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

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in the key swing state of Nevada head the polls for the second (or, in some cases, third) time this year to select the candidates who will appear in some of this fall’s most competitive legislative races.

After holding both presidential primaries and a presidential caucus in February, Nevadans will vote in primaries for Congress and the state legislature on Tuesday. The state’s congressional delegation is currently composed of five Democrats and one Republican. Tuesday’s marquee races include the Republican primaries for Senate and in the three Democratic-held congressional districts.

First-term Sen. Jacky Rosen, whose seat will likely be among those key to determining the balance of power in the Senate come fall, faces two Democratic challengers in program manager Troy Walker and taxpayer advocate Mike Schaefer. She has significantly outraised her current and prospective opponents, with more than $10 million on hand. The next-best-funded candidate, Republican Sam Brown, has raised $7 million this cycle and spent $4.6 million of it.

Brown, an army veteran who unsuccessfully sought the nomination for Senate in Nevada last cycle, and former Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter are the only two Republican candidates for Senate to have raised at least $1 million. Brown has more party support, with endorsements from the state’s Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and backing from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The crowded field also includes Jim Marchant, a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump and promoter of the false narrative around fraud in the 2020 election. Trump has not yet endorsed a candidate in the race.