Tuesday primaries: four crucial questions

Both Republican and Democratic establishment prestige is on the line Tuesday, as voters go to the polls in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Arkansas. Here are four things to contemplate as the candidates make their final pitches Monday: 1. What will the race to fill Democratic Rep. John Murtha’s House seat in Pennsylvania tell us about November? When Congressman Murtha passed away in February after 35 years in the House, conventional wisdom held that the Democrats would have a hard time holding onto this conservative-leaning district. But Democrat Mark Critz and Republican Tim Burns are neck and neck, as Mr. Critz has turned his time as a Murtha aide into a plus – ironic, given all the anti-Washington feeling out there. But Critz’s time as Murtha’s economic development director allows him to channel part of why Murtha was so beloved in his district: He knew how to bring federal money home. Critz also gains from the competitive Senate primary race, which will turn out Democratic voters. (The Republican primary is not competitive.)