Primary voting kicks off

Polls opened in Ohio and Indiana on Tuesday, starting primary election season for 13 states. Election security, abortion, and pandemic responses have marked key issues for conservative voters as the GOP hopes to regain control of Congress in this year’s general election. Thirty-four U.S. Senate seats will be open in November, along with 36 governorships. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed several candidates in swing states, making this month a test of the effect his approval has among voters.

What are the key races to watch? In Ohio, J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy, and the four leading Republican candidates have funneled more than $65 million into their campaigns, making it the most expensive primary season in state history. Trump heads to Pennsylvania this week to stump for former television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is vying against former hedge fund CEO David McCormick in the GOP primary to fill retiring U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey’s seat. On Monday, Georgia opened early primary voting. The winner of the Republican showdown between Gov. Brian Kemp and former Sen. David Perdue will face Democrat Stacey Abrams, who is running unopposed in the primary, in the governor’s race in November.

Dig deeper: Read Esther Eaton’s report in The Stew about Democrats’ chances in the midterms.