5 states go to the polls in another round of closely watched primaries

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last updated 12 June 2018

Another round of primaries begins Tuesday in five states, including a tight race for the Democratic gubernatorial ticket in Nevada, which has not had a liberal governor since 1999. In North Dakota, Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer faces off against Thomas O'Neill for the chance to take on Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) in November's nail-biter race, while South Carolina will see a Republican scuffle in its 4th District, where 13 candidates are attempting to run for retiring Rep. Trey Gowdy's (R) seat.

In Virginia, there are several more crowded races: Three Republicans are vying to take on incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D), while six Democrats are fighting for the chance to unseat Rep. Barbara Comstock (R).

Maine will be a particularly interesting state to watch, as it is launching its new "ranked choice," or "instant runoff," voting method today. The system, which redistributes a last-place candidate's votes if no one receives the majority of first-place votes in the initial round, will determine the primary races for Gov. Paul LePage's (R) seat, and Maine voters will also be deciding whether to use the new voting system in future elections.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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