Former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican running unopposed in the primary, is the front-runner in November. Four Democrats are vying to face him: Matt Dunlap, the state auditor; Joe Baldacci, a state senator; Jordan Wood, a former congressional staff member; and Paige Loud, a social worker.
Republicans have more of an uphill battle in Nevada, where all three of the state’s Democratic representatives in the Las Vegas area won re-election in 2024, even as Nevada voted for Mr. Trump. But they see the most opportunity in the state’s Third District, where Representative Susie Lee is running for re-election. Marty O’Donnell, a video game music composer who has run for Congress before, has Mr. Trump’s endorsement in the Republican primary race to challenge her.
In the state’s relatively rural and safely Republican northern district, Representative Mark Amodei is retiring, setting up a competitive G.O.P. race to replace him. The two front-runners are James Settelmeyer, a former state senator, and David Flippo, a military veteran and small business owner backed by Mr. Trump.
Can Lindsey Graham avoid a runoff?
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a prominent Republican, has Mr. Trump’s endorsement in his primary contest. But the two men have had a rocky relationship over the years.
A decade ago, Mr. Graham was one of Mr. Trump’s toughest critics, calling him a “demagogue” and a “race-baiting xenophobic religious bigot.” Mr. Trump, in turn, referred to Mr. Graham as “a disgrace” and “one of the world’s dumbest human beings.” Like many Republicans, Mr. Graham has come around on the president since then.
Now, Mr. Graham is hoping to avoid the fate of Senators John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy, who both lost their Republican primary races this year after Mr. Trump backed their challengers and said they had been insufficiently loyal. Though Mr. Graham has the president’s support, his popularity is mixed among the Republican base and he has occasionally even received boos when introduced at Trump events. Being forced into a runoff — most likely against Mark Lynch, a businessman — would be an embarrassment for Mr. Graham, a four-term senator.
