� second choice if he can鈥檛 be their first, joking in a recent ad that 鈥渟econd choices are still pretty good 鈥� most of the time!鈥�
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