President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have locked down the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t major elections and ballot measures at stake ahead of November.
On Tuesday, voters in Arkansas and Mississippi will make their voices heard in tight runoff elections. One Arkansas race has even divided Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, the Associated Press reported.
And in Wisconsin, voters will consider two Republican-backed ballot measures that will impact how elections are funded and conducted in the pivotal swing state.
Biden and Trump are also expected to rack up additional delegates in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin before the official party conventions over the summer.
Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s races.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
A referendum battle in Wisconsin
Voters in the Badger State will consider two lengthy referendum questions tied to administering elections Tuesday. But how would the measures actually impact the state?
The first ballot measure, known as “Question 1” is focused on funding elections. Voting “yes” on the first question means private grants and donations would be banned in election administration going forward, while a “no” vote would mean they’ll continue to be accepted.
The second ballot measure, known as “Question 2,” is focused on how elections are actually conducted. A “yes” vote on the second question would add to the state Constitution that only election officials can perform tasks, while a “no” vote would not add that.
Republicans in the state have long criticized millions of dollars in private grants in the state, which they often call “Zuckerbucks.” The bulk of the money provided by the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which is financed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, went to the state’s five largest cities to help them run elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clerks who received grants during the 2020 election said it helped them meet the unexpected costs of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as extra supplies to meet an influx of absentee voting, and have said accepting grants due to inadequate state, federal or local funding would not jeopardize their ability to administer elections fairly.
Mississippi holds a GOP runoff
Two Republican candidates will compete on Tuesday for the chance to face off against longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thomson, D-Miss this fall.
Ron Eller, a veteran and physician assistant, garnered 47% support in a March primary, while Andrew Scott Smith, whose background is in pumpkin farming, received 36%. The two will compete against each other again on Tuesday in a final race to confront Thompson.
The U.S. House district is enormous, stretching along the Mississippi River and bordering Arkansas and Louisiana. It covers most of Jackson, Mississippi, the state’s capital, and it’s not likely any Republican candidate will be able to flip the seat in November. Its current boundaries were confirmed in 2022, but the area supported Biden over Trump 63% to 36% in the 2020 presidential election.
Arkansas runoff races to watch
Three Arkansas state House districts will conduct runoff elections on Tuesday after initial primary races last month.
In Arkansas’ District 88, located in the southwestern part of the state, Republicans Arnetta Bradford, a coffee shop owner, and Dolly Henley, a parks and recreation official, are competing in a runoff for the GOP nomination.
While Bradford has received funding and other support from the current Arkansas governor, including being appointed to the state’s Black History Commission, Henley has received backing from Arkansas’ former governor, Mike Huckabee.
In the state’s District 35, Jessie McGruder, a junior high school football coach, is competing against Raymond Whiteside, a community development specialist. The two are fighting to represent the Democratic-leaning eastern Arkansas district after a nail-biter March primary.
And in District 63, another area in the eastern part of the state, Democrats Lincoln Barnett and Fred Leonard are on Tuesday’s. Barnett is the mayor of Hughes, Arkansas, while Leonard is an insurance executive and former West Memphis mayoral candidate.
Though Arkansas will see two Democratic runoff elections this week, Republicans hold a supermajority in the ruby-red state’s legislature, alongside the governorship.
Contributing: Hope Karnopp and Jessie Opoien, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
