Super Tuesday: 8 Primaries to Watch

The media appears to have written off Super Tuesday’s presidential primaries. That doesn’t mean there aren’t important down-ballot races to watch.

Many Americans aren’t interested in a Biden-Trump rematch. With Trump and Biden set to win each party’s nomination, you understandably may want to tune out election news.

But the presidency isn’t all there is; on Tuesday, 16 states and American Samoa will hold primary elections for Congress, state legislatures, local offices, and more. Thousands of candidates are trying to get people in their states to vote in down-ballot races.

States with Super Tuesday primary contests include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia. American Samoa, a U.S. territory, will also hold a Democratic caucus.

Here are some top non-presidential races we’re watching.

California Super Tuesday Primaries

Note: California utilizes a top-two primary system, in which candidates from all parties are listed on the same ballot, and the top two advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

1. CA Senate Primary

A long list of candidates are vying to take the seat left vacant by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). The seat is currently held by Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) who said she would not seek another term.

Candidates considered most likely to win their respective races include several top Democrats like Reps. Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee, and Katie Porter, along with Republican, former Los Angeles Dodgers star player, Steve Garvey — a political newcomer who’s received a “remarkable surge” in support, per The Los Angeles Times (Lean Left bias).

A recent poll of likely voters showed Garvey with 27% support, Schiff with 25%, Porter with 19%, and Lee with 8%.

2. CA 22nd Congressional District

This majority-Latino swing district is located in California’s Central Valley and is currently represented in Congress by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA). This year, the district has reportedly seen a “messy” four-way primary with two Democrats and two Republicans.

Valadao, who won his seat in 2022 by just three percentage points, faces Republican Chris Mathys and Democrats Rudy Salas and Melissa Hurtado. Salas was the Democratic option in 2022 and has once again received the party’s backing.

On the other hand, Mathys has come at Valadao from the right, criticizing his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot.

The Cook Political Report (Center bias) currently rates the race as a toss up.

Texas Super Tuesday Primaries

3. TX Democratic Senate primary

Texas Democrats once again have a chance to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for his seat after the 2018 defeat of Beto O’Rourke. Cruz narrowly won that race, 50.8% to O’Rourke’s 48.3%.

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) and state Sen. Roland Gutierrez are the standouts in a crowded Democratic primary. Allred has vastly outraised his competitors financially, according to The Texas Tribune (Lean Left bias), pulling in $6.2 million in the first 2 months if his campaign.

A University of Texas poll conducted in late February found Allred ahead of Gutierrez 37% to 22%.

4. TX 23rd Congressional District Republican Primary

Incumbent Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) is facing several challengers in the GOP primary, including former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Victor Avila, former Medina County Republican Party Chair Julie Clark, Second-Amendment activist Brandon Herrera, and retired Border Patrol agent Francisco Lopez.

Gonzales was censured by the Texas Republican Party in March 2023 for a “lack of fidelity to Republican principles and priorities” and a “pattern of action demonstrably opposed” to the state party’s priorities. Specifically, the state party took issue with his vote in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act and his opposition to a prominent House GOP border security bill, which he labeled “un-American.” Clark, one of Gonzalez’s challengers, was the one responsible for the censure motion.

5. TX 18th Congressional District Democratic Party

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) faces a primary challenge from former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards.

Per the Texas Standard (Center bias), the race has been dominated by a question of “age and experience versus youth and fresh perspectives.” Jackson Lee, 74, has represented the Houston-area 18th District since 1995. Edwards, in her early forties, says the time has come for the “next generation of servant leaders.”

North Carolina Super Tuesday Primaries

Both Democrats and Republicans are vying to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

6. Democratic NC Gubernatorial Primary

Backed by Gov. Cooper, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein is expected to win Tuesday’s Democratic contest, with former state Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan cited as the main challenger. Chrelle Booker, Gary Foxx, and Marcus Williams are also running.

7. Republican NC Gubernatorial Primary

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is favored to win the GOP contest, and the state’s Democrats have already begun launching attack ads against him.

Democratic attacks have mentioned Robinson’s past comments about LGBTQ people, including a 2021 quote in which he said, “There's no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality — any of that filth.”

Other candidates include trial attorney Bill Graham and State Treasurer Dale Folwell, whom AP (Lean Left bias) reported were outspending Robinson in the weeks leading up to the election.

8. NC 8th District Republican Primary

State Rep. John Bradford and Baptist minister Mark Harris have emerged as frontrunners to replace Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) in the state’s newly-drawn solidly-Republican 8th district. Other candidates include Allan Baucom, Don Brown, Leigh Brown, and Chris Maples.

Alabama Super Tuesday Primaries

8. AL 1st Congressional District

Thanks to redistricting, Reps. Jerry Carl (R-AL) and Barry Moore (R-AL) are facing off to see who will remain in Congress. AL.com (Not Rated) described the race to represent the deep-red district as “bruising” and full of “ugliness,” citing accusations by the Carl campaign that Moore was a “repeated tax cheat.”

Super Tuesday: 8 Non-Presidential Primaries Worth Watching