Primary preview for Georgia, Oregon, Kentucky and Idaho: The high-stakes races to watch
Four states will vote on Tuesday in critical 2024 primaries - with implications on former President Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference case and several competitive, and potentially decisive, House races that could shape the balance of power in Congress.
Two major players indicted alongside Trump in the Georgia criminal case will be on the local Fulton County ballot on Tuesday – and the results of the races could put further strain on the already controversy-enmeshed legal proceedings.
Voters in Oregon, meanwhile, will select the Democratic and Republican candidates that will face-off in a number of general election Congressional races that could determine which party controls the House next year.
And in Idaho, Republican Rep. Mike Simpson faces two primary challengers in his bid for a 14th term representing the 2nd District, which encompasses much of the eastern part of the state.
Here’s a look at the races to watch on Tuesday.
Trump trial officials on the ballot in Georgia
Georgia voters already cast ballots in the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries, but on Tuesday, they’ll decide on a slate of high-profile local and congressional races.
Both the lead prosecutor and judge in Trump’s Georgia election interference case are up for reelection. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is facing a primary challenge from Christian Wise Smith in the Democratic primary, while Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is going head-to-head with attorney Robert Patillo in the nonpartisan contest. McAfee was first appointed to the position by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in 2022 and is seeking his first full term in the position.
As voters consider Willis’ performance, she’s also fighting a legal challenge from Trump’s team that seeks to remove her from the case based on her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who she hired to oversee the investigation into the ex-president.
None of Georgia’s 14 congressional districts are expected to be competitive in the general election, meaning the primaries are likely to determine the winners of the seats. And the five-person Republican race for Georgia’s 3rd District is particularly contentious. Former Trump aid Brian Jack has garnered a slew of endorsements including from the ex-president and has raised the most money in the race.
Pro-Israel Super PAC wades into primaries
As divides among Americans over the U.S. response to the war in Gaza grow, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group, is weighing in on key races across the country.
Tuesday’s primaries are no exception. The group’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, spent about $300,000 on an ad campaign bashing Rep. Thomas Massie, R-K.Y., a seven-term lawmaker who is facing two challengers in the Republican primary for his 4th District seat.
A spokesperson for the Project told the USA TODAY Network that the ad buy isn’t designed to influence the upcoming primary, but rather to inform “every single voter in the state of Kentucky” about what they say is a history of anti-Israel sentiment from Massie. The Kentucky Republican voted against condemning Iran's April attack on Israel and was criticized earlier this year for a social media post that appeared to accuse Congress of supporting "Zionism" over "American patriotism."
Massie is seen as a potential contender for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s seat if the Republican retires in 2026, along with GOP Rep. Andy Barr, who represents Kentucky’s 6th District.
AIPAC has also played a prominent role in the competitive Democratic primary to replace Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., in the 3rd District. Blumenauer has served in Congress since 1996 and is retiring at the end of the year. His seat is considered a Democratic stronghold, meaning the winner of the primary is likely to become the next representative.
The United Democracy Project doesn’t appear to have directly contributed to any of the candidates in the three-way primary. But two of the contenders – Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal and Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales – accused their opponent, Dr. Maxine Dexter, of indirectly receiving money from AIPAC donors.
They argued that Dexter is receiving contributions from the group through the science-focused 314 Action Fund, which has spent more than $1.5 million on her campaign.
Jayapal, the sister of Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Dexter have both called for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Oregon primaries tee up general election clashes
Primaries in three other Oregon districts are setting the stage for November showdowns that could determine the balance of power in the currently narrowly-divided U.S. House next year.
The fate of Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, which includes the state’s southern coastal communities, could rest on the results of the two-person Republican primary. A 2021 redistricting effort redrew the boundaries for the seat, making it more favorable for GOP candidates.
Monique DeSpain, an Air Force veteran, has received endorsements from Republican party leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Steve Scalise, in her race against Amy Ryan Courser. The winner will face first-term Democratic Rep. Val Hoyle in November.
Farther to the north, Democrats’ Janelle Bynum, a former engineer, and Jamie McLeod-Skinner, an emergency management official, are competing to take on Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the general election. The Cook Political Report rated the race as a Republican toss up, and Democrats are hoping to flip it. Oregon’s Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek has endorsed Bynum in the race.
Oregon’s 6th District is also anticipated to be a must-watch race in November, and it could be a rematch between Democratic Rep. Andrea Salinas and Republican businessman Mike Erickson. Erickson lost to Salinas by less than three points in 2022, and this year’s race is expected to be equally as competitive.
But before they can meet again, both candidates must fend off primary challengers. Salinas is competing against veteran Steven Cody Reynolds in the Democratic primary and Erickson, who leads a supply chain consulting firm, is up against three competitors.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The high-stakes primary races to watch across four states on Tuesday
