Democrats are projecting optimism in their uphill quest to win control of the Senate in November, but first they have to contend with competitive and potentially damaging primaries.
The party has several contentious contests — including Tuesday in Texas and later this year in Maine, Iowa, and Michigan — that will determine the nominees who will make the case to end the Senate Republican majority. Democrats need a net gain of four seats and have little room for error.
Competitive primaries can energize voters and boost participation. They can also complicate a party’s prospects in the general election by exacerbating ...