North Carolina Republican primaries: Two key races to watch
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Voters are heading to the polls today in North Carolina, with two key Republican primaries to especially look out for.
In the Senate race, where Republicans are hoping to defeat Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan this November, state House Speaker Thom Tillis must first go up against a feisty anti-establishment challenge from multiple contenders. Under North Carolina law, Tillis can win the nomination outright if he clears 40 percent of the vote, for which a recent poll showed him right on the cusp.
But if Tillis misses that, he could end up in a very lively runoff on July 15 against Tea Party activist Greg Brannon — who has said some of the darnedest things about democracy, socialism, public schools, local property taxes, and a whole host of other topics.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And further down the ticket, the incumbents vs. insurgents narrative is reversed for 20-year Rep. Walter Jones — himself an anti-war, populist renegade against the GOP leadership. His opponent is Taylor Griffin, a former Treasury Department official under President George W. Bush who has support ranging from banking interests all the way to Sarah Palin.
The polls will close tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
August 2 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a tariff self-own, rough times at the Trump golf course, and more
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein