What Went Down In The June 21 Elections In Alabama, Virginia And Georgia

Tonight, three states head to the polls: Alabama, Georgia and Virginia. And in the case of the first two states, it’s round two since both Alabama and Georgia held their primaries in May.

The Alabama Senate runoff is the marquee race tonight, with two Trump-endorsed candidates going head-to-head. Although one of those endorsements comes with an asterisk: The former president unceremoniously rescinded his endorsement of Rep. Mo Brooks earlier this year and has now backed former Business Council of Alabama President Katie Britt instead.

Trump hasn’t endorsed in Alabama’s secretary of state race, but that’s another race to keep an eye on as both candidates have given credence to Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. In fact, regardless of who wins tonight in Alabama, it’ll be a victory for election deniers. All the candidates running for the Senate and secretary of state have either raised doubts about the election or denied its legitimacy.

Once again, Georgia could be a thorn in Trump’s side. Two of his preferred candidates face runoffs tonight, and it’s possible that each loses their race. If that were to happen, it would be the second time this primary cycle that Georgia has delivered a L to Trump.

Finally, Virginia is the only state tonight hosting its regularly scheduled primary, although the commonwealth did allow parties to nominate candidates at conventions or via party-run primaries if they wanted, and the GOP did this in both competitive and noncompetitive seats. That said, there are still two key House primaries to watch on the GOP side: the 2nd and 7th congressional districts. And remember, whoever wins these seats will take on their vulnerable Democratic incumbents, Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger, in the fall.

OK! That’s it from me. The primaries might not get as much attention as the general election, but this is where the parties wage some of their biggest fights, since most states and districts aren’t competitive come November. As always, thanks for following along, and if you have any questions, ping us @538politics and I’ll try to get your question answered on the live blog!