VOTERS may not realize there’s more to Super Tuesday than choosing who could be in the White House this fall.
Candidates for congressional seats in the Senate and House of Representatives are going head to head to try and flip purple counties or dethrone longtime incumbents.
On Tuesday, primary votes are being held in 15 states plus American Samoa, which represents about one-third of the national electorate.
This makes it a significant day for presidential candidates looking to be nominated by the Republican and Democratic National Committees in the summer.
Frontrunners Donald Trump and incumbent Joe Biden are expected to see a great showing while GOP competitor Nikki Haley trails far behind.
However, voters should know they won’t just be selecting their preferred presidential candidate at the polls but could also make their voice heard in key congressional races.
FEINSTEIN’S REPLACEMENT
In California, three Democratic House members are seeking nomination for the Senate seat left by Senator Dianne Feinstein, who served until she died in 2023.
Adam Schiff is leading the charge with significant financial support from fundraisers and could likely be one of two politicians nominated this week.
What is Super Tuesday?
And what it means for the general election.
- Before the national general election is held on November 5, 2024, states hold primary elections where voters of each party can select that party’s nominee
- The results of these primaries will dictate which candidate becomes the official nominee for both the Republican and Democratic Party at their national conventions in the summer
- On Super Tuesday, primaries are held in 15 states plus American Samoa, representing about one-third of the national electorate
- Because of how many primaries are held on Super Tuesday, the results are a reliable indicator of who will be each party’s eventual nominee
- Presidential candidates who aren’t nominated can still be represented by a third party, but a third-party candidate has never won an election
He’s running against fellow representatives Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, who, at this point, appear to be fighting for that second spot.
Trump critics in California are also under fire this voting season as the former president continues to sway the electorate.
California Representative David Valadao voted to impeach Trump after January 6, which could make him a target for another more pro-MAGA GOP candidate to take over.
The only competitive seat for the House of Representatives is in Orange County and opened up once Porter started running for Senate.
Some contenders for that post include Republican Scott Baugh as well as Senator Dave Min.
TEXAS BATTLES
In Texas, Democrats are motivated to contest Republican Senator Ted Cruz for his seat in the fall.
Lawmakers feel the historically red state has gone more purple in the past few years, as Cruz only won re-election by three percentage points in 2018 against Beto O’Rourke, NBC News reported.
Democratic Representative Colin Allred is the one leading the charge against Cruz this Tuesday, but his nomination could go to a member of the Senate Roland Gutierrez who’s gained momentum for his progressive stance on gun control.
What is the Electoral College?
And why swing states are important.
- The Electoral College is the body of 538 electors divided among the states who select the next president of the United States
- To become president, a candidate must win a majority of 270 electoral votes
- Every state is assigned one elector for each of its representatives in the House, plus an additional two reflecting the state’s senators
- In most cases, a presidential candidate will be awarded all the electors in a state if they win the state’s popular vote. Electors who vote against the state’s popular vote winner are called faithless electors
- Many states will be virtual shoe-ins for the Democratic candidate (such as New York and California) or the Republican candidate (such as Texas and Missouri), while a minority are genuinely up for grabs by either candidate
- These states, known as purple or swing states, are the main targets for presidential candidates
- The parties’ candidates are chosen in primary elections throughout the first half of the election year, including Super Tuesday, and officially nominated at party conventions in the summer
The state is also seeing a bitter Civil War play out between Attorney General Ken Paxton and State House Speaker Dade Phelan, who is seeking reelection.
Phelan was one of the key voices who impeached Paxton last year over corruption charges, but he was reinstated after the state Senate acquitted him.
Now, Paxton is spending Super Tuesday tearing down his critics and campaigning for his supporters to get office seats.
And GOP candidates are scrambling for former Representative Michael Burgess’ seat after he retired.
Hopefuls include Trump-loving activist Dinesh D’Souza’s son-in-law Brandon Gill, who is a 29-year-old businessman, and mayor of Southlake John Huffman.
NORTH CAROLINA VOTES
In North Carolina, two U.S. House members are looking to fill Attorney General Josh Stein’s seat as he runs for governor.
Three Democratic candidates are running for the position, including Representative Jeff Jackson, attorney Tim Dunn, and Durham County District Attorney Santana Deberry.
They are facing off against House Freedom Caucus member Representative Dan Bishop, an attorney who has been serving on Republican seats since 2019.
Because Bishop is seeking the spot for state attorney general, nominations are taking place for his seat in Congress.
Hopefuls for this position include pastor Mark Harris, who won the GOP nomination in 2018, but lost his momentum when he was investigated over election fraud.
After the arrest of political operative McCrae Dowless, who was employed by Harris’s campaign, Harris’s name was cleared.
RACE FOR ALABAMA
Two incumbent GOP Republican representatives have to face off against each other after the state’s court-ordered redistricting placed them in the same district.
One contender, Barry Moore, is getting support from right-wing groups like the House Freedom Caucus and School Freedom Fund.
However, GOP heavyweight donors have thrown some criticism against the extremely conservative candidate, leaving an opening for rival Jerry Carl.
For updates on Super Tuesday results, follow along with The U.S. Sun’s live blog.