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Advance US News Diary

August 8-14: Wisconsin and Minnesota primaries, Kenya’s election

August 5, 2022
  • Slice 1

A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News. Delivered to your inbox on Fridays.

Leading the week

It’s another key week for primaries ahead of November’s midterms, with voters in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont, and Connecticut set to choose their party’s candidates on Tuesday (August 9) followed by Hawaii on Saturday (August 13).  

In Wisconsin, much focus will be on the outcome of the Republican gubernatorial primary to determine who will challenge Democratic incumbent Tony Evers in November. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Tim Michels and is holding a rally this evening for the construction executive, who entered the race in April. Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence, meanwhile, is supporting former frontrunner Rebecca Kleefisch, who also has the backing of former Badger State Governor Scott Walker and influential Senator Ted Cruz. Polls suggest the race between Michels and Kleefisch will be tight, with former Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson and State Rep. Timothy Rathun trailing the leading contenders.

Senator Ron Johnson at Trump rally
Ron Johnson’s Senate seat is a key Democratic target in November

In the Senate race, the focus is on the Democratic primary, with incumbent Republican Ron Johnson viewed as vulnerable in November. Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes looks set to easily win the nomination to challenge Johnson in the fall after his three leading challengers ended their campaigns within days of each other.  

In Minnesota, Republican Scott Jensen is all but certain to win his party’s nomination after securing the Republican endorsement at a statewide convention in May. Polls suggest a close race in the fall between Jensen and incumbent Democrat Tim Walz. During the first debate between the pair earlier this week, Jensen challenged Walz over his response to the unrest provoked by the killing of George Floyd in 2020, his handling of the pandemic, and rising inflation. The issue of abortion is likely to be another hot topic come November, with Walz and his running mate Peggy Flanagan already having sought to capitalize on Jensen and his running mate Matt Birk’s opposition to abortions, even for rape survivors.

Ilhan Omar speaking
Ilhan Omar has secured the DFL endorsement in her reelection bid in the 5th District

There will be interest too in the Democratic primary in the state’s 5th Congressional District, where DFL-endorsed incumbent Ilhan Omar is facing a challenge from moderate Don Samuels. There’s also a special election in the 1st Congressional District, where Republican Brad Finstad is favored to defeat Democrat Jeff Ettinger in the race serve the remaining months of the term of late GOP Congressman Jim Hagedorn. 

Lastly, keep an eye out for the primary in Vermont’s sole Congressional seat, where the two leading Democratic candidates are women, making it highly likely that, come November, the state will make history by sending its first female representative to Congress.


Looking abroad

 

Uhuru Kenyatta addressing media the UN in New York
Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is stepping down after 10 years in office

A general election takes place in Kenya on Tuesday (August 9) and most interest will be in the presidential race, where the leading candidates are current Vice President William Ruto and veteran opposition figure and former prime minister Raila Odinga. Current President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is stepping down at the end of a second five-year term, has broken with his deputy and instead thrown his support behind Odinga in what is expected to be a close race that may head to a subsequent run-off vote. Both candidates have announced running mates from Kenyatta’s Kikuyu ethnic group, the country’s largest. A disputed election remains a concern. Widespread violence following the 2007 elections led to Kenyatta and Ruto being charged by the International Criminal Court, though the cases ultimately collapsed.  The fact that the margin of victory this time around is likely to be narrow is once again raising fears of the prospect of post-election violence amid a cost of living crisis that has already seen protesters take to the streets.


 

Also look out for...

August 8

Georgia abortion law challenge hearing 

Joe Biden signs Honoring Our Pact Act 

Sentencing in Ahmaud Arbery hate crimes trial

August 9

Joe Biden signs CHIPS and Science Act 

Antony Blinken visits DRC

August 10

Antony Blinken visits Rwanda 

Illinois butter cow unveiled 

MLS All-Star Game

August 11

Copenhagen conference on Ukraine 

Iowa butter cow unveiled 

MLB Field of Dreams game

August 12

Perseid meteor shower

August 13

Ted Cruz and Kristi Noem at Laxalt Basque Fry

August 14

Saturn closest to Earth

Statistics, Reports and Results

August 8

Results from: SoftBank, BioNTech, NewsCorp and Take-Two Interactive

August 9

Results from: InterContinental Hotels Group plc, Legal and General Group and Emerson Electric

August 10

Consumer Price Index 

China Consumer Price Index 

Results from: Disney, Toshiba, TUI, Honda, E. ON, Admiral

August 11

US Producer Price Index  

IEA Monthly Oil Market

OPEC Monthly Oil Market

Results from: Siemens, RWE, ThyssenKrupp

August 12

US Import/Export Price Indexes 

US Consumer Sentiment Index 

UK GDP Q2

Anniversaries and Awareness Days

August 8

Zimbabwe marks Heroes’ Day

August 9

Eight years ago: Michael Brown shot in Ferguson, MO

August 10

Prisoners’ Justice Day

August 12

Five years ago: Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville

August 13

International left-handers' day 

10 years ago: Austin Tice kidnapped in Syria

August 14

South Korea ‘comfort women’ memorial day 

Pakistan Independence Day  

20 years ago: Cristiano Ronaldo made professional debut

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  • Scott Jensen
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  • William Ruto
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