2025/26/27/28 Elections

[phkrause]

Tuesday’s takeaways: Platner’s big night, Clyburn carries on and Trump’s support gets mixed results Graham Platner secured Maine’s Democratic Senate nomination, setting up a high-stakes battle against longtime incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a race that could determine party control of the U.S. Senate. Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota also hosted primary elections. Read more. Why this matters: Whilst Platner never faced serious opposition for the Democratic nomination, Tuesday marked an especially significant moment for Platner, who is fighting to rebuild his credibility following a campaign rocked by personal controversies.   His victory — and his party's response — underscores how much the Democratic Party has changed in the Trump era. Democrats who once embraced a near-zero-tolerance approach to serious allegations of personal misconduct are increasingly prioritizing electability in their quest to return to power in Washington.    In South Carolina, Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was unable to secure a majority of the vote in the five-candidate field needed to avoid a runoff. She will face State Attorney General Alan Wilson on June 23. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Full election results   WATCH: Platner’s victory speech   Photos of primary elections across 4 states   Evette and Wilson advance to runoff for South Carolina governor   Nevada is set to have one of nation’s premier races for governor as Democrats seek to reclaim seat    Defying Trump ended some Republicans’ careers. It could help Susan Collins win reelection in Maine    Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will face off in California governor’s race

[phkrause]

‼️ Next bitter primary

The political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is quietly putting massive sums into helping the group's chair, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), win his primary.

Why it matters: The spending signals how much peril Espaillat's allies think he is facing from democratic socialist challenger Darializa Avila Chevalier.

• The race in New York's 13th District, which covers parts of Upper Manhattan and the West Bronx, has attracted huge independent expenditures from outside groups and national media attention.
• Avila Chevalier has leaned heavily into her endorsement from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The big picture: This is one of several races pitting Mamdani against the NYC establishment, most notably House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is supporting Espaillat.

• Mamdani has endorsed NYC Comptroller Brad Lander in his primary challenge against Jeffries-backed Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.)
• He is also backing State Assembly member Claire Valdez in the race to succeed Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), who is supporting Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. Jeffries has not endorsed in that race.

Driving the news: Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), who chairs the CHC's BOLD PAC, told us in a brief Capitol Hill interview yesterday that the group is "heavily invested" in helping Espaillat secure reelection.

• Sanchez confirmed in a follow-up interview that her group is routing most of its spending through another PAC, BOLD America.
• That group was launched in 2023 by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) and Filemon Vela (D-Texas) to help elect Hispanic Democrats to Congress.
• A newly released Data for Progress poll commissioned by Justice Democrats, a group supporting Avila Chevalier, has her leading Espaillat 39% to 35%, according to Semafor.

By the numbers: BOLD America is, by far, the largest spender in the primary, having invested more than $2.5 million in the race, according to its FEC filings.

• Avila Chevalier's biggest outside backer, pro-Palestinian super PAC American Priorities, has reported spending $500,000 on the race so far.
• Asked about BOLD America's spending on his behalf at the Axios AM Live Summit on Tuesday, Espaillat pointed to Texas businessman Hussein Mahrouq's financial support for American Priorities.
• "We've got to have campaign finance reform ... because as long as we have Citizens United, you'll have an unlimited amount of money coming in from a bunch of places," the Hispanic Caucus chair added.

What's next: Early voting in New York begins Saturday, with primary day set for June 23.

— Andrew Solender