Voters across North Carolina are heading to the polls to vote in two high-stakes Senate primaries. Here's what to know.

North Carolina is one of 34 states with open Senate seats this year: incumbent GOP Sen. Richard Burr is retiring in 2022.

Republicans are favored to keep the seat: the Cook Political Report in Feb. rated the race "Leans Republican."

Is it a longshot flip for Democrats? Probably: North Carolina hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008. (PF)

Pres. Joe Biden also lost the state in 2020 by 1.35 points and 75K+ votes. (Ballotpedia)

Who's favored to win the Democratic Senate primary? Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley.

Beasley won her first statewide election in 2008, beating an incumbent by 15 points for a seat on the Court of Appeals.

Beasley made history in 2008: she became the first Black woman to win a statewide election in North Carolina. (BP)

In 2012, Beasley was appointed to the state Supreme Court, where she served as an associate, then chief justice until 2020.

In 2020, Beasley narrowly lost her re-election to the state Supreme Court by 401 votes. (WRAL)

Could she win in Nov.? One April Emerson College poll showed Beasley leading the race by two points. (FiveThirtyEight)

Who's favored to win the Republican primary? According to RealClearPolitics, Trump endorsee Rep. Ted Budd.

According to RealClearPolitics' poll average as of April, Budd is leading the primary by 15.2 points.

Who is Budd? Budd represents the state's 13th congressional district in the House. Trump endorsed Budd in 2021. (BP)

Who is competing with Budd for the Republican nomination? Former Rep. Mark Walker...

...and former Gov. Pat McCrory.

Primary poll among 508 GOP voters, as of April (The Hill/Emerson) 🗳️Budd: 38% 🗳️McCrory: 22% 🗳️Walker: 9%

Who is McCrory? McCrory was elected governor in 2012, becoming the state's first GOP governor in two decades. (PF)

Who is Walker? Walker served in the House from 2015 to 2021. His seat is currently held by Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning.

All three candidates are running to avoid a runoff: if no candidate surpasses 30%, a runoff will take place on July 26.