Voters Head to Polls for Key Primaries in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming

Voters in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming head to the polls on Tuesday for primary elections that include high stakes gubernatorial and Senate races. In Florida, Republicans are choosing a successor to term limited Governor Ron DeSantis. Representative Byron Donalds is the favorite in the GOP gubernatorial primary with an endorsement from Donald Trump, although reports indicate DeSantis has privately shared concerns about Donalds. The Florida GOP primary also includes Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins and former state House Speaker Paul Renner. Democrats are expected to nominate former Representative David Jolly for governor. Florida voters are also using a new congressional map designed by DeSantis to help Republicans gain seats. In Alaska, the US Senate race is highlighted as a contest that could tip control of the chamber. Incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola are the chief frontrunners. Alaska uses a nonpartisan primary system where the top four vote getters advance. Additionally, seventeen candidates are running for Alaska's governor's office to replace Mike Dunleavy. In Wyoming, voters are facing a wholesale turnover of Republican leadership across the statehouse, the governor's mansion and the US Capitol. These contests may either consolidate ultraconservative politics or push them toward the center.