US primaries test Democrat comeback hopes in Trump stronghold

InternationalUS primaries test Democrat comeback hopes in Trump strongholdBy AFP -Aug 19, 2026Add ARY News on GoogleAAResizeWASHINGTON: Americans voted Tuesday in primary elections that will test whether Democrats can reclaim ground in a former battleground state, as Republicans use a newly redrawn congressional map to try to tighten their grip on Congress. Once one of America’s key swing states, Florida has moved sharply to the right over the past decade, with President Donald Trump carrying it by 13 points in 2024 and Republicans dominating statewide offices. But Democrats need a net gain of only three seats nationally to retake the House of Representatives in November, making Florida unexpectedly important to Republican hopes of preserving their narrow majority. A mid-decade redistricting pushed through by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has created four clear opportunities for the party to flip Democratic-held House seats. “The task shouldn’t be too hard given how favorable the political climate has become for them,” NBC elections analyst Steve Kornacki wrote of Democrats’ nationwide prospects. “But Republicans can alter that math if their gerrymander in Florida bears fruit,” he added. “Simply put, they need every additional seat they can get — badly.” The new boundaries have forced several Democratic incumbents into significantly more Republican territory and triggered a scramble for safer seats. Two are seeking reelection in districts Trump carried comfortably in 2024. Another — running in a newly configured conservative district — is being challenged by a democratic socialist from the party’s insurgent left, which has claimed primary victories elsewhere this year. One early upset came in the Democratic Senate primary, where left-wing state legislator Angie Nixon beat retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, to go up against Republican Ashley Moody for the seat. Trump called Vindman, who was a central witness in the president’s first impeachment, a...