US Democratic primaries give left mixed results

US Democratic primary voters handed left-wing candidates mixed results on Wednesday, with a setback in Wisconsin and a major win in Minnesota ahead of November's midterm elections.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated democratic socialist Francesca Hong for the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor. Crowley's win gave the party establishment a victory in a closely divided state after polls had shown Hong ahead.

In Minnesota, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan defeated moderate congresswoman Angie Craig for the Democratic nomination for US Senate. Flanagan had support from several major figures on the left, while Craig had argued that her record winning competitive House races made her the safer general-election candidate.

The ballots also showed pressure on longtime Democratic incumbents. In Connecticut, former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin defeated 78-year-old congressman John Larson, who had represented his district since 1999. Larson became the seventh House Democrat to lose a primary this cycle.

Republicans also saw limits to Donald Trump's endorsement. In South Carolina, Senator Darline Graham finished first in a crowded Republican primary but did not win a majority and will face congressman Ralph Norman in an August 25 runoff. In Minnesota, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell lost the Republican gubernatorial primary by more than 45,000 votes and refused to concede, alleging irregularities in the vote totals.