Five states hold primaries, two host runoffs with Trump endorsements in Illinois, Oklahoma, Utah

Five states Tuesday are holding primaries as Mississippi and South Carolina host runoff races – with an Illinois Republican vs. Republican congressional primary among the most closely watched. 

To be sure, endorsements by former President Trump are a factor in several races, as they have been in early primaries this year, as Democrats and Republicans move into the second-half of the 2020 primary cycle and draw closer to getting their final slate of nominees ready for the November general elections. 

The states holding primaries are Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma and Utah.

The outcome of those races will determine whether Republicans can take advantage of historical trends and Democrat President Joe Biden’s handling of inflation to retake control of the House and-or Senate. 

In Illinois, the big race is between incumbent Reps. Rodney Davis and Mary Miller, as a result of redistricting. Trump has endorsed Miller, who is seeking a second term, and recently campaigned for her. Davis is more moderate and has served in Congress since 2013. 

In other state races, GOP Rep. Mike Bost, who represents Illinois' 12th Congressional District, has Trump’s support, as does Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey in the Republican gubernatorial primary to challenge incumbent Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Tuesday’s primaries will be the first since the Supreme Court last week struck down Roe v. Wade, the decades-old court decision that provided a constitutional right to abortion.

Bailey wants to end the state’s right to abortion except for instances in which the mother’s life is in danger while opponent, Richard Irvin, the mayor of Aurora, has said he would allow abortions in instances of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is at risk.

In Colorado, the most talked about race is the one in which Tina Peters is seeking the Republican nomination for secretary of state, amid an indictment for election tampering. (There is no reporting of Trump having endorsed Peters, though she has sought his backing.)

In New York, the big race is the GOP gubernatorial primary in which the frontrunners are Rep. Lee Zeldin and Andrew Giuliani, the son of Rudy Giuliani. The winner will challenge the Democratic nominee, who is expected to be incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul.    

In Oklahoma, the big contest is GOP primary for the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Jim Inhofe. The leader appears to be Rep. Markwayne Mullin. But he needs to get at least 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff in a crowded primary that includes former state House Speaker T.W. Shannon and former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt.

GOP Reps. Tom Cole and Kevin Hern are also seeking reelection, and they have Trump’s support. 

In Utah, incumbent GOP Rep. Burgess Owens, a former NFL star, is seeking reelection. Owens won a Democrat seat in 2020. Each has a Trump endorsement.

In Mississippi, there are three GOP congressional runoffs – in Districts 2, 3 and 4.

In South Carolina, the state has about two dozen runoffs, the only race of possible significance is Democratic Senate primary to face GOP incumbent Sen. Tim Scott in November.