Races to watch in Tuesday’s primaries

Voters in four states—Connecticut, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Vermont—head to the polls for primary elections Tuesday. In Minnesota and Wisconsin, Republican gubernatorial candidates are vying to cast themselves as the strongest supporters of President Donald Trump. Also up for grabs is the seat of outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who retires at the end of this term. The primary ballot in Vermont includes a Democrat who hopes to become the nation’s first transgender governor. Christine Hallquist has the best name recognition among the four Democratic candidates but would face a tough fight in the general election against incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott. Also among the four Democratic candidates is 14-year-old Ethan Sonneborn, who can’t vote but qualifies to run for governor, thanks to the lack of an age requirement in the state’s constitution. In Connecticut, Republicans find themselves with a rare shot to pick up a governor’s seat in a deep-blue state thanks to Gov. Dannel Malloy’s unpopularity.