Fifteen states conclude their primary voting on March 5, a “Super Tuesday” that ordinarily shapes presidential primaries. This year, however, those presidential primaries are a snoozer: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are each cruising toward their parties’ nominations, and they’re each favored to sweep Tuesday’s contests.
Still, there are some interesting state contests happening around the country. California and Texas are holding competitive Senate primaries. And in North Carolina, a primary contest will offer the first preview of what will likely be one of the most competitive governor’s races of 2024.
California’s Senate primary
If the polls are right then the Democrat who comes in first after Tuesday’s election concludes is all but certain to be the next person to represent California in the US Senate. That’s partly because this is a primary contest in California (where a Republican hasn’t won statewide since 2006), but it’s also because of the number of high-profile Democrats that crowded the field to succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Democratic voters are choosing among three well-known candidates: Rep. Barbara Lee (a vocal anti-war progressive), Rep. Katie Porter (a wonky anti-trust progressive), and Rep. Adam Schiff (the establishment voice that has been leading just about every poll). That all three have claimed the “progressive” mantle has made it hard for Lee and Porter to differentiate themselves to voters — and the California establishment’s rush to back Schiff has demonstrated who the favorite to win is.
Because California has a top-two primary system (where the two candidates who perform the best move onto the general, regardless of party affiliation), it looked as though this already expensive primary would end in an even more costly Democrat-on-Democrat brawl that would last until November.
Then the Dodgers former All-Star first baseman Steve Garvey, a Republican, decided to enter…
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