The Democratic National Convention is currently making waves in Chicago, but there’s more at stake this week. Voters in Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming are heading to the polls today for their state primaries, where they will help decide which candidates will move forward to the general election for various positions at the national, state, and local levels.

Here’s a look at the key races to watch in the primaries on August 20.

Alaska

In Alaska, the race for the sole U.S. House seat is heating up as incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola, the first Native Alaskan to be elected to Congress, aims to retain her position against almost a dozen challengers.

Peltola first won her seat in a special election to fill the vacancy left by the late Republican Congressman Don Young, who passed away in March 2022. Notably, she defeated multiple competitors, including former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who was endorsed by former President Trump.

Major challengers from the Republican side include Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and businessman Nicholas Begich. There are also several independent candidates in the running.

Under a 2020 initiative, Alaska now conducts nonpartisan primary elections, allowing all candidates to appear on one ballot regardless of their party affiliation. The top four candidates with the most votes will progress to the general election.

Additionally, Alaska utilizes ranked-choice voting, meaning if no candidate secures a majority of votes, the one with the least first-place votes will be eliminated along with their corresponding votes. The counting will then continue with the second-choice votes until a candidate achieves a majority.

Florida

Florida is set for several significant races that could impact both local and national landscapes. Incumbent Republican Senator Rick Scott is up for reelection, facing challenges from within his party by John Columbus, an actor, and Keith Gross, an attorney previously removed from the 2008 Georgia ballot after a court ruling found him ineligible.

On the Democratic side, former U.S. Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is the frontrunner for the Senate seat. She made history in 2018 as the first Ecuadorian American and South American-born woman elected to Congress and only served one term. She is competing against business figures Stanley Campbell, Rod Joseph, and ex-state legislator Brian Rush in the Democratic primary.

Notably, Rep. Matt Gaetz, known for his close alliance with former President Trump, is running for a fifth term representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District. He faces Republican Aaron Dimmock, whose campaign is backed by McCarthy and his associates. The winner of the Republican primary will go on to face Democrat Jennifer Valimont, who is running unopposed in her primary.

In Florida’s 8th Congressional District, which is the only House contest in the state lacking an incumbent, outgoing Republican Rep. Bill Posey supports Mike Haridopolos, the former Florida state Senate president. Haridopolos will be up against businessman John Hearton in the Republican primary, while attorneys Sandy Kennedy and Daniel McDow compete in the Democratic primary.

Wyoming

In Wyoming, voters are set to influence the future of the staunch Republican state and its increasingly divided Republican party. All House seats and half of the Senate seats are up for election. The Republican party is split between the more extreme Freedom Caucus and the moderate, establishment Wyoming Caucus, as each faction vies for dominance in the state legislature.

Multiple key races are taking place in the capital city, Cheyenne, and neighboring districts.

In House District 43, long-serving State Rep. Dan Zwonitzer is seeking to maintain his position amid competition from newcomer Ann Lucas, who has backing from the Freedom Caucus. Similarly, in House District 7, Kathy Russell, the executive director of the Wyoming GOP, is aiming to unseat the more centrist representative Bob Nicholas. Senate District 6, located just north of Cheyenne, is seeing a highly contested six-way race for the seat being vacated by outgoing senator Anthony Bouchard.

One exciting race occurs at the base of the Big Horn mountains in northern Wyoming, where state representatives Barry Crago and Mark Jennings are set to compete for a seat in the state senate. Crago, an emerging leader within the Wyoming Caucus-aligned group, contrasts with Jennings, who has been a prominent figure on the far-right in Wyoming politics, co-founding the State Freedom Caucus back in 2015, which eventually led to the establishment of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.

In Western Wyoming, the current Speaker of the House, Albert Sommers, aims to fill the vacancy in Senate District 14. He faces competition from retired Navy Officer Bill Winney, along with local rancher and school bus driver, Laura Taliaferro Pearson.

At the federal level, Republican U.S. Senator John Barrasso and Representative Harriett Hageman are confronted with challengers, but both are anticipated to win their respective races easily.