Factbox-Four key races in Illinois, Colorado midterm primaries

Reuters

Published Jun 28, 2022 06:19AM ET

Updated Jun 28, 2022 11:41PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Voters in Illinois and Colorado picked candidates for the U.S. Congress and other offices in primaries on Tuesday, in another test of former President Donald Trump's influence in the Republican Party ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

Maryland and Oklahoma also held nomination contests. Following are four key races:

ILLINOIS' 15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Trump's influence appeared ascendant in central Illinois, where newly drawn district boundaries pitted two incumbent Republicans against each other. Trump had endorsed U.S. Representative Mary Miller, who on Tuesday defeated U.S. Representative Rodney Davis, a more traditional conservative who had supported creating a congressional inquiry into the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump's supporters. Miller, who is also an ally of U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a prominent far-right Republican, is seen as likely to carry the district in November.

ILLINOIS' 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Illinois' newly drawn districts also pit two Democratic U.S. representatives against each other in the state's 6th district. Representative Sean Casten defeated Representative Marie Newman, who has faced an ethics investigation for allegedly promising a job to a potential political rival.

U.S. SENATE SEAT IN COLORADO

In the Republican nomination contest for the U.S. Senate race in Colorado, construction company owner Joe O'Dea defeated state Representative Ron Hanks, who had marched in the Jan. 6 protest at the U.S. Capitol. O'Dea now will face incumbent Democratic Senator Michael Bennet, who is seen as potentially vulnerable in the November election.