Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

* It’s primary day in New Hampshire, where the state’s U.S. Senate race is starting to generate increased attention. In the Democratic primary, most observers have long assumed that Rep. Chris Pappas would have little trouble securing the party’s nomination, but a recent University of New Hampshire poll showed him with a shrinking advantage against his primary rival, democratic socialist Karishma Manzur.

In the Republican primary, two former senators — New Hampshire’s John Sununu and Massachusetts’ Scott Brown — are making comeback bids, and local Democratic officials are increasingly panicked about Sununu’s chances, despite the prevailing political winds nationwide.

If New Hampshire’s seat, currently held by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, were to flip from blue to red, the odds of Democrats winning back the Senate would effectively disappear.

Also of interest in the Granite State are the crowded primaries in the state’s 1st District, which is an open-seat contest because of Pappas’ Senate bid.

* We’re also one day out from Rhode Island’s primaries, and while no incumbent governors have lost so far this year, there’s a reason to believe that might change this week as Democratic Gov. Dan McKee faces a highly competitive race against Helena Foulkes, a former CVS executive. The New York Times reported that the abrupt closure of a crucial Rhode Island bridge in 2023 has become a key issue in the race.

* While the midterms are still eight weeks away, by some measures the elections have already begun: Late last week, North Carolina began sending absentee ballots to voters.

* In a significant setback for Republican redistricting efforts, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled last week that the state cannot use a new GOP-imposed congressional map, which was designed to flip a Democratic-held seat in the Kansas City area from blue to red.

For his part, Donald Trump flipped out in response to the ruling — in an online statement, the president described the outcome as “horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional” — and Missouri Republican officials appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.

* In Ohio’s closely watched gubernatorial race, there was a scary scene over the weekend in which an armed man charged at Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee, at a public event. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the assailant was taken into custody.

* Despite the scandal surrounding Republican Rep. Max Miller, the National Republican Congressional Committee is moving forward with plans to invest in the Ohio congressman’s re-election campaign.

Asked about the decision, Republican Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, the chair of the House Republican Conference, suggested during a CBS interview that party matters more than propriety. “I support anybody with an ‘R’ behind their name,” McClain said.

* Republican Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia appeared on NBC News late last week and was asked whether he wants Trump to campaign with him ahead of the midterms. He rather clumsily refused to answer — despite being asked three times.

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