US primaries: Platner projected to advance in Maine as national stakes loom

Four US states held primary elections on Tuesday to determine candidates for the November midterm elections, with significant implications for the balance of power in Congress. Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota cast their ballots to select Democratic and Republican contenders, solidifying the battle lines for the general election. The contests are part of a broader effort by Democrats to flip four Senate seats and wrest control of Congress from the Republican Party, which currently holds slender majorities in both chambers.

In Maine, the most closely watched primary, Democratic candidate Graham Platner is widely expected to advance to face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins. Platner, an oyster farmer and former US Marine, has faced controversies regarding his past conduct, including allegations of unsettling behaviour towards women and a former tattoo critics likened to a Nazi symbol, which he has since removed. Despite these issues and a fractured party, polls suggest he narrowly defeats Collins in the general election. He is projected to handily beat rivals including former Governor Janet Mills and environmental consultant David Costello.

Nevada held closed primaries for governor and other offices, excluding the state’s large independent voter population from participation. Attorney General Aaron Ford is leading the Democratic field to challenge Republican incumbent Joe Lambardo. Ford has positioned himself as a defender of election integrity against claims made by President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Democratic Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar is running unopposed and will automatically advance to the November general election, where he faces four Republican challengers, including Jim Marchant, who has supported Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud.

South Carolina primaries saw incumbent Representative Jim Clyburn expected to win his primary, securing his position in a Democratic stronghold. The state’s redistricting plans were paused partly due to the timing of the primaries, protecting Clyburn’s majority Black district. In the Senate race, Republican Lindsey Graham leads with a commanding lead, while the gubernatorial race remains tight among Republicans, with Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette receiving President Trump’s endorsement.

North Dakota, a Republican stronghold since the late 1960s, held primaries with few national implications. The state has only one congressional district, and incumbent Representative Julie Fedorchak is seeking to ward off a challenge from former State Department project manager Alex Balazs in the Republican primary. Democrat Trygve Hammer is running unopposed in his party’s primary. These results form part of the build-up to the midterms, which will determine control of the US House and Senate.