Five states hold primary elections

There are 16 Republican primaries across Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, and Pennsylvania on Tuesday. The close races are expected to further test former President Donald Trump’s influence on elections, depending on whether his endorsed candidates win.

What are the key states to watch? Pennsylvania voters will pick candidates for governor and U.S. Senate. Trump endorsed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz for the open Senate seat, but polls indicated he was in a three-way tie with former hedge fund CEO David McCormick and political commentator Kathy Barnette. John Fetterman, the Democratic frontrunner in the Pennsylvania Senate primary, suffered a stroke over the weekend but plans to rejoin the campaign trail soon. In Idaho, Republican Gov. Brad Little runs against his Trump-endorsed lieutenant governor Janice McGeachin who banned mask mandates last year when Little was out of the state on business. North Carolina U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn is fighting for reelection against widespread Republican opposition, but Trump told users on Truth Social to give the young lawmaker “a second chance.”

Dig deeper: Read more about the Pennsylvania primary in my report in The Stew.