2022 Primary Season Begins In May: Here Are 7 Races To Watch For

The 2022 primary season kicks off next month, with voters in a dozen states casting ballots in some of the year's most important nominating contests.

A lot of the primaries, particularly in states like Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, will be considered preliminary trials of former President Trump's clout among Republicans as he considers a 2024 presidential campaign.

Crucial Moment for Biden and Trump

Republicans seem to be the favorites to reclaim the Senate for two reasons the political climate has shifted in their favor with Biden's poor approval rating. Per The Vox, in the general election polls, the Republican Party has improved, and in November, the GOP captured the governorship in Virginia.

The Senate is presently 50-50, so simply a single-seat gain for Republicans would turn the chamber over to them.

Democrats could preserve their majority in the Senate if they can confine their losses to a low or make up for them by unseating Republicans in other areas. But if the situation continues to be so adverse to the party and the president, it will be a tough challenge.

Preliminary Battles To Watch For

According to The Hill, the seven races to watch in May are the following:

Ohio GOP Senate primary (May 3)

Trump's support for J.D. Vance rattled the GOP race to succeed retiring Senator Rob Portman (Ohio) earlier this month, but it hasn't cleared the field.

Former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken, former state Treasurer Josh Mandel, businessman Mike Gibbons, and state Sen. Matt Dolan are among the candidates still running in the May 3 primary.

In the meantime, the Democratic primary has been far more peaceful. Rep. Tim Ryan is widely considered the frontrunner to win the party's nomination, though he is up against attorney and community organizer Morgan Harper from the left.

North Carolina GOP Senate primary (May 17)

The Republican primary for Senate in North Carolina, like the Ohio primary, has emerged as a major test of Trump's supporting authority.

Last August, he endorsed Rep. Ted Budd (North Carolina). Despite that initial endorsement, Budd has only just begun to gain traction in the polls and will face a strong challenge from former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory.

Former state Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley, the front-runner Democrat in the campaign, is anticipated to easily win her party's nomination next month. In December, her main opponent, state Senator Jeff Jackson, withdrew his Senate bid.

Per WFAE, early voting kicks off in the North Carolina primaries on Thursday, April 28.

Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary (May 17)

Trump surprised several in his party when he endorsed celebrity physician Mehmet Oz in the GOP Senate race in Pennsylvania, including some of his closest allies voicing reservations about his decision.

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary (May 17)

On the Democratic ticket, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is widely considered the front-runner for the party's nomination, though he's still up against Rep. Conor Lamb, who claims Fetterman is too radical to win statewide in a year that's already been problematic for Democrats.

Fetterman has a significant lead in the primary based on a recent poll conducted by Franklin & Marshall College, wherein the lieutenant governor has a 41 percent to 17 percent edge over Lamb.

Georgia GOP gubernatorial primary (May 24)

Former Senator David Perdue is challenging Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in a primary election, relying on his links to the former president to win over the state's most conservative voters.

Despite Trump's support, Perdue has been unable to gain a foothold in the Republican primary. Kemp leads Perdue by 26 points in a new survey issued Tuesday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, with 53 percent of probable primary voters supporting him.

Meanwhile, Democrat Stacey Abrams is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Alabama GOP Senate primary (May 24)

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), who received an early endorsement from Trump last year, was perceived as the early favorite to succeed retiring Sen. Richard Shelby (R). But Trump's support for Brooks rarely turned into real political support, compelling Trump to retract his support last month.

Former Army Pilot Mike Durant and Katie Britt, a former Shelby assistant, appear to be locked in a head-to-head battle in the primary. Trump hasn't backed a new contender in the contest, but recent polling indicates that Durant has the upper hand.

Nonetheless, 52 percent of primary voters said Trump's endorsement would possibly influence them to support a candidate.

Texas GOP attorney general runoff (May 24)

In the state's March 1 primary, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Land Commissioner George P. Bush defeated two other Republican contenders. But neither candidate failed to attain the 50% benchmark required to win the GOP nomination outright, forcing them to a runoff on May 24.

Paxton, who has Trump's backing, is widely regarded as the favorite in the runoff, having received about 20% more votes than Bush in the March 1 primary.

Consequently, Bush faces challenges in the runoff for the nomination.