WASHINGTON — Voters in four states cast ballots Tuesday in primary elections that doubled as tests of influence for President Donald Trump, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and dueling factions within the artificial intelligence industry, the Associated Press reported.
The most closely watched contest was the crowded Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat in New York, where state Assemblyman Alex Bores became the magnet for competing AI money. The race, AP reported, “became a proxy battle between two powerful camps of the artificial intelligence industry because of one candidate: New York Assemblyman Alex Bores.”
Bores campaigned Monday in New York City as voters prepared to decide the nomination. Outside groups representing different visions of AI regulation poured money into the district, making it an early indicator of the industry’s political power in the 2026 midterms.
In South Carolina, President Trump took an unusual step to avoid a repeat of earlier losses. According to AP, “after two of his chosen candidates for governor lost Republican primaries this month,” Trump “ensured it won’t happen again — by endorsing both candidates in a South Carolina runoff.” The race sets up a November general election contest in a state where the governorship has been in Republican hands.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, put his political capital on the line by backing fellow democratic socialists in primaries across the state, AP reported. The mayoral endorsements tested whether the left flank of the Democratic Party can consolidate support beyond the mayor’s home boroughs.
Maryland and Utah also held primaries Tuesday, with voters selecting candidates for state and federal offices.