Voters in a trio of Southern states will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the midterm primary elections.Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia take their turn this week selecting their candidates for November’s general election. Plus, Texas and Minnesota host a handful of runoff elections. While the Democrats will appear on the ballot in all of the states, it's the GOP that will headline the night, featuring a number of races that will certainly shine a light on the future of the party.A former White House press secretary, a football legend and a few hard-pressed incumbents take center stage Tuesday night.Here's what to watch for:Huckabee Sanders poised for Arkansas governorship?Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary for former President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019, is the runaway favorite to become the next governor of Arkansas.Sanders, whose father, Mike Huckabee, served as governor for 10 years, is facing one long-shot challenger in Francis "Doc" Washburn, a fiery radio personality and podcaster from Little Rock. The 39-year-old Sanders boasts endorsements from Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tom Cotton, a long list of state officials and musician Kid Rock. The latest polling shows her up nearly 60 points on Washburn.Chris Jones, a nuclear physicist and ordained minister, is the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination.The other notable race in Arkansas is the GOP primary for U.S. Senate. Sen. John Boozman, who has held the seat since 2011, is seeking reelection.Also riding a Trump endorsement, Boozman is facing an aggressive challenge from his right by former NFL player Jake Bequette, however, polling shows the incumbent safely in the lead. Jan Morgan, who’s been endorsed by former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, conservative political consultant Roger Stone and musician Ted Nugent, is also vying for the nomination.Jack Foster, Natalie James and Dan Whitfield will duke it out for the Democratic nomination.Heisman Trophy winner leads pack, sitting governor under attackSen. Raphael Warnock has only been in the U.S. Senate for just over a year, defeating former Sen. Kelly Loeffler in a runoff election in January 2021.He will be back on the ballot in 2022, though he's basically running unopposed in the primary. Tamara Johnson-Shealey is the only challenger.It's the GOP primary that will attract the most eyes. Six Republicans are contending for the Republican nod, including top candidates Herschel Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL star, and Gary Black, the current Georgia agriculture commissioner. Walker, who has endorsements from Trump, former Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, currently holds a sizable lead over Black in polling — 55% according to the latest aggregation.The GOP race for governor will also garner some attention, as Gov. Brian Kemp tries to fend off former Sen. David Perdue.Kemp, who has served as governor since 2019, boasts endorsements from Pence, former President George W. Bush and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.Meanwhile, Trump is in Perdue's corner, as well as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.The latest aggregation of polling shows Kemp in the lead by roughly 23 points. But a late surge by Perdue could make Tuesday night interesting.What will be less interesting is the Democratic primary, which features one candidate — Stacey Abrams. Abrams is expected to give whoever is the GOP's nominee a run for their money come November, testing whether Georgia will remain a blue state after flipping in the 2020 presidential election.Alabama may be headed for multiple runoffsThe biggest draw Tuesday night in Alabama is the three-person race for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.Katie Britt, a lawyer and former chief of staff for Sen. Richard Shelby, who is vacating the seat, has emerged as the leader of the pack.Britt, who is attempting to become Alabama's first female senator, overtook Rep. Mo Brooks in polling earlier this year. It's been a fall from grace for Brooks, who, on top of losing his lead in polling, also lost his endorsement from Trump in March after Brooks started falling behind. Trump has slammed Brooks for not being strong enough in backing the unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.Additionally, Brooks had endorsements rescinded by former Senior Advisor Stephen Miller and Michael Flynn.Meanwhile, Britt enjoys a deep bench of endorsements from state officials as well as Sens. Joni Ernst and Lindsey Graham. Rounding out the three-person race is U.S. Army pilot and businessman Mike Durant, who remains within earshot with endorsements from Flynn, Ted Nugent and former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.Important to remember is that Alabama is a runoff state for its primary elections, so if no candidate reaches the 50% threshold, the top two will face off again on June 21.Will Boyd, Brandaun Dean and Lanny Jackson will battle for the Democratic nomination.Also on the ballot Tuesday is the governor's race. Gov. Kay Ivey holds a steady lead in polling, but she will face a challenge reaching that 50% threshold with two strong candidates nipping at her heels — former Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard and businessman Tim James, who is the son of former Gov. Fob James.Activist and educator Yolanda Flowers is the presumed front runner for the Democratic nod.Reproductive rights on the ballot in conesequential Texas runoffDemocratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is being pushed to the brink of being unseated by progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros. This is the second cycle in a row Cisneros has run against Cuellar, falling 51.8% to 48.2% in 2020.Reproductive rights has become a top issue in this race as Cuellar has come under fire for his anti-abortion stance — which is especially poignant now with Roe v. Wade's future uncertain.Moderates and the Democratic establishment have stood by Cuellar, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn.On the other side, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Katie Porter and numerous labor unions are backing Cisneros. During the first round of voting on March 3, Cuellar edged out Cisneros 48.7% to 46.6%. But things are quite different this time around. First, it's head-to-head, so there won't be a third candidate to dilute the vote count. And second, this election is taking place after the Supreme Court draft opinion leaked indicating Roe v. Wade may be overturned. The outcome of this race could signal a changing of the guard within the Democratic Party, or it could be a doubling-down on the same old. Either way, every Democrat in Congress will be watching.

Tuesday, June 7, is the busiest day of the 2022 primary season, as seven states head to the polls.Voters in California, New Jersey, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, Montana and Iowa are deciding which candidates will face off in November's general election.Here are live updates of results, breaking news and emerging storylines from races in all seven states:2:00 a.m. ETDemocrat Rudy Salas advances to November general election in California's 22nd Congressional District.1:30 a.m. ETSan Francisco residents voted Tuesday to recall progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin following a heated campaign that captivated the country and bitterly divided Democrats over crime, policing and public safety reform in the famously liberal city.1:15 a.m. ETDemocrat Jay Chen advances to November general election in California's 45th Congressional District.12:45 a.m. ETRepublican U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi was forced into a runoff Tuesday after a congressional ethics watchdog raised questions about his campaign spending and he faced his largest-ever field of primary challengers.12:10 a.m. ETIn a highly-anticipated vote, San Francisco has ousted progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin in a heated recall that divided Democrats over crime.12:00 a.m. ETThe AP is reporting that Republican Brian Dahle will advance to November's general election for California governor to face Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.Video below: CA Secretary of State explains why some races won’t be called Tuesday night11:50 p.m. ETBob Healey has been declared the winner of the Republican primary for U.S. House in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.In California's 8th Congressional District, Democrat John Garamendi will advance to November's general election.11:40 p.m. ETDemocratic Rep. Scott Peters will advance to November's general election in California's 50th Congressional District, according to the AP. As will Republican Rep. Darrell Issa in California's 48th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs in the 51st Congressional District and Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley in the 26th Congressional District. Tim Alexander has also won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District.11:15 p.m. ETThe AP has officially called two of the more expected results of the night.California Gov. Gavin Newsom has secured a spot on the ballot in November's general election.The embattled Democratic politician, who fought off a recall attempt in 2021, does not know his opponent yet, but early results indicate it could be Republican Brian Dahle, though it's too early to call.Video below: California Voters talk about what issues matter to themAdditionally, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla has also advanced to November. Padilla, who was appointed by Newsom to fill the seat vacated by Vice President Kamala Harris, is still awaiting his opponent as well. Early returns point to Republican Mark Meuser snagging that second spot. 11:00 p.m. ETPolls have closed in the final state of the night: California.10:45 p.m. ETThe AP has called a slew of House races across the country.Thomas Kean Jr. has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, setting up a November match-up with vulnerable Rep. Tom Malinowski, who is seen as a top target by the GOP in 2022.Also, Zach Nunn has secured the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, Susan Kiley won the Republican nomination in New Jersey's 6th Congressional District, Rep. Matt Rosendale won the Republican primary in Montana's newly created 2nd Congressional District and Rep. Dusty Johnson will once again be the Republican nominee for U.S. House in South Dakota.Video below: Zach Nunn 'honored' to win GOP primary 10:35 p.m. ETIncumbent GOP Rep. Steve Palazzo is headed to a primary runoff in Mississippi's 4th Congressional District.Recently, Palazzo has been in hot water after the Office of Congressional Ethics reported in 2020 that there was “substantial reason to believe” the six-term congressman had misused campaign funds for personal expenses.Right now, Palazzo's runoff opponent — which will take place on June 28 — is unknown. Only a few hundred votes currently separate challengers Mike Ezell and Clay Wagner.10:15 p.m. ETThe AP is reporting that Michael Franken has won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Iowa, nabbing the opportunity to face Sen. Chuck Grassley.Video below: Franken wins Democratic nomination for U.S. SenateFranken defeated former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, who earlier in the race was seen as the frontrunner for the nomination. Now, Franken is hoping to convince Iowans it is time to move on from the 88-year-old Grassley and tap into the state's moderate reputation.10:00 p.m. ETPolls have closed in Montana.A flurry of races were also called at 10 p.m., including David Pinckney for Republican nominee in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, Gabriel Vasquez for Democratic nominee in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, Johnny DuPree for Democratic nominee in Mississippi's 4th Congressional District and Rep. Jeff Van Drew for Republican nominee in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District.Additionally, Robert Menendez is the winner of the Democratic primary for the U.S. House in New Jersey's 8th Congressional District. Menendez is the son of current U.S. Sen. Robert Menedez. 9:40 p.m. ETMark Ronchetti, a former television meteorologist, has secured the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico, according to the AP.Ronchetti, a former candidate for Senate who lost to Sen. Ben Ray Luján in 2020, will face Democratic incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who ran unopposed in her party's primary.Video player above: Mark Ronchetti declared winner of Republican governor's racePlus, two more races have been called in New Jersey — Claire Gustafson and Christopher Smith will be the Republican nominees for the state's 1st and 4th districts, respectively. Gustafson will face and look to unseat Rep. Donald Norcross, who won the Democratic nomination earlier in the night. 9:30 p.m. ETFacing his first primary challenge since 1980, Sen. Chuck Grassley has won the Republican nomination, staving off state Sen. Jim Carlin.The 88-year-old Grassley is looking to lock up his eighth term as senator in Iowa.Video below: Grassley defeats Jim Carlin for shot at 8th Senate termAlso, Donald Payne Jr. is the winner of the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, according to the AP.9:20 p.m. ETTwo GOP heavyweights in South Dakota have been declared early primary winners by the AP: Sen. John Thune and Gov. Kristi Noem.Both incumbents had to stave off challenges from opponents on their political right, highlighting the emerging energy of the far-right activist wing of the Republican party.Also, in Mississippi, House stalwart and Jan. 6 committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson has won the Democratic nomination in Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District.Thompson's seat is believed to be safe in November's general election.9:10 p.m. ETRep. Trent Kelly is the winner of the Republican primary for the U.S. House in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, according to the AP.Kelly defeated Mark Strauss, a former Libertarian candidate in Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District.Additionally, the AP is reporting that Dianne Black has won the Democratic nomination in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District.Kelly and Black will face in November's general election.9:00 p.m. ETThe polls have closed in Iowa, New Mexico and South Dakota. 8:55 p.m. ETThe AP is reporting that Rep. Andy Kim has won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.The two-term congressman's district stretches from the suburbs right outside Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore, and, according to Politico, is likely to lean Democratic in the general election.8:45 p.m. ETThe second race of the night to be called by AP is the Democratic primary in New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, which goes to incumbent Rep. Donald Norcross.Norcross has held the seat since 2014.8:30 p.m. ETTom Malinowski wins the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.Malinowski's seat is being heavily targeted by the GOP in November. The two-term congressman won by less than a point in 2020, and with redistricting, the district has become redder in 2022.The favorite to be his opponent in the general election is Thomas Kean Jr., the former minority leader of the state senate, who is backed by GOP stalwarts like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.8:00 p.m. ETThe first polls of the night have closed in New Jersey and Mississippi. All four of Mississippi's House seats were on the ballot Tuesday night, while New Jersey voters were picking candidates for 12 seats.

A rare Republican who supports abortion rights found success in Colorado in the first primary elections held since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, while New York's first female governor positioned herself to become a major voice in the post-Roe landscape.In Illinois, Democrats helped boost a Republican gubernatorial candidate loyal to former President Donald Trump in the hopes that he would be the easier candidate to beat in November. And in at least two states, election deniers were defeated, even as pro-Trump lightning rods elsewhere won. Takeaways from the latest round of primary elections:Abortion is on the ballotThe abortion debate consumed the nation this week, but there was no race where it mattered more than Colorado's Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, where businessman Joe O'Dea became one of the only abortion-rights-supporting Republicans in the nation to win a statewide primary this year. O'Dea beat back a stiff challenge from state Rep. Ron Hanks, a Trump loyalist who opposed abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother.O'Dea will face Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet in November, and if he wins, he would become just the third Senate Republican — and the only male — to support abortion rights.He said he backs a ban on late-term abortions and government funding of abortions but that the decision to terminate a pregnancy in the initial months is "between a person and their God."Democrats had spent at least $2.5 million on ads designed to boost O'Dea's opponent by promoting, among other things, that he was "too conservative" for backing a complete abortion ban.Democrats hoped that the Roe decision would give them an advantage in several swing states, including Colorado. But, at least for now, O'Dea's victory would seem to complicate the Democrats' plans. A win for Trump or the Democrats?In the final weeks of a campaign, Trump once again attached himself to a Republican who was leading the race. This time, it was farmer Darren Bailey in Illinois, who easily cruised to the GOP nomination in the governor's race.But while Trump can add Bailey to his endorsement record, Democrats are betting that his victory may be short-lived.Bailey now goes on to face Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the November general election, which is just what Pritzker and his allies wanted. Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, and the Democratic Governors Association spent heavily on advertising to help Bailey win the GOP nomination. Among other things, the ads reminded the state's Democratic-leaning electorate that he is "100% pro-life." It's a risky gamble. While Bailey may look like an easier opponent in the general election, it's feasible that he could ride a red wave — if it materializes — to the Illinois governor's mansion. Pritzker's predecessor in office was a Republican.Bailey showed off political acumen by besting the early Republican front-runner Richard Irvin, the mayor of Illinois' second-largest city, Aurora. Irvin lost despite being the beneficiary of a staggering $50 million investment from billionaire Ken Griffin. Irvin, who is Black, refused to say whether he voted for Trump and largely avoided talking about abortion, delivering the kind of moderate message that could have cut across ideological lines in a general election.Instead, Republicans nominated Bailey, a Trump loyalist who reads from Bible verses in campaign videos and proudly touts his anti-abortion policies in a state Trump lost by 17 percentage points in 2020. Hochul's opportunityThe scandals of the men around her did not derail New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who overcame primary challengers on the right and left to win her first election test as the state's chief executive. Now, Hochul, New York's first female governor, is positioned to emerge as a leading voice in the Democratic Party as it navigates the post-Roe landscape. The low-profile Hochul stepped into one of the nation's most prominent governorships last fall after Andrew Cuomo resigned in the midst of a sexual harassment scandal. She had promised to restore New Yorkers' faith in their government, only for her handpicked lieutenant governor to be arrested this spring in a federal corruption probe.Hochul was either "consistently shamefully out of the loop, or shamefully enabling through her inaction," charged one of her primary challengers, New York City's elected public advocate, Jumaane Williams. Video below: Gov. Hochul reacts to SCOTUS ruling on New York gun lawThe attack ultimately didn't land in the primary. But don't expect such criticism to disappear as the race for New York governor enters its next phase. Rep. Lee Zeldin emerged from a crowded Republican field to earn the GOP nomination for governor. He defeated Andrew Giuliani, the son of New York City's former mayor Rudy Giuliani, among others.And while Hochul has a serious reelection test ahead, look for her to step into the national spotlight as the abortion debate rages. The Democratic governor said in recent days that New York would be a "safe harbor" for those seeking abortions. Election deniers go downThey celebrated their allegiance to Trump's baseless conspiracy theories on the campaign trail. But on Tuesday night, a handful of these so-called election deniers had nothing to cheer about. In Colorado, Republican voters did not reward secretary of state candidate Tina Peters for championing Trump's lies about election fraud. She was bested by Pam Anderson, a former county clerk who previously led the state clerks' association and defends the state's mail-in elections system.Some officials in both parties worried that Peters would win the primary. That's even after Peters, the Mesa County clerk, was indicted for a security breach spurred by conspiracy theories related to the 2020 presidential election. The state GOP had called on her to suspend her campaign. Now, Anderson, not Peters, will take on incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who's led the national fight against 2020 election deniers.Elsewhere in Colorado, Senate candidate Hanks had also promoted lies about the last presidential election. In addition to being an outspoken opponent of abortion rights, he had attended the "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.And in Mississippi, Trump loyalist Michael Cassidy lost a runoff election to incumbent Rep. Michael Guest, who had voted to create an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack. Cassidy said in campaign speeches that Guest had done nothing to stop "the persecution of Jan. 6 political prisoners."Lightning rods win Two Republicans familiar with controversy tested for the first time whether Republican voters deemed them too extreme to go back to Congress. They both prevailed.First-term Rep. Mary Miller, who campaigned alongside Trump over the weekend, defeated five-term Rep. Rodney Davis, who was considered more moderate. The primary victory all but ensures Miller will return to Congress for another term given the heavy Republican advantage in her 15th Congressional District, which is the most Republican district in the state.Miller won just days after describing the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade as "a victory for white life." A spokesperson later said she had intended to say the decision was a victory for a "right to life."Miller is no stranger to provocative statements. Soon after joining the House, Miller quoted Adolf Hitler, saying he was right to say that "whoever has the youth has the future."And in Colorado, Trump loyalist Lauren Boebert defeated a moderate state representative who had run a primary campaign focused on Boebert's extremism. It didn't work. Boebert's controversial moves are many. She vowed to carry a handgun on the House floor. She faced calls for her censure last year after being caught on video making Islamophobic comments about Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar. And she heckled President Joe Biden in his first State of the Union address.But after winning her primary, she is almost certain to return to Congress for another two years. Her GOP-leaning 3rd Congressional District in western Colorado became even more Republican after redistricting.