*By Christian Smith* Turnout in primaries in four states on Tuesday may indicate how likely it will be that Democrats wrest control of Congress from Republicans in midterm elections. Voters in Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia head to the polls Tuesday to determine who will contest House and Senate seats in November, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has focused its resources on House districts in two of those states ー North Carolina and Ohio ー where Democrats have the best chance of of flipping the seats from red to blue. "A really important thing to look at besides the candidates themselves, in terms of who gets through, will be Democratic enthusiasm," said Meredith Kelly, a spokeswoman fro the DCCC. "If there's any sort of Democratic, unusual enthusiasm, unusual turnout it shows that people, or low turnout on the Republican side, that would be consistent with the special elections that we've seen and sort of consistent with the larger environment." The DCCC is supporting candidates in 42 competitive House races across the country with its "Red to Blue" program, which provides organizational and fundraising support to candidates running in districts currently held by Republicans. Four of those 42 candidates have primaries Tuesday in states that Trump won. Dan McCready, a Marine Corps veteran running for North Carolina's 9th district is running for a chance to unseat incumbent Republican Congressman Robert Pittenger. Kathy Manning, a lawyer and heir to the Kay chemical fortune, is running in North Carolina's 13th district. In Ohio, a state Trump won over Hillary Clinton by more than 8 percentage points, the DCCC is backing Aftab Pureval, Hamilton County clerk of courts, in the Ohio 1st district; and the president of world relief organization Team Rubicon, Ken Harbaugh, in the 7th district. Kelly said that the DCCC chose candidates to support based on who had local, grassroots support; strong polling; and the ability to not just win a primary, but successfully contest the general election in November. All four of those candidates in North Carolina and Ohio are expected to win their primaries, Kelly said. She suggested the most interesting race to watch Tuesday was the Republican primary in North Carolina's 9th district where Pittenger was in a tight race of his own against a local pastor, Mark Harris. No matter the outcome in that primary, Kelly said many Republican candidates in previously reliable red districts won't be prepared for the challenge they'll face in the fall. "I think that you're going to find that the Republicans are not ready for what's coming next," Kelly said. "These are underfunded, and they're not traditionally competitive seats, but because of the energy out there I think they're in for the races of their lives." The National Republican Congressional Committee's press secretary, Jesse Hunt, said the Democrats don't have these tightly-contested seats in the bag, especially after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she would run for Speaker if Democrats retake the House. "Pelosi is already the most unpopular politician in America," Hunt said in an [email to reporters] (http://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-says-will-run-for-house-speaker-after-midterms-2018-5). "The prospect of her implementing an extremely progressive agenda will be a huge motivator for Republicans this fall." For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/voters-prepare-to-head-to-polls-in-beginning-of-primary-season).

Share:
More In Politics
House Passes Gun Reform Legislation, But Will It Pass In The Senate?
The House has passed some of the most aggressive gun-control measures in years, including raising the minimum age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and banning high-capacity magazines. Daniel Webster, Co-Director of the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, explains why this legislation has little chance to pass in the Senate, and what else can be done to curb gun violence in this country.
Hot summer could lead to rolling blackouts
We are already starting to feel the effects of summer. Heat waves in Texas and California are already sending temperatures soaring. That could spell trouble for the nation's power supply. there are new concerns about outages in many areas of the country. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier explains the two main causes of blackouts, and what states are doing to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running.
U.S. traffic deaths hit 16 year high
If you have been on the road this past year, you've probably seen more accidents on the road than you ever have. You're not wrong. Traffic fatalities are not only increasing they are hitting historic highs. Almost 43,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2021. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier investigates - and finds out why.
U.S. Stocks Closed at Session Highs Tuesday
U.S. stocks close Tuesday at session highs after a subpar start to the trading day. Tim Chubb, Chief Investment Officer at the wealth advisory firm, Girard, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. 'We're starting to see the moderation of three core things -- we've seen the moderation of prices, we've seen the moderation of wage growth we've seen in the labor market, and we've also seen a moderation of job openings,' he says.
Post-covid payrolls show new labor market norms
A lot has changed since the pandemic began back in march 2020. COVID-19 caused a huge disruption in the U.S. labor force that is just beginning to normalize. As of last month, about 96% of jobs lost in the pandemic have returned. Still, where people work now looks very different from two years ago. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier looks at where the jobs are now and where they aren't.
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill for Crypto Regulation
Michelle Bond, CEO of the Association for Digital Asset Markets, joins Closing Bell, where she breaks down the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, which would not only establish a regulatory structure for digital assets, but hand over crypto oversight to the CFTC instead of the SEC.
Load More