“Maryland Republicans nominated Dan Cox, a first-term delegate who embraced Donald Trump’s rhetoric and tried to impeach Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, as their nominee for governor Tuesday, elevating him into a contentious fight to keep control of the governor’s mansion in a deeply Democratic state,” the Washington Post reports.

“The Republican primary race for governor tested the potency of the former president’s influence in a state that’s also embraced the pragmatic conservatism of term-limited Hogan, who won two terms by appealing to independents and Democrats.”

“Outside Democratic groups flooded the airwaves with ads tying Cox to Trump in the final days of the race, hoping it would boost a candidate they viewed as ultimately easier to defeat.”

“Herschel Walker, Georgia’s Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate, gave a 10-minute stump speech on Tuesday in which he told no new whoppers, made no obvious mistakes and allowed reporters to witness the whole thing,” the New York Times reports.

“That seeming nonstory was actually news, given how Mr. Walker’s candidacy has been going recently, and it appeared to reflect the labors of a team of Republican operatives who have swooped in to turn around his campaign, after a string of unforced errors called into question his readiness for political prime time.”

Voters in Maryland will cast ballots for their party’s candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, a U.S. Senate seat and the U.S. House of Representatives.

The polls close at at 8 p.m. ET.

CNN: “It may take a few days, or even longer, to determine who will win Maryland’s various primaries on Tuesday — and that’s because of how the state counts mail-in ballots.”

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“Professional Democrats have many fears about the 2022 midterm elections that keep them up at night,” the New York Times reports.

“Chief among them: losing Congress and handing over investigative powers and the ability to set the Washington agenda to Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell. Granting Republicans full control over states where abortion remains contested. Seeing President Biden turned prematurely into a lame duck.”

“Somewhere near the top of that list is the concern that voters will elect Donald Trump’s preferred candidates to the office of secretary of state, a job that in many states plays a critical role in safeguarding the right to vote, while also ensuring the smooth operation and fairness of the electoral system.”

“To put it plainly, the widespread worry on the left is that Trump’s loyalists will guarantee his re-election in 2024 if they take power in 2022. It’s not something either Trump or these candidates labor especially hard to rebut.”