STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
We have results from multiple primary elections this morning.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Maine, Nevada, North Dakota and South Carolina picked their general election contenders in several high-profile matchups.
INSKEEP: NPR's Saige Miller is following it all. Saige, good morning.
SAIGE MILLER, BYLINE: Good morning.
INSKEEP: Let's begin with the Maine story. I mean the Maine primary. Who won?
MILLER: (Laughter) OK. It's going to be a matchup between Democrat Graham Platner and longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins. But, Steve, this outcome was predictable. Both candidates just didn't have a serious primary challenge. But I want to spend a minute discussing the importance of this race. Democrats have their eyes set on taking control of the Senate in November. In order to accomplish that lofty goal, they need to beat Susan Collins. And the thing with Collins is, is that she's just no stranger to a competitive race. But what could be a weak spot for Collins is that while she isn't a Trump loyalist, she is still a Republican. And in a time where Trump is unpopular nationally and in the state, her party affiliation could hurt her.
INSKEEP: I know that Democrats are excited about Graham Platner, but of course, he also has faced a stream of revelations about his past. NPR's Leila Fadel interviewed him, in which he talked about some of the revelations, and then within a day or two, there were more revelations. Is this not really affecting Democratic voters at all?
MILLER: So it may be, but we just don't really know the outcome of that yet. We'll find out more in the general, but Platner really does believe that his platform and his personal transformation is enough for voters. But he has had a lot to answer to since launching his campaign in August. Most recently, The New York Times published a story where previous romantic partners called Platner toxic and someone who does not respect women. But many politicians have survived scandals these days.
INSKEEP: Yeah.
MILLER: While Platner's past may have resulted in him dropping out at one point in time, that's just not the political landscape today, Steve.
INSKEEP: OK. Let's go to some of the other states that Michel mentioned. South Carolina, the governor's race - the governor's primary is not decided.
MILLER: Oh, no. The race is not over because it's heading to a runoff. The candidates have dwindled down, though, to South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson. Both of these potential nominees are Trump supporters, but Evette is the only one endorsed by President Trump. While she didn't win the nomination outright, it does show Trump's support is still important in South Carolina.
INSKEEP: OK. Now, this one is interesting, too. Nevada is an increasingly blue state, but they have a red governor - Republican Governor Joe Lombardo - and now he has a Democratic challenger.
MILLER: Yeah. He is going up against Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford, and he's going to take on Lombardo in November, as you said. And since Nevada is a swing state, this is a really good testing ground for what kind of Democratic candidate can win in these tough, high-stake races. Notably, Ford beat out a more progressive Democrat in the primary, and the race has been labeled a toss-up, so Democrats feel like they have a shot at taking the office in November. And Lombardo faces a challenging reelection campaign, especially at a time when the Republican president, as I said, is increasingly unpopular nationally, as well as in Nevada.
INSKEEP: OK. So one more race. California took days and days to count their ballots, but they finally have things set for the general election in the governor's race. What's going on?
MILLER: Yeah. So Democrat Xavier Becerra clinched his spot in the general election on Friday. And last night, The Associated Press called the second-place spot for Republican Steve Hilton. He's a British-born former Fox news commentator who has President Trump's backing. And now in a solid blue state like California, Becerra has a pretty simple path to victory, as a Republican has not won statewide office in 20 years.
INSKEEP: Saige, thanks for the update.
MILLER: Thanks.
INSKEEP: That's NPR's Saige Miller. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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