Four takeaways from Tuesday's primaries in six states

MADISON, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 11: Residents vote in the state's primary election on August 11, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

Voters in half a dozen states went to the polls Tuesday. The results highlight the ongoing conflicts within both parties ahead of the November midterms.

Democratic primaries in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Connecticut signaled what the party's base may want from new leaders: a harder line against President Trump's immigration crackdown and younger, more progressive nominees, as a 14-term congressman was swept aside by a candidate under 50.

On the Republican side, the night tested how far Trump's endorsement still carries, even with his approval at a second-term low, and the answer was mixed. His endorsements won in some states and stumbled in others.

Trump-endorsed candidates in South Carolina's Senate primary and Wisconsin's gubernatorial race performed well Tuesday, highlighting that even amid his lowest approval rating in his second presidency so far, voters still have an ear for him. But Trump's pick for Minnesota's governor struggled Tuesday.

In South Carolina, the Trump-endorsed Sen. Darline Graham advanced to a special Republican primary runoff election for the U.S. Senate despite competing with several GOP heavyweights in a crowded race, according to a race call by The Associated Press.

Graham will now face Rep. Ralph Norman in the Aug. 25 special primary runoff. Norman, who also advanced Tuesday, is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and had endorsements by GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rick Scott of Florida.

Soon after she was appointed to the seat in July to complete the term of her late brother, Lindsey Graham, she announced that she was running for the full-term Senate seat on the president's encouragement. Trump held a tele-rally for her this week and said: "[She] will help us achieve our mission to make America great again,"