Mariana Alfaro, reporter for The Washington Post: Politics Now, joined Cheddar's Closing Bell to break down Tuesday's primary elections, including a hotly contested GOP senate race in Pennsylvania, as Democrats look to flip a Senate seat.

Closing Bell

Pennsylvania is the State to Watch for Midterms

well, the 2022 midterms are right around the corner and Tuesday's primary showed just how intense the battle will be for control of the U. S. Senate. Pennsylvania might be the deciding state for that. The progressive lieutenant governor john Fetterman running away with the Democratic primary race, Putting 59% of the vote. And on the Republican side the race between Trump-backed celebrity Dr Mehmet Oz and David McCormick still too close to call. Meanwhile, a big defeat for a pro trump candidate plagued with scandals in north Carolina, so there's a lot to get to. But for more, I do want to bring in our reporter, Mariana Alfaro, reporter for the Washington post politics. Now, Mariana thanks so much for joining. Let's start in pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly choosing progressive Fetterman over moderate. Connor lam, what does this tell us about that race? Yes, that race was probably not a shocker, but it's definitely not something we would have expected back in 2018, um back then, you know, Conor lamb, but he's represented right now, but he was running as like the shining democratic rising star, um you know, very clean cut like veteran representative, he um had biden's endorsement. He didn't even call him, you know, that he reminded him of his son beau and so for him to lose to Fetterman who um you know, it's more of his like working class, you know, not your traditional politician very much. Um it is quite a noticeable guy. You know, um for him to lose to him, it's just kind of marks that shift and I think we reported last week, you know, voters in pennsylvania were saying we not only need someone who could just beat the republican candidate, we need someone that we can believe will do something for pennsylvanians, who will do something for the working class there, and that is who Federman is for the voters there, you know, it is interesting on the other side, of course, the GOP side in pennsylvania, the race technically still too close to call, but it does look like the trump backed candidate, Dr Mehmet Oz, of course, many people know him from the dr Oz show does have a slim lead currently, what happens from here and could we see a recount? Yes. Um it could probably go into a recount. The thing is it's um you know, trump just called on his own social media site for us to call the race and say that he won, he wants him to declare victory now, um it was not a great night for trump last night, especially after cawthorn loss. So um it is possibly, it's looking like we're gonna head there. Um I do think republicans are signs are like breathing inside of relief because um Kathy Burnett, the other candidate, they were like in a virtual three way tie their um she was more to the right of any of these candidates, She was pretty much saying that she was the new face of the Maga movement and um you know, establishment republicans were not super, super happy about that. So I do think that even if it goes on a run off between Oz republicans, there are kind of relieved that that's the two candidates that emerged at the top, surprised at how close this GOP primary was. Yes, I um, honestly was not expecting uh, McCormick to be the number two, um or, you know, it would be to tie between the two of them. Um It would have been, you know, more interesting, just, you know, from a fully out of perspective, to see Barnett, um, get that kind of number just because she would have definitely shaken up mitch McConnell's caucus in the Senate. Certainly, pennsylvania, known as the keystone state, as we're identifying here on the screen, extremely important to president trump back in 2016, of course, did ultimately go for president biden here in 2020 but it could be the deciding factor in the Senate race, which could change the dynamic as certainly on the capital. Just how important is pennsylvania in this midterm election? I would say Pennsylvania is one of the most closely watched races in November. You know, right now, the Democrats can't really get that much done with 50 votes in the Senate, um very unlikely that they'll get the 60, but um, if they managed to put the seat, um it would mark that they are headed in the right direction, um or that it would be like repudiation of what the republicans have been doing so far in this Congress. Um And again, I also would watch the governor race there too. Um If democrats can hold onto the seat, it would also show that um, you know, pennsylvania is um kind of like a temperature check for how republicans have been doing um in terms of the post maga era. Alright, Mariana Alfaro, reporter for the Washington Post Politics. Now, Mariana thanks so much for coming on the show.