Tuesday’s June 9 primaries across six states will test how far President Donald Trump’s influence can travel—while setting up high-profile general elections, including South Carolina’s crowded governor contest and a Maine Senate bid from Democrat oyster farmer
Primary election day arrives with a rare kind of pressure: not just on candidates, but on the political assumptions voters will carry into November.
President Donald Trump’s GOP winning streak ended in Iowa. and the question hanging over this cycle is whether that stumble will echo—or whether the early June contests will quickly reaffirm his hold on Republican voters. The stakes are already clear in the schedule: four states in all four corners of the country are set to vote on Tuesday. June 9. for U.S. House, Senate and governor races, among other local contests.
The winners will then move into a campaign season that leads directly to the November midterm elections. when Republicans aim to hold a narrow majority on Capitol Hill. Chase Meyer. senior lecturer of political science at the University of South Carolina. said these early June primaries can serve as “tea-leaves” for what may happen in November.
Which states have elections on June 9?
Maine will hold contests for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and governor.
Nevada will vote for the U.S. House and governor.
North Dakota will vote for the U.S. House.
South Carolina will vote for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and governor.
Race to watch: Who is coming for Lindsey Graham?
South Carolina’s U.S. Senate primary is sharpening into a direct test of whether Trump’s endorsement still carries the same weight in a crowded field. Sen. Lindsey Graham is seeking a fifth term, and he has received President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
But the path to the nomination runs through multiple challengers, including Greenville businessman Mark Lynch, Horry County businessman Pat Herrmann, author Thomas Dismukes, Duncan Town Councilmember Calvin Cowen and Columbia content creator Darius Mitchell.
Late May polling from The Citadel showed 46% of Republicans supported Graham and 36% supported Lynch.
If Graham wins the nomination, he is likely to face Democratic frontrunner Annie Andrews, a pediatrician seeking to flip the reliably red seat.
Race to watch: Nancy Mace runs for SC governor
The governor race in South Carolina is where the politics of loyalty and the politics of personal stakes are colliding.
In the Republican primary, Trump endorsed state Lt. Gov. Sam Evette—described as the first woman to hold the position in the state’s history. Evette faces top Republican challenger Rep. Nancy Mace.
Mace’s argument for why Trump did not back her campaign centers on her push to release files pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein.
The field to succeed Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who is term limited, includes Mace and Evette as well as state Attorney General Alan Wilson, Rep. Ralph Norman and business executive Ron Reddy.
For much of the campaign’s final two-month stretch, polls have shown the contenders within striking distance of each other.
Meyer said, “It is rare to find real 5-person races in recent elections, so this is very unusual.” With many South Carolina Republicans still undecided, he added, “anyone can finish ahead.”
He also pointed to what past primaries in this election cycle have already shown: the impact of Trump’s endorsement can’t be dismissed. Meyer said, “Trump’s impact has absolutely been felt in the state,” and that, “His endorsements matter to Republican primary voters.”
South Carolina voters, Meyer said, are also focused on record population growth in the state—raising new concerns over housing, jobs and health care.
He said many candidates from both parties have addressed the need for more teachers, with Republicans specifically focusing on school choice, as well as improved roads and infrastructure to accommodate the growth.
Race to watch: Graham Platner debuts in Maine Senate primary
In Maine, the high-profile contest is a Democratic Senate primary featuring Graham Platner.
Platner, an oyster farmer, is expected to win the bid to face GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November. Before reaching this point, he rallied support from fellow Northeast Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.
Platner’s main competitor, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, suspended her Senate campaign on April 30, a decision that surprised some political watchers who previously viewed the Platner vs. Mills race as a possible proxy for the direction of the Democratic Party.
Even so, the primary is still likely to be closely watched, because Platner’s path is entangled with multiple controversies.
Last year, he faced criticism for a tattoo of a skull and crossbones that resembled a Nazi symbol. He also faced scrutiny over old Reddit posts in which he made controversial comments on sexual assault and race.
On May 30, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported that Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, notified his campaign of sexual messages he had exchanged with several women before his campaign launched.
A general election poll released May 27 by the University of New Hampshire showed Platner with a 9-point lead over Collins.
Race to watch: An open House seat in Nevada
Nevada’s Second Congressional District has its own kind of power struggle: an incumbent departure, a Trump-backed endorsement, and a crowded field.
A retiring Republican congressman in Nevada is pushing back on Trump’s choice for a successor. Trump endorsed David Flippo on Friday, May 29, in Nevada’s Second Congressional District race to replace retiring Rep. Mark Amodei.
Amodei responded to Trump by saying Trump “made a mistake” and by expressing support for James Settelmeyer.
Settelmeyer served 16 years in the Nevada Legislature and as director of Conservation and Natural Resources before running for Congress, according to his campaign website.
Thirteen Republicans are competing in the race. The winner of the June 9 Republican primary is likely to be the favorite to win the seat in the strong red district representing the state’s largely rural northern half.
MISRYOUM USA24 United States primary elections South Carolina governor primary Nancy Mace Sam Evette Lindsey Graham Graham Platner Maine Senate primary Nevada Second Congressional District David Flippo Mark Amodei James Settelmeyer Susan Collins Annie Andrews Trump endorsement
Primary day always feels like pointless drama.
Wait Nancy Mace is in a primary too? I swear she’s been “running” for like 10 years. So is this about Trump losing in Iowa or like… just the same stuff again?
The article says Trump’s GOP streak ended in Iowa but now it’s all “how far his influence can travel.” Isn’t Iowa literally just one state though? Like how does that even “echo” across June 9 unless everyone’s copying headlines.
Mace, Platner, oyster farmer… it’s like the ballot is a reality show. Also South Carolina governor race is crowded so I’m guessing whoever wins is gonna be the one with the loudest ads. And if Republicans only have a narrow majority, that’s why they want these primaries ASAP I guess, so they can blame whoever after November.