What to watch for on this primary day . . .

Does Democrat-turned-Republican Parker Griffith survive his first GOP primary in Alabama’s 5th congressional district? There is a good chance his race may go to a runoff July 13, and either Mo Brooks or Les Phillip will argue that he’s the real Republican in the race.

Does early NRCC favorite Martha Roby win the GOP primary in Alabama’s 2nd congressional district?

Alabama governor Bob Riley, a Republican, is term-limited. The three leading Republicans are former state senator Bradley Byrne, Tim James, son of former governor Fob James, and state representative Robert Bentley; another controversial contender former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice Roy Moore. The Democratic primary is a bit more interesting, as it pits an African-American member of Congress, Artur Davis, who voted against the health-care bill, against state agricultural commissioner Ron Sparks. The New York Times gently put it, “the civil rights organizations that have long carried influence over many black voters in the state have lined up behind Mr. Davis’s opponent, Ron Sparks, the state agriculture commissioner, who is white.”

Rasmussen recently summarized: “Both Democratic hopefuls trail three of the top Republicans in the race again this month but run neck-and-neck if [Moore] is the GOP contender.”

Finally, in Alabama, the fate of Dale Peterson’s bid to be the Republican nominee for state agriculture commissioner is determined today. Are you pulling for this man, his horse, and his gun? Or do you not give a rip about Alabama?

Mississippi has some interesting House primaries today. In the 1st congressional district, Fox News commentator Angela McGlowan will take on state senator Alan Nunnelee and former Eupora mayor Herman Henry “Henry” Ross, II. The winner attempts to knock off Democrat Travis Childers, who managed to win 54 percent of the vote in 2008 while John McCain won 62 percent in his district.

Then in the 4th congressional district, state representative Steven Palazzo and executive Joe Tegerdine compete for the GOP nomination. The man they seek to unseat, Gene Taylor, is a southern conservative Democrat who’s been around forever, but this would seem to be the year that a lot of southern conservative Democrats will find themselves in a bit of trouble answering for what’s been done in Washington.

In New Mexico, Republicans select their gubernatorial nominee, who will almost certainly take on the current Democratic lieutenant governor, Diane Denish. District Attorney Susana Martinez appears to be polling best against Denish; the field against her includes state representative Janice E. Arnold-Jones, Doug W. Turner, Allen E. Weh, and a familiar name but a younger edition, Pete Domenici, Jr.