Voters head to the polls on Tuesday for primary elections in five states — New York, Utah, Oklahoma, Maryland, and Colorado — to cast their ballots in consequential contests that could have big implications in November.
Primaries in Oklahoma, Maryland, and Colorado will pave the way for some high-profile governor’s races in the fall. The fields in Oklahoma and Colorado are wide open, as both states have term limits for governors, and in Maryland, there’s a competitive Democratic field to face Republican Gov. Larry Hogan later this year.
Oklahoma voters are also voting on a ballot measure that would legalize in marijuana. And in New York, there are multiple races to watch, including one involving a Staten Island convicted felon.
Polls close in New York at 9 pm Eastern time, in Utah at 8 pm Mountain time, in Oklahoma at 7 pm Central time, in Maryland at 8 pm Eastern time, and in Colorado at 7 pm Mountain time. Here’s a quick guide to what’s at stake in every state.
New York
Polls close: 9 pm Eastern time
At least five House seats in New York are expected to be competitive come November, meaning Tuesday’s races are a big deal. And as Vox’s Dylan Scott notes, they’re not just important — they’re also dramatic.
In New York’s 11th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Dan Donovan is fighting former representative and convicted felon Michael Grimm, who Donovan replaced in 2016, in the Republican primary. Grimm has attacked Donovan over his votes against the tax bill and Obamacare repeal, and both Anthony Scaramucci and Steve Bannon are backing him. Donovan vs. Grimm will be a closely watched race; whoever wins will face post-9/11 combat veteran Max Rose.
Incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley, a Democrat, is facing a tough primary challenge from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York’s 14th Congressional District, and in its Second Congressional District, Democrats DuWayne Gregory and Liuba Shirley are facing off to see who runs against Republican incumbent Rep. Peter King in November.
Utah
Polls close: 8 pm Mountain time
Former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is running for the US Senate in Utah. He’s widely expected to win Tuesday’s primary against state Rep. Mike Kennedy, but he’s still got to take part in it.
Romney could have bypassed the primary altogether had he won the Republican nomination at the GOP’s convention in Utah in April. He lost narrowly to Kennedy, who got 51 percent of the convention delegates’ votes to Romney’s 49. (Candidates need to surpass 60 percent to skip the primary.)
Romney is expected to win on Tuesday and face off against Democrat Jenny Wilson, who is on the Salt Lake City Council, in November.
Oklahoma
Polls close: 7 pm Central time
There are 10 candidates running in the GOP primary. The frontrunners are Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, and Tulsa business executive Kevin Stitt. On the Democratic side, it’s former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson and former state Sen. Connie Johnson.
They’re competing to replace Republican Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, a notoriously unpopular figure who is term limited.
Oklahoma is also voting on whether to legalize medical marijuana.
Maryland
Polls close: 8 pm Eastern time
There’s a crowded Democratic field to take on incumbent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in Maryland. Of the eight Democrats taking part in Tuesday’s primary, two in particular stand out: former NAACP president and venture capitalist Ben Jealous and former Prince George’s County official Rushern Baker.
There are also several Democrats running in the primary for Maryland’s First Congressional District. Currently represented by Republican Rep. Andy Harris, Democrats are hoping to flip the state’s only red district in November.
Colorado
Polls close: 7 pm Mountain time
Term-limited Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper will end his run in Colorado this year, and as in Oklahoma, there are a lot of figures on the left and right vying to replace him. On the Republican side, Tuesday’s primary will see Colorado state treasurer Walker Stapleton, former state Rep. Victor Mitchell, former Mayor of Parker Greg Lopez, and business executive Doug Robinson competing. On the Democratic side, it’s Rep. Jared Polis, Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne, former state Sen. Michael Johnston and former state treasurer Cary Kennedy.
In House races, another contest to watch is the Democratic primary in Colorado’s Sixth Congressional District. Army veteran and lawyer Jason Crow faces former Obama administration official Levi Tillemann, and the winner will go up against Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Coffman in the fall. Tillemann is the guy who sprayed himself in the face with pepper spray to make a point about guns.
Sourse: vox.com
