The sun rises behind the U.S. Capitol ahead of a ‘Justice for J6’ weekend rally in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) – The Republican-leaning states of Nebraska and West Virginia will hold primary elections on May 10 for the U.S. House of Representatives and other offices.

Here are notable races that could help shape the Nov. 8 midterm elections when Republicans hope to take control of the U.S. Congress.

The race between two incumbent U.S. Republican representatives could be another test of the power of former President Donald Trump’s endorsements. Polls suggest a close race between Alex Mooney, who is backed by Trump, and David McKinley, who has been endorsed by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.

The two incumbents face each other because West Virginia loses a seat in the House due to a declining population. The winner of the nomination contest will likely win in November because the 2nd District is solidly Republican.

Trump’s approval power is getting another test in Nebraska’s Republican gubernatorial primary, where Trump-backed Charles Herbster was recently accused by several women, including a state senator, of groping them. Herbster, a farm executive, denied the allegations.

While recent public opinion polls have largely come from political campaigns rather than independent pollsters, they have highlighted a potentially competitive race between Herbster and University of Nebraska regent Jim Pillen, who was endorsed by the incumbent Republican Governor and the Farm Bureau.

The November contest is seen as an easy win for Republicans.

Centered around Omaha, the state’s largest city, the 2nd District is seen as a potentially competitive race in November and has been held by Republican Don Bacon since 2017.

While Bacon isn’t expected to face stiff internal competition in May, the Democratic Party primary pits Sen. Tony Vargas against mental health practitioner Alisha Shelton. Vargas touted his support for banning assault rifles while Shelton pledged to help improve access to the vote.

Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell

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