Key events
Voters to decide fates of progressive and far-right lawmakers as states hold primaries nationwide
Good morning, US politics blog readers. Today is primary day in New York, Colorado and Utah, where voters will cast ballots in races that could help determine the ideological bent of the next Congress. The outcomes of these contests could, in turn, determine how contentious issues such as military aid to Ukraine are handled by lawmakers next year, and how prone the next Congress is to getting into standoffs that result in government shutdowns – a favorite tactic of recalcitrant Congress members in recent years. Of all the offices up for grabs, there are two that will be getting a lot of attention. In New York City’s suburbs, progressive Democrat Jamaal Bowman is fighting for his seat against centrist George Latimer, in a race where Bowman’s opposition to aiding Israel has become a major issue. In rural Colorado, far-right congresswoman Lauren Boebert is looking to win the Republican primary in a different, more conservative district than the one she currently holds, to shore up support rocked by a series of missteps and questionable deeds.
South Carolina will also hold runoffs today, and we’ll get the first results there, beginning at 7pm ET. We’ll tell you more about the races to be decided as the day goes on.
Here’s what else is happening:
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Joe Biden remains at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland, with nothing public on his schedule. Reports say that he has been spending his time preparing for his debate against Donald Trump on Thursday.
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Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is on his way to Saipan to complete the terms of the plea agreement that will end his lengthy legal saga. Follow our live blog for the latest.
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Two years ago, Congress passed a bipartisan law making some modest gun safety reforms in the wake of the Uvalde shooting. Gun violence remains common and deadly in the United States.