Democrats, Republicans Advance in Key US State Primaries

(MENAFN) Graham Platner has secured the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine, positioning him for a general election showdown in November against Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins, according to reports.

Platner won approximately 72% of the vote after Governor Janet Mills withdrew from the race in April, although her name remained on the ballot. Mills received about 19.6% with most votes counted, while Collins ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Several races in Maine, including the governor’s contest, remained too close to call due to the state’s ranked-choice voting system, which redistributes votes until a candidate achieves a majority.

In South Carolina, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham secured renomination with 56.8% of the vote and will face Democratic challenger Annie Andrews in the general election. The state’s Republican gubernatorial primary moved to a runoff between Lt. Governor Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson after no candidate reached a majority.

Elsewhere, Representative Jim Clyburn won the Democratic nomination in South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District, while races in the 1st District advanced to runoffs in both parties as candidates competed to replace outgoing Representative Nancy Mace.

In Nevada, Republican Governor Joe Lombardo and Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford each secured their party nominations for governor. However, several congressional races remained undecided, including the Republican primary in the open Second District seat.

According to reports, voters in four states participated in a series of closely watched primary elections shaping upcoming gubernatorial, Senate, and House contests.

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