Three states will close out the primary season with elections on Tuesday

Believe it or not, state primary elections are still happening even though the general election is just eight weeks away. The contests in Delaware, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island will close out the 2024 primary election season on Tuesday.

So, who’s seeking office, and in which state?

Delaware’s primary election

Two prominent Democrats are leaving office, leaving their seats open for candidates. The departure of U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and Delaware Gov. John Carney left the field open for a contested primary on both sides of the aisle.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Republican former Walmart executive Eric Hansen are seeking to replace Carper. They are running unopposed for their parties’ nominations and will not appear on Tuesday’s ballot.

Carney, who has served two terms as governor, is barred from seeking a third under Delaware statute. He is instead seeking office as mayor of Wilmington, and his Democratic primary opponent is former state treasurer Velda Jones-Potter, another statewide office holder.

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer and former state Natural Resources Secretary Collin O’Mara are the Democratic candidates. Retired police officer Jerry Price, state House Minority Leader Michael Ramone, and small business owner Bobby Williamson are the Republican candidates.

The Associated Press reported that Hall-Long is the only candidate in the race to have previously won statewide office and has received Carney’s endorsement. However, the two-term lieutenant governor had a difficult summer after a state-ordered forensic audit of her campaign finances uncovered financial improprieties over eight years. Hall-Long has disputed the findings, saying they were attributable to bookkeeping errors.

New Hampshire’s primary election

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu and Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster are leaving office, and their seats are open for candidates seeking their party nomination.

Two Democratic front runners and two Republican front runners are seeking nomination to the contest for Sununu’s seat. The current governor is leaving office after four terms.

As reported in The Hill, former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and New Hampshire Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington are the Democratic front-runners. Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte and former New Hampshire Senate President Chuck Morse are the leading Republican contenders.

Two Democrats are running to replace Kuster: former Biden official Maggie Goodlander, who served as counsel during Trump’s first impeachment, and former New Hampshire Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern, Kuster’s campaign manager.

Rhode Island’s primary election

Rhode Island’s sitting Democratic U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse will face a primary challenger in Mike Costa, but Whitehouse is expected to win.

Republican state Rep. Patricia Morgan and Raymond McKay will battle it out at the polls on Sept. 10 to determine who will challenge Whitehouse on Nov. 5

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Tuesday's primaries to watch: Keep your eye on these states