Lauren Boebert runs in GOP race, Democrats clash over Israel: What to know about Tuesday's pivotal primaries
A handful of House and Senate primary elections on Tuesday in New York, Utah and Colorado are promising tough fights that have revealed intense intra-party conflicts among Democrats and Republicans ahead of the November general election.
Competitive House races in highly partisan New York and Colorado districts appear prime territory for major upsets that could see voters buck incumbent politicians and change the makeup of Congress next year.
And in Utah, a GOP Senate primary is shaping up to be a referendum on how Republicans in the state view former President Donald Trump’s fiery brand of conservatism.
Here’s a look at the races to watch across the country on Tuesday.
New York
Progressive Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is facing a difficult primary challenge for New York’s 16th District seat, which spans from the Bronx to the Connecticut border, by Westchester County Executive George Latimer. The race is the latest, and potentially the most high profile, test yet in 2024 of how Democratic divisions over the the Israel-Hamas war are playing out on the campaign trail.
Bowman, who has represented his district since 2020, is among the most outspoken critics of Israel in Congress and has accused the country of committing genocide in its war against Hamas. He’s also called for the Biden administration to stop providing aid to Israel. Progressives including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and fellow New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have rallied to support Bowman in the primary.
Latimer, meanwhile, is a more moderate, pro-Israel candidate who has received endorsements from establishment Democrats like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a group supporting pro-Israel politicians, has donated more than $1.2 million to Latimer's campaign, according to campaign finance filings through June 5.
During a campaign rally over the weekend, Bowman said his supporters would show AIPAC “the power” of the South Bronx in Tuesday’s election. But recent polling has shown Bowman trailing in the race.
An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey conducted in early June, for instance, found Latimer with a more than 10-point lead over Bowman, 48%-31%.
Bowman was also at the center of a confusing incident on Capitol Hill last year after he pulled a fire alarm in a House office building, prompting an emergency evacuation. The lower chamber later censured the New York lawmaker.
Colorado
Congressional primaries in Colorado on Tuesday will lay the foundation for general election races that could determine the balance of power in Congress next year.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, the GOP firebrand who currently represents Colorado’s 3rd District, is instead running in the solidly red neighboring 4th District. Boebert announced her decision to switch districts last year, after Republican Rep. Ken Buck confirmed that he would not seek a sixth term to represent the 4th District.
Republicans hold a razor-thin majority in the House, and Boebert narrowly bested her Democratic rival for the 3rd District seat by just 546 votes in the 2022 midterms. Still, the district, which encompasses much of the western half of the state, holds a nine-point Republican advantage.
Whoever wins the six-way GOP primary for the 3rd District on Tuesday, will face Boebert’s former Democratic challenger, Adam Frisch. Former state representative Ron Hanks garnered the endorsement of the state party in the race, while attorney Jeff Hurd led in a poll conducted at the beginning of June.
In the 4th District GOP primary, Boebert is competing against five other candidates. A survey from the end of May showed the stalwart Trump conservative with a 35-point lead over her competitors in the race.
Utah
When Sen. Mitt Romney, R- Utah, announced in September that he would not seek reelection to the Senate, he sparked a battle among GOP Senate hopefuls with competing visions for the future of the party.
The race for his seat between Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, former state House Speaker Brad Wilson and U.S. Rep. John Curtis has revolved around how much the politicians have embraced Trump’s hard-right conservative politics.
Recent polls have shown Curtis with a more than 20-point lead over his competitors. While he has said he plans to vote for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, Curtis is also the only candidate in the race who has stopped short of outright endorsing the former president.
Trump and Utah’s Republican Party are supporting Staggs.
Republican Gov. Spencer Cox is also expected to win his primary on Tuesday, despite not receiving the backing of the state party after some of his GOP critics accused him of being too centrist.
Contributing: Cy Neff and Natasha Lovato, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boebert runs in GOP race, Dems split over Israel: Tuesday primaries
