By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – An ex-member of Donald Trump’s Cabinet will seek a return in the U.S. Congress from Montana. California Democrats are concerned about the possibility of losing one of their members as the voters go to polls Tuesday in the midterm primary elections.

New Jersey voters, South Dakota, New Jersey and Mississippi will vote in nomination contests. This will help to determine the competition for Nov. 8, which will be the election that will determine the control of Congress over the next two-years.

Republicans expect to take control of the House of Representatives. With President Joe Biden falling in polls and rising inflation degrading voters’ moods. Republicans would also be able to launch politically-defendant investigations and put a stop to Biden’s legislative agenda.

Ryan Zinke is running in Montana to fill the newly-created House seat. He was the interior secretary for Republican President Trump and has been serving as a senator since then. This new seat was created by the state’s population growth, redistricting, and once-in-a-decade redistricting.

Zinke previously represented Congress. He is currently facing four Republican challengers.

Zinke was indicted in an inspector’s general report for using his position as the Interior Department head to push a project in his home and lying to an ethics investigation. Zinke denied that he was involved in wrongdoing.

Kristi Noem (South Dakota Republican Governor) is up against Steven Haugaard, who is a member of South Dakota House of Representatives.

Noem was mentioned in the past as either a potential vice-presidential running-mate for former President Donald Trump or as an independent candidate for White House.

It is possible for the winners of all of these Republican primaries to win in November.

CALIFORNIA SHAKEOUT

California’s two races will show liberal voters the frustrations of gun violence and homicide spikes.

According to polls, San Francisco’s progressive district lawyer, Chesa Bodin, will likely be removed from office by a recall vote. London Breed (a Democrat, who criticizes Boudin, but does not take a position on recall, would choose the replacement.

Rick Caruso is running against Karen Bass, the former Republican U.S. Representative, in Los Angeles. He’s a millionaire developer who was also a Republican.

Caruso has invested more than $30,000,000 of his own funds in this campaign. He made crime his centerpiece in his candidacy for mayor of a place where homicides reached a 15 year high in 2021. Bass, who has been a progressive advocate in Congress for many years, was forced to make the move to the centre and to pledge more police officers on the streets. According to polls, Caruso could face Bass in a runoff.

NEW JERSEY, IOWA CHALLENGES

Republicans in New Jersey will choose challengers to the embattled House Democrats in Iowa and New Jersey: Cindy Axne and Representative Tom Malinowski, New Jersey.

Tom Kean Jr. was the ex-leader of the state Senate Republican Party and is currently leading a field of Republican candidates to Malinowski.

Malinowski is a two term incumbent. After flipping a Republican congressional seat in 2018, Malinowski won reelection defeating Kean by 0.2% in 2020. His prospects are now weakened due to redistricting, and a House ethics probe after reports that Malinowski failed to disclose stock trades worth hundreds of thousands.

It was an intense race in 2020, and the district is now more friendly to Republicans. So it’s going to be a significant challenge,” said Benjamin Dworkin, director of the Rowan University Institute of Public Policy & Citizenship.

Three Republicans in Iowa are competing for Axne’s challenge: Nicole Hasso (businesswoman), Gary Leffler (construction consultant), and Zach Nunn (former state senator).

Nunn, who is the Republican nominee for elective office and has been endorsed by several prominent party figures including Trump’s former Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo as well as several current House Republicans.