Welcome to the US politics live blog, where Democrats are once again proving that their favorite pastime is fighting each other. Today, the party's ideological rift - already on display in contests across the country - moves to the upper Midwest, where left-wing candidates will face off against more traditional ones in primaries for governor in Wisconsin and US senator in Minnesota.
In Wisconsin, state representative Francesca Hong, a self-described democratic socialist, is the front-runner for the party's nomination for governor in a swing state where winning the governor's mansion is crucial to Democrats' hopes for 2028 and beyond. In Minnesota, Peggy Flanagan is running for the nomination for an open Senate seat against centrist Democratic representative Angie Craig. Meanwhile, seven Minnesota Republicans are vying to face off against likely Democratic gubernatorial nominee senator Amy Klobuchar in November.
The primaries come a week after Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Haley Stevens in Michigan's divisive and costly US Senate primary. El-Sayed's victory has energized progressives, while stoking fears among Democratic party leaders that the shift to the left, particularly in battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin, will make it more difficult to win in the November midterms. The left vs center theme is on display in Democratic primaries in multiple states voting on Tuesday, with other significant races also taking place in Alabama and South Carolina.
Elsewhere in the political circus: President Donald Trump departed on a secret military flight from Turkey last month when the White House said he was flying aboard Air Force One, an extraordinary move prompted by an Iranian assassination threat, the Washington Post reported on Monday. Trump also signed an executive order to split the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three single shots, scrapped recommendations for hepatitis B, Covid-19 and influenza vaccines, and suggested a link between inoculations and autism rates - despite no proven link. Medical experts have blasted the changes as “problematic and deeply concerning.”
Todd Blanche has been sworn in as US attorney general, cementing Trump's installation of his former personal attorney in charge of the Department of Justice. Blanche, who had been serving as acting attorney general since April, was confirmed during a ceremony at the White House on Monday. Trump also named White House staff secretary Will Scharf as White House counsel and assistant to the president, replacing David Warrington, who is taking a job in the private sector.
Lawyers for David Hearn, the Olympian arrested for alleged property destruction of the reflecting pool before charges were dropped, said the Trump administration is “continuing to attack an innocent man.” Trump welcomed news that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito would serve another term, despite a now-retracted NPR report in June that he would retire. Alito told the Wall Street Journal he's “obviously” serving another term. In a Truth Social post, Trump called Alito the “greatest of all time.” Earlier this year, Alito wrote the court's majority opinion that dismantled Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act - the last remaining part of the 1965 civil rights law preventing racial discrimination in voting.
Trump will begin the day in closed-press meetings in Washington, then travel to Geneva, Ohio, to watch the Patriot Games finale at 7pm ET - an athletic competition for high school students featuring challenges like the presidential fitness test. The winning boy and girl will each win $125,000 in scholarships. Critics have suggested the event resembles the Hunger Games. We'll bring you the latest lines as we hear from the president.
North Carolina Republicans on Monday chose state lawmaker Jennifer Balkcom to replace Chuck Edwards, the incumbent congressman who dropped his re-election bid after a US House investigation determined his conduct toward two young female staffers likely amounted to sexual harassment. Balkcom will face Democratic nominee Jamie Ager in November to represent the 11th congressional district in western North Carolina. Though Trump won the district by 10 points two years ago, Democrats believe Ager may have a shot amid the president's low approval ratings and frustration over Hurricane Helene recovery. Edwards was first elected in 2022 after defeating scandal-plagued congressman Madison Cawthorn in the primary. Last week, the US House ethics committee found he “fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment” towards two female employees.
Minnesota voters are weighing the direction of their parties in marquee statewide races. On the left, Peggy Flanagan faces Angie Craig for the Democratic Senate bid, punctuated by immigration enforcement after two residents were killed by immigration agents in a winter surge. On the right, Mike Lindell, an election denier and pillow salesman, carries Trump's endorsement in a three-way race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, where Republicans face an uphill battle against Amy Klobuchar. After Tuesday, the general election for open governor and Senate seats will shape up. Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, initially sought a third term but dropped his bid after ongoing fraud scandals threatened to distract. Tina Smith, the Democratic US senator, decided not to run again, saying she wanted to spend time with her grandkids and make way for new faces. She has endorsed Flanagan. The state leans Democratic - it hasn't elected a Republican statewide since 2006, and a Republican presidential candidate hasn't won since 1972. Still, Republicans hope to seize on fraud problems in state programs, including criminal cases against a group accused of organized theft of meals for children, services for kids with autism, and housing programs.
Wisconsin voters will decide whether to nominate a democratic socialist for governor in the latest test of the anti-establishment wave. Francesca Hong emerged as the front-runner in a four-way race to succeed Tony Evers, who is not seeking another term. Evers threw his support behind David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, who left the race before reentering on 18 July. Crowley and Evers toured the state, centering his campaign on electability. Eyes turned to Wisconsin after Abdul El-Sayed won the Michigan Senate primary last week. After a wave of progressive wins in solidly blue areas, Midwest primaries centered more on electability concerns given the close nature of statewide races there.
In the race to replace the late US senator Lindsey Graham, 10 candidates have been barnstorming South Carolina diners, church halls, and recreation centers, compressing a normal year of campaigning into about a fortnight. The Republican party is staging a special primary election on Tuesday to choose Graham's replacement. His sister, Darline, who has been serving as interim senator following his sudden death last month, is on the ballot. If no candidate wins an overall majority, the top two will advance to a runoff on 25 August - polling suggests this is the most likely outcome. “You know, South Carolina politics is very local,” said Eaddy Roe Willard, a longtime Republican activist. “We don't decide whether or not we're gonna vote for you until we've had a chance to shake your hand at least three times.” On Friday, Russell Fry pressed the flesh at Savage Craft Ale Works; on Monday, Darline Graham shook hands at Lizard's Thicket. Mark Sanford and Ralph Norman were also in Aiken. After Graham's death on 11 July, Henry McMaster appointed Darline to fill the vacancy. Graham had already won the Republican primary, so the party must hold a special election to replace him on the November ballot - a brutal timeline by American standards. The winner will face Annie Andrews, the Democratic nominee and a pediatrician, in November.