PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The state primary election is on Tuesday, when Pennsylvanians will vote for candidates from their party to move on to the 2024 general election.
With many crowded races this year, here are a few to keep an eye on before you vote.
The Pennsylvania primary has many contested races both for the state legislature and congressional seats.
One of the most crowded races is for Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district.
Six Democrats will be vying for the nomination to take on Republican U.S Rep. Scott Perry.
That includes Mike O'Brien, a retired marine; Janelle Stelson, a former anchor at WGAL; Blake Lynch, a former executive at WITF; Shamaine Daniels, a Harrisburg city councilwoman; Rick Coplen, an army veteran and Carlisle School Board member; and John Broadhurst, a businessman.
There is also a contested seat in the 15th Senate district, where Republican senator John DiSanto will not run for re-election.
State Democrats are seeing this as an opportunity to fill the seat and flip the state Senate, while state Republicans see this race as a priority to hold power.
In the Republican primary, Ken Stambaugh, a veteran from Lower Paxton Township, will go against Nick DiFrancesco, the Dauphin County treasurer.
Democrat Alvin Q. Taylor, a Harrisburg pastor, is facing off against State Rep. Patty Kim. Kim currently represents the 103rd legislative district. This causes an opening in the 103rd, one of the only Democrat-leaning state House seats in Cumberland County. It’s also a seat that Rep. Kim won by nearly 67% of the vote.
So far, there are five Democrats vying for the empty seat, including Nathan Davidson, Mercedes Evans, Laura Harding, Jesse Monoski and Tina Nixon. They will be looking to face off against the lone republican challenger, Cynthia Ward.
There's also many row office races that could shake up Pennsylvania.
For the state attorney general race, the office is seen as a launchpad for political careers in Pennsylvania.
Two out of the last three state governors served as attorney general before being elected to the office.
Current AG Michelle Henry, who was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro after he won the governor's race, is not running to keep her role. This causes a crowded primary race from both political parties.
Democrats Keir Bradford-Grey, Eugene Depasquale, Joe Khan, Jared Solomon and Jack Stollsteimer are all looking for their party's nomination.
Meanwhile, Dave Sunday and Craig Williams are competing on the Republican side.
In the state treasurer race, Republican incumbent Stacy Garrity is running unopposed in her party's primary. The army veteran and businesswoman took office in 2020 and hopes to serve a second and final term in a row officer role that can bolster political careers.
For the Democrats, state Rep. Ryan Bizzaro is looking to leave the General Assembly for a chance at the office.
Bizzaro has represented Erie County since 2012, formerly serving as a victim and witness advocate in the Erie County District Attorney's Office.
He's facing off against mental health counselor Erin McClelland of Allegheny County, a former congressional candidate who trained under a former treasury secretary.