Here are four key races to watch in Minnesota’s primary elections

A highly anticipated rematch between U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and her DFL challenger Don Samuels is just two weeks away.

So is a Republican primary for the U.S. Senate that will determine who challenges Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Another GOP primary contest will decide who faces Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig in Minnesota’s competitive Second Congressional District.

Minnesota’s primary elections for Congress, the U.S. Senate and state legislative races are Aug. 13. The contests will determine who appears on the general election ballot in November.

Here’s a look at four of the most highly anticipated primary races:

Omar and Samuels are running it back after their first contest was decided by just 2,466 votes. The Minneapolis congresswoman is seeking a more decisive victory this time, calling their last race an “anomaly.”

Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member, found success two years ago by criticizing Omar for supporting a failed ballot measure to replace the Minneapolis Police Department. That issue is less relevant now, so Samuels has sought to cast Omar as a generally divisive figure. He’s criticized her for making what he calls one-sided statements about the war in Gaza that don’t account for how the Jewish community feels.

Omar has been a vocal critic of Israel and advocate for a cease-fire in Gaza. She believes she’s on the right side of the issue, saying many of her constituents support a cease-fire.

Omar has outraised and outspent Samuels, and she has the Minnesota DFL’s endorsement. The congresswoman entered July with $1.8 million cash on hand, while Samuels had about $334,000.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and other pro-Israel groups have spent money trying to unseat other members of the progressive “squad,” but they haven’t spent a dime on Omar’s race yet. That could suggest they believe Omar is too difficult to defeat.

Former NBA player and Black Lives Matter protester Royce White is facing Joe Fraser, a businessman and former Navy intelligence officer, in the GOP U.S. Senate primary. The winner will face Klobuchar.

White won the Minnesota GOP’s endorsement in May. Fraser initially said he would honor the party’s endorsement but reversed that pledge after concerns about White’s past emerged.

Campaign finance reports from White’s previous run for Congress show his campaign spent funds on shopping, strip clubs and hotels. It’s illegal to use campaign funds for personal use. White recently amended some campaign finance reports, claiming he personally reimbursed nearly $13,000 of “non-authorized” expenses made during his congressional run.

When the two Republicans debated in July, White said he wants “to close the border, pay back the debt and stop getting involved in forever wars.” Fraser said the economy, jobs, the national debt and border security were his top issues.

Former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab and conservative attorney Tayler Rahm were both vying to face Craig in the Second District until Rahm announced in July he would suspend his campaign to become former President Donald Trump’s senior adviser in Minnesota.

Rahm had the GOP’s endorsement and was favored by many activists to win the primary. His apparent exit from the race appeared to clear the way for the more well-funded Teirab to challenge Craig.

But Rahm’s name still appears on the ballot, and some Republicans have said they will vote for him anyway.

In a message to the district’s delegates and alternates last week, the Minnesota CD2 Republicans wrote, “Tayler remains the GOP endorsed candidate thru the primary election cycle and also during the general election if he is victorious in the primary ... You can still vote for Tayler in the primary.”

Craig issued a two-word statement in response to the apparent continued support for Rahm: “Oh my.”

GOP U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach, who has one of the most conservative voting records in Congress, is facing a primary challenge in deep-red western Minnesota. She’s facing Steve Boyd, a staunchly religious businessman whom some have called a Christian nationalist — a label he doesn’t reject.

Boyd blocked Fischbach from winning the GOP endorsement in April. He’s barnstormed communities across the sprawling rural district, doing the sort of groundwork needed to challenge a powerful incumbent.

Fischbach was endorsed by Trump earlier this year. In Congress, she voted against Trump’s second impeachment and against creating a panel to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Boyd has said he doesn’t have many policy disagreements with Fischbach, but the political newcomer has criticized her as being too “legislation-driven” and not focused enough on cultural issues. He’s said he would align with the House Freedom Caucus, the institution’s most conservative group, if elected.