Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In this week’s congressional special election primaries, Tennessee’s Matt Van Epps easily won his 11-way Republican contest, thanks in part to an endorsement from Donald Trump. He’ll face state Rep. Aftyn Behn, who won a more competitive Democratic primary.
* Speaking of the Volunteer State, state Rep. Justin Pearson, a member of the contingent known as the “Tennessee Three,” launched a Democratic primary challenge against longtime Rep. Steve Cohen.
* Cohen isn’t the only Democratic incumbent facing a new primary rival: In Maine, Rep. Jared Golden is now facing an intraparty challenge from State Auditor Matthew Dunlap.
* With less than a month to go in Virginia’s gubernatorial race, the latest Wason Center poll found former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger ahead of Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, 52% to 42% among likely voters.
* The race for control over Pennsylvania’s state Supreme Court is heating up, and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is getting increasingly involved in the election, appearing in new ads in support of three Democratic justices who’ll appear on the November ballot.
* State lawmakers in Utah this week responded to a court order and approved a newly redrawn congressional district map. As NBC News reported, “Under the proposed map, Salt Lake County — the most Democratic part of Utah — would be split into two districts, rather than divided into the current four.”
* And in Kentucky, retired Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath fell short in her first two U.S. Senate campaigns, but in 2026, the Democrat hopes the third time is the charm. She’ll run next year in an open-seat contest, hoping to succeed Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who’s retiring.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
