The Latest: In crucial Maine race, Platner seeks Senate seat after controversies

Voters crossed Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota were casting ballots Tuesday successful different time of superior elections successful America, but overmuch of the governmental satellite was focused connected Maine’s high-stakes U.S. Senate contest.

The results aren't successful question. Neither Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins nor Democratic challenger Graham Platner faces superior absorption for their party’s nomination. And yet Tuesday marks an particularly important infinitesimal for Platner, the embattled seasoned and oyster farmer, who's warring to rebuild his credibility successful a run rocked by controversy.

Elsewhere, President Donald Trump’s clout wrong his enactment was being tested anew successful states similar South Carolina and Nevada, wherever he’s endorsed his favored candidates. Democrats anticipation to physique momentum successful Nevada successful their broader propulsion to reclaim cardinal governor’s seats.

Here's the latest:

Annie Andrews wins Democratic superior for US Senate successful South Carolina

The Charleston pediatrician secured the information successful her run to support Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham from a 5th term.

Andrews, who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace successful 2022, has challenged what she’s characterized arsenic Graham’s waffling positions implicit the people of his governmental career.

No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate spot successful South Carolina successful decades, and Republicans successful caller past typically instrumentality statewide seats by double-digit margins.

When helium past ran successful 2020, Graham defeated his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, by a 10 percent constituent margin.

Supporters filling up Platner ticker enactment successful Maine

Platner is holding his lawsuit astatine Blue Hill YMCA successful the municipality of Blue Hill, astir 30 miles from his hometown of Sullivan. Supporters were gathering to perceive a code from Platner, which is expected aft results travel in.

Platner is expected to triumph the superior due to the fact that his main competition, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, suspended her run weeks ago. The victor volition look longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

The temper astatine his lawsuit is high, with the assemblage expecting a triumph and opening to assemble successful beforehand of a podium wherever Platner volition speak.

Democratic voters measurement successful connected Nevada superior for governor

Las Vegas nonmigratory Laurie Trowbridge voted for Alexis Hill due to the fact that of Hill’s stance connected information centers. Hill has pledged to halt caller taxation abatements connected information centers and necessitate them to instrumentality renewable vigor policies.

“We don’t person capable h2o for information centers,” Trowbridge said. “And they pollute everything, and we can’t person it. We person capable problems successful the authorities without adding that to it.”

Teresa Ray, besides a Las Vegas resident, voted for Attorney General Aaron Ford due to the fact that of his acquisition arsenic a leader.

“He has shown maine since he’s been lawyer wide that he’s going to beryllium the 1 that should beryllium capable to pb Nevada into a amended spot than wherever we are now,” Ray said.

She hopes that if helium is elected, helium volition beryllium capable to promote different Democrats to “grow immoderate spine” and nonstop a amended connection to voters.

Tough prime successful South Carolina leads Republican elector to outsider

Juliana Palyak studied the Republican candidates for South Carolina politician for months. She didn’t similar immoderate of them.

Finally arsenic superior time came, she said she decided to ballot for self-funded businessman Rom Reddy.

“I bash not privation vocation politicians immoderate more. I americium tried of it,” Paylak said of the different 4 candidates who are each presently successful elected office.

Her disgust extends to Trump, who has mislaid her enactment by going to warfare successful Iran and not keeping different promises made during his campaign.

“His societal media. It’s ridiculous,” Paylak said.

Polls person closed successful Maine

In-person Election Day voting concluded successful Maine astatine 8 p.m. ET.

Comparable primaries from past elections tin connection clues astir erstwhile to expect the archetypal ballot results and however agelong the ballot number mightiness take.

In the 2024 wide election, the AP archetypal reported results astatine 8:44 p.m. ET, oregon 44 minutes aft polls closed. About 50% of the full ballot had been counted by 12:54 a.m. ET, and counting stopped for the nighttime astatine 4:11 a.m. ET. By 3:13 p.m. ET the time aft Election Day, astir 90% of the ballot had been counted.

Some of Maine’s superior elections could beforehand to ranked prime voting if nary campaigner wins a bulk of first-choice votes. This could hold the merchandise of last results for different week oregon two.

Republican Steve Hilton advances to wide predetermination successful contention for California governor

Hilton has made the lawsuit that the authorities desperately needs caller enactment pursuing much than 15 years of Democratic dominance.

He’ll look Democrat Xavier Becerra, a erstwhile authorities lawyer wide and Biden medication wellness secretary, whom The Associated Press antecedently determined had won capable votes. Election time was a week ago.

Hilton faces a challenging electorate successful the November election, arsenic California has astir doubly arsenic galore registered Democrats arsenic Republicans. If elected helium would beryllium the archetypal GOP campaigner to triumph statewide bureau since 2006.

Nevada politician looks up to November and lays retired the biggest issues

Gov. Joe Lombardo thanked run volunteers Tuesday day successful beforehand of a Las Vegas polling location, taking pictures and signing supporters’ shirts arsenic radical huddled nether a structure successful the 94 grade heat.

The Republican governor, who is expected to easy triumph his primary, touted his grounds connected improving acquisition and “expanding upon the system and the jobs front, healthcare, and nationalist safety.” He said adjacent connected the database is moving connected affordable housing.

“We’re moving again due to the fact that we inactive got a batch of enactment to bash successful that space,” Lombardo said astatine his campaign’s booth. Along the sidewalk starring to the polling location, campaigns sent up booths successful a past effort to sway voters.

Lombardo volition apt look either Attorney General Aaron Ford oregon Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill successful November.

California waiting crippled leaves candidates guessing

Election time successful California was 1 week ago, but candidates successful the contention for politician are inactive waiting to find retired who volition beryllium paired successful a November runoff for the state’s highest office.

Democrat Xavier Becerra qualified past week, but it’s inactive not wide if the 2nd spot volition beryllium claimed by Republican Steve Hilton oregon Democrat Tom Steyer.

Becerra told reporters Tuesday that helium was “anxious to find retired who … is going to beryllium successful determination with me.”

California has a notoriously dilatory ballot count, and Becerra said, “I don’t deliberation it’s a large happening that it takes specified a agelong time.” But helium besides defended the system, saying helium would reason “anything that reduces a Californian’s accidental to vote.”

Earlier successful the day, Hilton said the vote-counting strategy that tin sometimes instrumentality weeks oregon longer to find a victor desperately needed a implicit overhaul.

“It’s insane,” Hilton said.

Maine Republican politician candidates chide usage of ranked prime voting

Two of the GOP candidates said they felt the usage of ranked prime voting successful the GOP superior made for an uglier predetermination season.

Maine uses the ranked the benignant of voting for immoderate races, including politician primaries, though it volition not beryllium utilized successful the wide predetermination for governor. Ranked voting could origin heavy successful Tuesday’s results due to the fact that determination are 7 Republican candidates and 5 Democrats.

Jonathan Bush, 1 of the Republican candidates, said the relation of ranked prime voting is to “make radical little trusting of our ideology close now.” Another Republican, Owen McCarthy, said it led to candidates attacking each other.

“The happening with ranked prime voting is it’s expected to marque the contention nicer. It didn’t marque the contention nicer,” helium said.

South Carolina redistricting came down to the midterms wire, past failed

The state’s primaries seemed to beryllium connected the verge of being upended implicit Trump’s propulsion to reshape legislature districts up of the November elections.

However, the Republican-controlled authorities Senate rejected a program to cancel legislature votes and docket a caller superior nether revised districts.

The caller lines had been designed to assistance Republicans oust U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, presently seeking his 18th word and the state’s sole legislature Democrat.

Some senators, including Republicans, said it was simply excessively precocious to marque a change. Last weekend, South Carolina Democrats celebrated during their yearly fundraising meal and convention.

Platner’s texting contention explained

The Maine Democratic Senate campaigner has been scrutinized precocious aft reports that helium sent sexually explicit substance messages with respective women portion joined to his wife, Amy Gertner.

Gertner has called quality sum of the contented “gossip.”

Genevieve McDonald, a then-campaign staffer for Platner, told The Associated Press that Platner was “sexting aggregate women portion married” and “the run tried to measure that arsenic an predetermination vulnerability.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, Gertner told the run successful August astir the messages, which she had discovered connected Platner’s telephone past year. Platner’s run squad reportedly decided that the texts were backstage and being handled by the couple, who were joined successful 2023.

The 2 are successful counseling, Gertner has said, and Platner has his ain therapist.

Lindsey Graham bounced respective superior foes from the contention earlier voting began

Graham often faces superior challengers, and he’s vying against respective connected Tuesday. But starring up to this year’s primary, respective Republicans bowed retired earlier voting began.

André Bauer, a erstwhile South Carolina lieutenant politician nominated arsenic ambassador to Belize successful some of Trump’s terms, ended up shuttering his bid aft lone a period arsenic an announced candidate.

And Paul Dans, a main designer of Project 2025, bailed connected the past time to region his sanction from ballots.

Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman, is inactive running. On societal media, Trump has said Lynch “would beryllium a DISASTER for the Republican Party” if elected.

Defeating Collins successful November is connected immoderate Maine voters’ minds

Maine supporters of Graham Platner said Tuesday that ousting incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins was connected their mind.

Merrill Poddle of Ellsworth, Maine, said helium voted for Platner. He questioned however overmuch Collins really stands up to President Donald Trump.

“The lone clip that she’s ever voted against him, what helium wants, is erstwhile she knew it was gonna walk anyway,” helium said. “She ever has concerns, but that’s astir each she ever has.”

Anne Dickens, besides of Ellsworth, said she’s backing Platner arsenic well. She questioned whether Collins had a imaginativeness for Maine.

“I deliberation that Susan Collins has had her chance. She’s been excessively blimpish and excessively overmuch with the Trump view,” she said.

Voters volition usage ranked prime voting successful Maine

Among the respective quirks astir Maine, it’s 1 of conscionable 2 states that uses ranked prime voting for its statewide elections.

It’s a system, adopted successful 2016, that allows Maine voters to fertile their lesser choices.

If nary campaigner wins a bulk of first-place votes, past different rounds of tabulation statesman without the last-place finisher. That candidate’s votes are reallocated to different candidates based connected the second-place choices of their voters. The process continues until 1 campaigner has a majority.

The Senate Democratic superior predetermination isn’t expected to caput to ranked prime voting, but different races might, including the 1 for governor.

Democratic politician campaigner Nirav Shah has campaigned asking to beryllium voters’ 2nd prime if helium can’t beryllium their first, joking successful a caller advertisement that “second choices are inactive beauteous bully … astir of the time!”

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Will Democrats yet person a changeable successful a reddish Nevada legislature district?

No Democrat has held the legislature spot that represents Reno and agrarian bluish Nevada, but Democrats aren’t ruling it retired this twelvemonth aft longtime GOP Rep. Mark Amodei announced his retirement.

“A batch of things person to spell our mode successful November, and I deliberation we should beryllium honorable astir that,” said Erik Jimenez, seat of the Democratic Party of Washoe County, the astir populous region successful the district. “But I’ll accidental from our unpaid basal successful Washoe and conscionable rank-and-file voters crossed the district, we person ne'er seen much radical excited astir Congressional District 2 than we bash now.”

Former authorities lawmaker Teresa Benitez-Thompson and businessman and capitalist Greg Kidd are among those connected the Democratic superior ballot. They've focused connected the economy, healthcare and artificial quality regulations.

Democrats are banking connected Trump’s increasing unpopularity and the district’s ample fig of nonpartisan voters. In the Republican primary, they're hoping that Trump-backed campaigner David Flippo volition decision James Settelmeyer, a erstwhile lawmaker with the backing of Gov. Joe Lombardo, believing it would beryllium easier to gully a contrast.

What to expect successful North Dakota’s authorities primary

North Dakota’s lone U.S. House subordinate faces a partial rematch of her 2024 information contention successful a authorities superior Tuesday. Also connected the ballot is simply a projected amendment to the authorities constitution, portion residents of Fargo volition elite a caller mayor.

Republican U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak seeks a 2nd term. She faces different superior situation from erstwhile overseas work serviceman Alex Balazs, who placed 4th successful the 2024 contention with 4% of the ballot down her and others. Fedorchak went connected to triumph the wide predetermination with 69% of the ballot against Democrat Trygve Hammer, who besides is moving again and volition look the victor of this year’s Republican primary.

Voters volition besides take nominees for respective apical statewide offices, though candidates for astir of those offices, specified arsenic caput of state, authorities lawyer wide and authorities agriculture commissioner, are moving unopposed.

Many of the state’s apical elected offices, specified governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer and some U.S. Senate seats, won’t beryllium up for predetermination until 2028 oregon later.

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Lindsey Graham’s reelection run started with a amusement of force

More than a twelvemonth earlier filing adjacent opened for this year’s contests, Graham’s run said Sen. Tim Scott and Gov. Henry McMaster would seat his 2026 run.

Scott, South Carolina’s inferior senator, chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

McMaster is the state’s longest-serving governor, having been elected doubly aft serving the remaining 2 years of Nikki Haley’s word aft she became Trump’s archetypal ambassador to the United Nations.

Busy primaries for Maine politician arsenic Janet Mills prepares to permission office

Democrats and Republicans volition prime nominees for politician to regenerate Mills arsenic the Democrat’s clip successful bureau is winding to a close.

It’s a crowded field. Democrats are choosing betwixt Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows; erstwhile Maine Senate President Troy Jackson; erstwhile Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives Hannah Pingree; vigor enforcement Angus King III; and erstwhile manager of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Nirav Shah.

Republicans volition take betwixt erstwhile U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Bobby Charles; healthcare enforcement Jonathan Bush; erstwhile Maine Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason; University of Maine System trustee Owen McCarthy; erstwhile Paris, Maine, selectman Robert Wessels; and businessmen David Jones and Ben Midgley.

Mills is termed retired and volition look connected the Democratic ballot for U.S. Senate, though she suspended her run weeks ago.

Nevada Democrats question to necktie Gov. Lombardo to Trump

As Nevada voters enactment successful superior elections Tuesday, the authorities Democratic Party has launched a website — www.thelombardotrumpway.com/ — to item GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo’s connections to the White House.

The tract is an effort to link the politician to the economical fallout from Trump’s tariffs and the Iran war. Lombardo is considered 1 of the astir susceptible governors successful the country.

The Democrats vying to situation Lombardo see authorities Attorney General Aaron Ford, who has the backing of the Democratic legislature delegation and erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris. He would beryllium the archetypal Black antheral elected politician of Nevada. He’s facing Democrat Alexis Hill, a region commissioner successful bluish Nevada who campaigned arsenic a campaigner consenting to shingle things up.

In GOP-heavy South Carolina, Democrats facing disconnected successful apical races, too

Republicans person held each statewide-elected positions successful South Carolina for much than a decade, but respective Democrats are competing successful primaries Tuesday for immoderate of the state’s apical posts.

Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace successful 2022, is vying for the Democratic information to situation Sen. Lindsey Graham. Also successful that contention is Brandon Brown, a erstwhile HBCU vice president and proprietor of ceremonial homes successful Greenville.

In the governor’s race, authorities Rep. Jermaine Johnson and Greenville businessman Billy Webster are moving successful the Democratic primary. They’re joined by Mullins McLeod, an lawyer who withstood calls from enactment leaders that helium discontinue the contention pursuing an apprehension past twelvemonth for disorderly conduct.

Lindsey Graham’s reelection run coincides with the Iran warfare he’s pushed

The South Carolina senator’s bid for a 5th word coincides with the warfare he’s pushed for years. Graham has a adjacent narration with Trump and they talk regularly astir the conflict.

But arsenic voters mull whether to nonstop Graham backmost to Washington, they’re besides reckoning with the ongoing war, which has caused fissures among immoderate of Trump’s astir vocal supporters.

Graham often pushes Trump to instrumentality adjacent much assertive action, astatine 1 constituent suggesting that the U.S. subject prehend Kharg Island, which is captious for Iran’s lipid industry.

Mace calls Evette a ‘disgrace’ aft an altercation betwixt their supporters

Rep. Nancy Mace says 1 of her supporters was assaulted astatine a Monday lawsuit with Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, 1 of her rivals successful South Carolina’s governor’s race.

The antheral was escorted from Evette’s rally, past walked the sidewalk speaking into a megaphone. Then different antheral wearing an Evette run chapeau is seen connected video grabbing the instrumentality from his hands.

Court records amusement the Evette supporter, Blake Garrison Kirsch, was charged with third-degree battle and artillery Tuesday. No lawyer was listed. Evette’s run said Kirsch was not a staffer and had been removed from the campaign’s concern committee since the altercation.

Asked astir the incidental Tuesday, Evette told reporters aft voting successful Taylors she was “saddened” by the concern and doesn’t “tolerate unit connected immoderate level.”

Democratic acheronian equine campaigner faces uphill conflict for Nevada governor

Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill faces authorities Attorney General Aaron Ford, whose fundraising has dwarfed hers —$2.3 cardinal compared to Hill’s $100,000. He besides has the enactment of the full Democratic legislature delegation and erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris.

Hill, a section authoritative successful the region that includes Reno, has tally a grassroots campaign, promising to shingle up the presumption quo successful the Democratic Party. Ford has mostly ignored her, fixing his sights connected the November election.

The victor volition astir apt look Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, who's moving for reelection.

Voter voices from Graham Platner’s hometown of Sullivan, Maine

Brenda Wood said she voted for Republicans successful the superior due to the fact that she doesn’t judge Platner’s run promises and expressed dissatisfaction with his enactment generally.

“I deliberation the Democrats person been a disgrace to Maine for years,” she said.

Annette Babcock, besides from Sullivan, said she supported Platner, whom she said she’s met a fewer times and likes due to the fact that he’s not an established politician.

She did not dependable acrophobic implicit caller controversies surrounding his campaign.

“The Republicans don’t person overmuch motivation precocious crushed to basal connected erstwhile they’re criticizing him for what he’s done erstwhile Trump is simply a convicted felon,” she said.

What’s astatine involvement successful Maine’s US Senate race

The roadworthy for the Democrats to instrumentality backmost the U.S. Senate goes done Maine. That roadworthy starts today.

The Democratic Party needs to nett 4 seats to retake the Senate majority, and thinks immoderate of its champion chances are successful states similar Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio. The enactment is acceptable to officially prime its nominee successful Maine connected Tuesday.

Oyster husbandman and combat seasoned Graham Platner is the party’s presumptive nominee due to the fact that his main rival, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, suspended her run weeks ago. Mills remains connected the ballot. David Costello, who hasn't campaigned aggressively, is besides connected the ballot.

Evette calls Trump endorsement ‘golden ticket’ successful her South Carolina gubernatorial campaign

After voting astatine her precinct successful Taylors connected Tuesday, South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette said she was assured astir however her run for politician had gone.

But if she doesn’t triumph the superior outright and has to run for 2 much weeks successful a runoff, the Republican said she’d enactment hard to triumph implicit voters who didn’t initially enactment her.

President Donald Trump is backing Evette’s bid and the campaigner said that, portion she thinks that volition assistance her successful this “proud Trump state,” she’ll absorption chiefly connected her ain stances, similar cutting taxes and regulations.

Graham Platner’s tattoo and societal media controversies, explained

Platner’s run has spent months navigating controversies astir a tattoo of a Nazi awesome that helium had covered up and his past of inflammatory online postings.

Platner has said helium was drunk connected permission with immoderate chap Marines galore years agone erstwhile helium got a skull and crossbones tattoo connected his chest. He had it covered up past twelvemonth aft saying helium learned that it was a Nazi image.

There has besides been overmuch attraction connected his erstwhile societal media and Reddit posts, which were dismissive of subject intersexual assaults, insulting of constabulary and agrarian residents and utilized homophobic slurs, for which he's apologized.

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