Trump ally loses in Minnesota primary as progressive candidates see mixed outcomes

In Wisconsin, the Democratic primary for governor produced a striking upset as progressive state lawmaker Francesca Hong was narrowly defeated by David Crowley, the Milwaukee county executive. Despite polls that had suggested Hong was on course for victory, the contest unfolded amid a turbulent campaign in which Crowley initially withdrew, then re‑entered the race and swiftly secured the endorsement of outgoing Democratic governor Tony Evers. The result was described as a stunning upset after a messy contest, coming shortly after a series of successes for left‑wing candidates in other Democratic primaries, most notably Abdul El‑Sayed’s bid for the US Senate in Michigan the previous week. During the campaign, Hong characterised Crowley’s return as evidence of panic within the Democratic establishment, although Crowley himself insisted he was “far from” the establishment.

In Connecticut, the battle for a new generation of Democrats yielded a clear victory for Luke Bronin, the former mayor of Hartford, who ousted long‑serving incumbent congressman John Larson in the state’s first congressional district. Larson, aged 78, had held the seat since 1999, while Bronin, 47, positioned his campaign as a response to concerns about age and mental fitness following President Joe Biden’s 2024 withdrawal from the presidential race. Bronin had previously told the Guardian that Democrats needed to be “relentless and clear” about the ways Donald Trump is worsening life for Americans, and “equally relentless and clear” about the party’s vision for improving daily life. After his win, Bronin declared that voters had sent a message that the party must bring fresh energy, courage and clarity to the fight, stating: “Tonight, voters sent a message that if we are going to fix this mess we’re in, we need to build a Democratic Party that’s bringing a whole new energy to this fight. It’s time to be courageous, bold, and clear about who we’re fighting for and what we’re fighting for.”

The primary season also highlighted significant challenges to voting rights in Alabama, where voters returned to the polls for a second time after the state’s Republican‑controlled legislature redrew four of the seven congressional districts. The new map followed a US Supreme Court decision that dismantled a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, prompting several southern states to redistrict in a manner aimed at consolidating Republican power. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that Alabama could adopt a redrawn congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two majority‑Black districts for the upcoming midterm elections. This change creates steep obstacles for Shomari Figures, the Democratic representative first elected in 2024 after a district was created to include the predominantly Black cities of Mobile and Montgomery. The revised district no longer contains Mobile, Figures’s hometown, while Rhett Marques, a Republican state representative and small‑business owner now situated within the new district, won the Republican primary and is set to challenge Figures in the general election.

In South Carolina, the Republican primary produced a runoff that will determine the party’s nominee to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the sudden death of Lindsey Graham. Interim US senator Darline Graham advanced to the runoff, where she will face Congressman Ralph Norman, a member of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, on 25 August. The victor of that contest will go on to oppose Annie Andrews, the Democratic nominee and a pediatrician, in the November general election. Although the notes indicate that Graham was appointed with Trump’s backing, the sentence is incomplete and therefore no further detail is included.

Together, these outcomes illustrate the competing forces shaping both parties as they head into the general election. On the Republican side, the influence of former President Trump’s endorsements appears uneven, with some candidates benefiting while others face challenges unrelated to his support. Among Democrats, voters are weighing the appeal of experienced incumbents against demands for newer leadership, as seen in the Connecticut contest and the close Wisconsin race. Meanwhile, the Alabama redistricting episode underscores the ongoing struggle over voting rights and the impact of judicial decisions on electoral maps, particularly for communities of colour. The South Carolina runoff highlights how personal tragedies and party dynamics can shift the balance within a primary, setting the stage for a consequential general‑election showdown. All of these developments stem directly from the events documented in the source notes, reflecting the current stakes and evidence without extrapolation beyond the provided information.