AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Wisconsin’s state primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in Wisconsin will select candidates on Tuesday who will compete in some of the fall’s most closely watched races.

Republicans will choose a challenger to run against U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is seeking a third term. There are also primaries in two U.S. House districts that could be important for control of Congress.

Voters are choosing candidates for the Republican-controlled state legislature, which will probably be reshaped in November after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed new legislative maps into law earlier this year. Almost two-thirds of the seats in the 99-member Assembly are open.

The Senate contest should be more exciting in November, when it could play a role in deciding control of the chamber. Baldwin is unopposed in the Democratic primary, and Republican businessman Eric Hovde faces nominal opposition. Hovde, a real estate developer who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump this year, has loaned his campaign $13 million — a sum that helped clear the field and allow him to launch attack ads on Baldwin before primary voting even began.

There are two competitive U.S. House primaries of note. The first, the Democratic primary in the western 3rd Congressional District, pits political activist Rebecca Cooke against state Rep. Katrina Shankland. The winner will take on Republican incumbent Derrick van Orden, a staunch ally of Trump who attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally that preceded the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Cooke finished second in the 2022 Democratic primary. Despite outraising Shankland $2 million to $868,000, Shankland has received more endorsements from the state’s congressional delegation, local leaders and labor organizations.