Senate candidate Graham Platner won the Democratic primary for Maine, putting him on course to face-off against the state’s longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins in the November midterm elections.
Platner, an oyster farmer and former combat marine who has never run for office, has been plagued by a series of scandals since joining the crowded race.
His victory comes as voters also headed to the polls in primary elections in Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina to determine their party’s candidates for the midterms.
The November result will determine the balance of power in Washington for the remainder of Donald Trump’s presidential term.
Platner, a political novice who was endorsed by Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, was nearly forced out of the race after he was revealed to have a tattoo that resembles a Nazi symbol.
He apologised for the tattoo and claimed to have not known about the meaning, but it still led to claims of antisemitism, including from his own former political director.
His campaign received a significant boost after Governor Janet Mills dropped out of the race, leading to suggestions that Democratic voters may be open to backing more non-traditional candidates.
He also faced criticism after online comments he made dismissing rape were unearthed, and US media published stories about him being unfaithful to his wife.
But voters appreciated his down-to-earth style, where he frequently commented on PTSD he suffered while serving in the US military, and the stress of being a small business owner.
Platner now takes on Susan Collins, who first joined the US Senate nearly 30 years ago.
Collins has at times angered Trump’s base, including when she voted to convict him during his second impeachment trial in 2021. She has become more closely-aligned with Trump in recent years, and has played a central role in helping him to confirm his political nominees.
Meanwhile, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has beaten back a challenge from a candidate who accused him of not being sufficiently-aligned with Trump’s agenda.
Businessman Mark Lynch, who largely financed his own campaign with his own wealth, had run ads showing clips from 2016 of Graham praising Democrat Joe Biden and criticising Trump.
He ran with help from former Trump ally, ex-Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had a falling out with Trump over the Epstein files and claims that he wasn’t putting “America First”.
The vote comes as US fighting with Iran continues. Graham is a long-time critic of Iran, who has been calling for US military intervention in the country for years, a position which led to anger from some “America First” supporters over US involvement in another foreign conflict.
In Nevada, Republicans are battling over a congressional seat that is open for the first time in 15 years, after the retirement of the outgoing congressman.
The race pits a Trump-backed political novice against a former state senator. Both candidates – James Settelmeyer and David Flippo – have been fighting to convince voters of their loyalty to Trump’s agenda.
By BBC News
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