Democratic voters selected a diverse array of history-making candidates in primaries across four states Tuesday, including nominating a transgender woman for governor of Vermont.

Christine Hallquist, a former energy executive, would be the first openly transgender governor in America if she defeats GOP Gov. Phil Scott in November. Meanwhile, Connecticut teacher Jahana Hayes is poised to become the first African-American Democrat to represent the state in Congress after winning her primary in the 5th District, and in Minnesota, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) could become the first Muslim attorney general in the U.S. after winning his primary — days after facing allegations that he abused an ex-girlfriend made by the woman’s son. Ellison has denied the allegations.

POLITICO's Ben Schreckinger sits down with Christine Hallquist, the leading Democratic candidate for governor in Vermont.


The night of firsts came as Democrats also hope to rebuild their party in the Midwest, especially Wisconsin, where voters selected state education official Tony Evers to take on two-term Republican Gov. Scott Walker in the fall.

President Donald Trump’s victory in Wisconsin and his narrow loss in neighboring Minnesota spurred renewed Democratic activism in both states. Party leaders hope to channel that enthusiasm into both governor’s races and reelecting Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), one of 10 Democratic senators up for reelection in states Trump carried. Rep. Tim Walz, a Minnesota Democrat from a district Trump carried by 15 points in 2016, won his party’s gubernatorial nomination, while former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty suffered a spectacular loss to 2014 nominee Jeff Johnson in the GOP primary.

Fielding strong candidates who can win those gubernatorial races would help Democrats rebuild their diminished party in the Midwest and, crucially, guarantee them a seat at the table for the next round of congressional and state legislative redistricting in 2021 and 2022 — eight years after Wisconsin Republicans locked in major midterm gains by controlling the redistricting process.

“It's a classic midterm election, where the ‘out’ party has a terrific opportunity to win,” said Democratic pollster Paul Maslin. “That’s what happened the other way in in 2010 and 2014. Now it’s our turn. We don’t want to go overboard, but I think we are very hopeful of reversing a lot of the Republican gains over the last several cycles.”

But Wisconsin state Sen. Leah Vukmir will try to build on Republican gains after winning the GOP primary to face Baldwin, in a state Trump won by just under 1 percentage point in 2016. The GOP is also targeting two Democratic-held House seats in Minnesota, where both parties were watching Tuesday’s primaries closely for signals about the competitiveness of the fall general elections.

Republicans are also eyeing Connecticut, where retiring Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy has low approval ratings, as an opportunity to pick off a governorship in the usually blue Northeast.

Here’s a state-by-state look at what was on the ballot Tuesday:

Wisconsin

Evers, the state superintendent of public instruction, won the Democratic primary to take on Walker, beating former state legislator Kelda Roys and firefighters union president Mahlon Mitchell.

In the expensive Senate primary battle, Vukmir topped veteran Kevin Nicholson. Each of them had billionaire super PAC-funding backers in the race. The Wisconsin GOP and House Speaker Paul Ryan supported Vukmir, but megadonor Richard Uihlein spent $10 million to boost Nicholson. But in a show of party unity, Uihlein and Diane Hendricks, a megadonor who backed Vukmir, are scheduled to co-chair a fundraiser Friday for the nominee.

Another top House race will decide Ryan’s replacement in southeastern Wisconsin, after the House speaker announced that he would not seek reelection in 2018. Ryan endorsed Bryan Steil, a state board of regents member who secured the GOP nomination Tuesday. Randy Bryce, an ironworker who has raised millions of dollars after going viral on social media last year, won the Democratic nomination over Cathy Myers, a Janesville school board member.

Minnesota

Democrats hope to hold onto the governor’s mansion, but the primary highlighted all the tensions currently at play in the party. But Walz, a moderate congressman who represented a rural district, won the Democratic primary, topping Attorney General Lori Swanson and state Rep. Erin Murphy, who tacked to the left with a progressive, Medicare-for-all platform. Walz came under fire for his one-time “A” rating from the National Rifle Association, but supporters believed that he was best-suited to win a statewide general election.

On the Republican side, Pawlenty’s comeback attempt failed. The one-time presidential candidate lost his primary bid to Johnson, a county commissioner and former state legislator who will now face Walz.

Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Tina Smith easily clinched primary victory as she seeks to complete the term of former Sen. Al Franken, who resigned over sexual harassment allegations. Smith will face state Sen. Karin Housley, while Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar will run against Jim Newberger, a state legislator.

Ellison won the Democratic primary for attorney general, even though he’s been accused of abusing an ex-girlfriend. Last weekend, Karen Monahan’s son accused the congressman of domestic violence. Ellison denies the allegations, and they did not derail his primary bid to succeed Swanson as attorney general. Somali-American state Rep. Ilhan Omar won the Democratic nomination to succeed Ellison in Congress.

Down the ballot, both parties are eyeing a handful of House primaries. Republicans, hoping to offset losses elsewhere in a tough midterm election, believe they have a shot at flipping two open Minnesota House seats that Trump won by double-digits. Democratic incumbents opted against seeking reelection in both seats.

In Minnesota’s 1st District, Republican businessman Jim Hagedorn and Dan Feehan, a veteran and former Obama administration official, will face off in a district that Trump carried by 15 points in 2016. Feehan faces an uphill battle in a rural seat that has trended rapidly away from his party and nearly dealt Walz a defeat in 2016.

Republicans are already touting St. Louis County Commissioner Pete Stauber, their nominee to replace retiring Rep. Rick Nolan in the Iron Range-based 8th District, which backed Trump by 16 points in the last election. National Democrats got their preferred candidate in former state Rep. Joe Radinovich, who was seen as the only Democrat with the resources to take on Stauber in the fall.

A pair of perennial battleground matchups will also be settled on Tuesday. Rep. Jason Lewis (R-Minn.) and Democratic health care executive Angie Craig face a rematch, after Lewis beat Craig for the seat in 2016. GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen will face Dean Phillips, a businessman, in another suburban Twin Cities-area seat.

Connecticut

Malloy’s poor job approval numbers have put Republicans on offense. Former banking executive Bob Stefanowski held off five GOP opponents for the Republican nomination.

Democrats, meanwhile, nominated Ned Lamont, a businessman who shot to fame in 2006 when he defeated Sen. Joe Lieberman in a primary, before Lieberman won the general election as an independent. Lamont has distanced himself from Malloy.

Jahana Hayes, the insurgent candidate in an insider-versus-outsider primary battle, won the Democratic nomination to replace Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), who retired after mishandling a sexual misconduct claim against a former staffer. Hayes, a first-time candidate who was named “National Teacher of the Year” in 2016, would be the first African-American Democrat to represent the state in Congress. She topped Mary Glassman, a longtime local politician who picked up a late endorsement from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Vermont

Democrats picked Hallquist, the former Vermont Electric Coop CEO, as their nominee, who if elected would be the first openly transgender governor.

“Christine will be a historic figure if she wins the nomination, whether or not she becomes the governor,” former Houston Mayor Annise Parker told POLITICO earlier this month. “If she becomes the governor, she has the potential to be a role model for every trans kid in America.”

But Scott, first elected in 2016, holds a wide margin in name recognition over his Democratic opponents in public polling, even though his job approval rating dropped off in the poast year.

Daniel Strauss contributed to this report.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this report erroneously described Connecticut's history. Jahana Hayes would be the first African-American Democrat to represent the state in Congress.