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Just one state holds primaries today: Maryland. With Larry Hogan term-limited, this is one of Democrats’ two best opportunities to flip a governorship. The biggest thing to watch is whether Dems will be successful in their continued meddling in GOP primaries. It’s a risky strategy they’ve used throughout the country: Give an assist to the candidate they want to run against by attacking them for being too conservative or Trumpy, which raises their profile and appeal to the MAGA base. Ex. The Democratic Governors Association spent $1M+ in ads in recent weeks to “attack” Trump pick Dan Cox. Here’s an ad they mailed to voters in this spirit:

Yesterday’s primaries marked the halfway point of the 2022 election. So, we’re switching things up with a mid-season report card on the state of the races. ➡️ Trump may not be beaten, but he’s beatable, which wasn’t so clear when the primaries began. It doesn’t help that he’s getting dragged in Washington. 58% of Americans now think he should be prosecuted for his role in Jan. 6. ➡️ Judging by yesterday’s primaries, SCOTUS is the new Trump in a post Roe v. Wade world — and Democrats know it. In three polls released since the Roe decision, the generic ballot has shifted in Democrats’ favor. ➡️ Democrats entered the midterm election facing historic headwinds — and if the early turnout numbers in yesterday’s primaries are any indication, they’re in a bad spot. But, they still have a chance to turn things around if they effectively prosecute the case on Roe and channel the Jan. 6 momentum to get ahead. For a recap specific to last night’s races, check out our flagship newsletter Playbook (scroll down to the ABOUT LAST NIGHT section). The next primary is on July 19 so we’ll be back then. Enjoy the break ☀️

Hello! Us again with an update: ➡️ Trump-backed Darren Bailey won the GOP nomination for Illinois governor. He defeated Richard Irvin, who Dems spent about $34 million blasting in ads so he wouldn’t face off against Gov. JB Pritzker in November. ➡️ Illinois’ two member-vs-member House races were called: In IL-15, Trump-backed GOP Rep. Mary Miller beat out her better-funded colleague Rep. Rodney Davis in a primary that put Trump’s clout on display. Meanwhile in IL-06, Rep. Sean Casten defeated fellow incumbent Rep. Marie Newman in the race for the same Chicago-area seat. ➡️ Six-term GOP Rep. Steven Palazzo lost his runoff for Mississippi’s 4th District as he faces allegations of improper use of campaign money and office resources. He fell to Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell, who finished second in the June 7 primary. We'll be back in the morning with more from tonight’s elections.

Hi again 👋 Voters in Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma and Utah will cast their primary ballots today while Mississippi will hold runoff elections. First thing to know: Democrats, who face hurricane-force headwinds in November, have made an unprecedented effort to meddle in GOP contests, elevating extreme candidates and attacking Republican hopefuls they see as threats in the general election. ➡️ Dems made a more-than-$30-million effort in the Illinois governor’s race, blasting GOP candidate Richard Irvin on the airwaves for months. They really don’t want him to face off against Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in November. ➡️ In Colorado, Democrats launched multi-million-dollar campaigns to boost far-right GOP candidates in three primaries, trying to bolster the reelection prospects of Gov. Jared Polis and Sen. Michael Bennet. Second thing to know: Illinois’ House incumbents are on the chopping block in member-versus-member races: ➡️ In IL-15, GOP Rep. Mary Miller, a Trump-endorsed candidate who has been mired in controversy, will square off against five-term congressman Rep. Rodney Davis. The race is a major test of Trump’s sway — and, given Miller’s various controversies, his judgment. ➡️ In IL-06, redistricting forced Reps. Sean Casten and Marie Newman to battle for the same seat. Campaigning for the seat has essentially stopped, however, after Casten’s 17-year-old died unexpectedly two weeks ago. We’ll be back tonight with an update.

What else happened last night? ➡️ Trump lost big in Georgia’s runoff elections. In GA-10, Mike Collins crushed Trump-endorsed Vernon Jones and in GA-06, Rich McCormick defeated Trump-endorsed Jake Evans by a more than 2-to-1 margin. ➡️ The big shocker of last night happened in Georgia’s District 2 where Chris West won the GOP runoff against Jeremy Hunt despite being outspent by a 10-1 margin. Many Washington GOP insiders saw Hunt — a 28-year-old Black Republican, former U.S. Army captain, West Point graduate and current Yale Law student — as a top recruit. We’ll be back on June 28 for the next primary. It’ll be a big one 💥

Hello! Here's how today's races are shaping up: ➡️ In Alabama, Katie Britt defeated Mo Brooks in the GOP Senate primary runoff, finally ending a high-profile MAGA world election feud. When the AP called the race, Britt, who Trump endorsed, had 66% of the vote while Brooks had 24%. ➡️ In Virginia, state Sen. Jen Kiggans won the GOP nomination for District 2. Meanwhile, Yesli Vega emerged from a crowded race to win the GOP primary for District 7. The GOP aims to oust Democratic incumbents in both battleground districts come November. ➡️ In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser won a heated Democratic primary in a tough reelection race that included two current city councilmembers. We'll be back tomorrow with an update.

Hey there 👋 Voters in Virginia and Washington, D.C. will cast primary ballots today while Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia will hold runoff elections. Here’s what we’re watching: ➡️ Today’s marquee race is the Alabama Senate seat runoff between Katie Britt and Rep. Mo Brooks, which has been subject to Trump’s mercurial temperament. The former president first endorsed, then un-endorsed Brooks — then backed Britt after Brooks was still able to snag second place and advance to the runoff. ➡️ In Virginia, a pair of battleground districts is pivotal in the fight for the House majority. In the 2nd District, state Sen. Jen Kiggans is the Republican primary favorite while in the 7th District, the race to challenge Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger is crowded and tight. POLITICO’s Election Forecast rates the 2nd District as a toss-up and the 7th District as leaning Democratic. For more, check out all the seats up for grabs in today’s primaries. We’ll be back later today with an update.

Hello, hello. Let’s start with the notable wins from last night. ➡️ In South Carolina, Trump-backed candidate Henry McMaster won the GOP pick for governor. He’ll face Democratic Congressman Joe Cunningham in Nov. Tim Scott, the only Black Senate Republican, easily won his path to re-election. He’s been critical of Trump’s comments on race but has largely supported many of his policies. It’s unclear which Democratic candidate he’ll face in the fall but our chief election reporter predicts a Republican will likely win S.C.’s Senate seat. ➡️ In Nevada’s GOP camp, Trump-backed candidate Adam Laxalt won the party pick for Senate while Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo won the party pick for Governor. Our election forecast has both races in this battleground state as toss-ups come November. ➡️ Few states offer a better preview of a potential Biden-Trump 2024 rematch than Maine’s gubernatorial race. Republican Paul LePage, who could hardly be more Trump-like, will face off against Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. We’ll be back June 21, 2022 for the next primary. See y’all then.

Here with an update: ➡️ The GOP party flipped a longtime Democratic House seat in a South Texas special election. ➡️ In South Carolina, Rep. Tom Rice, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, lost his primary to Trump-backed candidate Russell Fry. Rep. Nancy Mace had better luck against her Trump-endorsed challenger, winning her Republican primary with a bare majority. ➡️ In Texas, Republican Mayra Flores flipped the 34th District. She’ll only hold the seat until January, but her victory signals significant GOP gains among Latino voters in recent years. We'll be back in the morning with more on what happened in last night's elections.

Hey there. Today we’ve got primaries in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota and South Carolina. Plus, there’s a special election in Texas. Here’s what you should know: ➡️ Keep your eyes on South Carolina — that’s where Trump will be looking. He has endorsed two GOP candidates: Katie Arrington, who is taking on Rep. Nancy Mace, and Russell Fry, who is taking on Rep. Tom Rice. Rice has staunchly supported impeaching Trump from office last year. ➡️ In Nevada, a leader of a Trump-aligned group of election conspiracy theorists could get one step closer to becoming the battleground state’s chief elections officer. ➡️ In Texas’ special election, Republicans are testing their strength among Latino voters in the Rio Grande Valley. They’re supporting Mayra Flores while Democrats are backing Daniel Sanchez. Want more? Check out our full guide on what to watch today. We’ll be back with an update tonight.

Hello again! We’re here with a recap of last night’s primaries. It was a big one. ➡️ All five of the House Republicans on yesterday’s ballot who voted to create a bipartisan commission to investigate Jan. 6 survived. Looks like Republicans who crossed Trump didn’t suffer too much for their infidelity. ➡️ In a sign of how quickly politics is shifting around criminal justice this year, San Francisco’s progressive prosecutor Chesa Boudin was recalled. ➡️ Democrats have a turnout problem in California. Nationally, they face a bleak midterm landscape so any sign of apathy in the biggest and bluest state is cause for concern. ➡️ Kristi Noem won South Dakota’s GOP gubernatorial primary with big margins after a turbulent first term (that’s putting it mildly). It was a show of force for someone who might run for president or vice president in 2024. For more, check out our full takeaways from last night. We'll be back on June 14 for the next primary.