Republican and Democratic coalitions put to the test in unusual elections on Tuesday
Two races in politically disparate parts of the country set the stage for one of the most unusual split-screen election days of the year on Tuesday.Rep. David Scott’s death in...
By Fox News · Fox News
Two races in politically disparate parts of the country set the stage for one of the most unusual split-screen election days of the year on Tuesday. Rep. David Scott’s death in April at age 80 created a vacancy in a heavily blue district encompassing the southern and eastern Atlanta suburbs of Stockbridge, Conyers and Snellville. With the general election ballot already decided, Tuesday’s contest will determine who will finish out Scott’s term. Scott was notably related by marriage to Braves slugger Hank Aaron. Across the country in South Dakota , Republicans vying for the Mount Rushmore State’s safely red governor’s seat have created the state's first gubernatorial runoff between incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden and self-made millionaire bitcoin investor Toby Doeden. TRUMP’S GOP CLOUT FACES ARIZONA TEST WITH HOUSE MAJORITY, GOVERNOR’S RACE AT STAKE Rhoden originally took the reins in Pierre after President Donald Trump chose former Gov. Kristi Noem to be Homeland Security secretary in his second term. He was unable to garner enough support in the June primary to secure the nomination outright in his first statewide election as governor. South Dakota ’s runoff is expected to be a classic establishment-versus-outsider race, with Rhoden heavily favored in the polls but Doeden hoping for a Sioux Falls-fueled upset. Minnehaha County, home to Sioux Falls, is a key county to watch Tuesday after helping propel Doeden to a first-place finish in the June primary. WATCH: LAWMAKERS REVEAL WHERE THEY STAND ON CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS AFTER RECENT HEALTH SCARES Pennington County, on the state’s western side, will also be closely watched after contributing to Doeden’s top finish in June. In contrast to what is expected in Scott’s district in November, Republicans are heavily favored because South Dakota has not elected a Democratic governor since the 1970s. Then-Gov. Richard Kneip served nearly two terms before President Jimmy Carter nominated him as ambassador to Singapore. Gov. Ha…