Primary elections in Pennsylvania and North Carolina yesterday seized headlines, with highly memed candidates running in races that offer a first taste of where the electorate stands heading into the 2022 midterms.

In North Carolina, MAGA-supporting Congressman Madison Cawthorn, whose name is well-known across social media for a recent series of leaked videos showing him engaging in strange behavior and a slew of controversial posts, lost his bid for renomination as the Republican nominee in his district. Cawthorn, who famously accused Congressional Republicans of holding cocaine-fueled orgies, will not be on the ballot in November.

Hold this pic.twitter.com/UEvmG65jvt

— Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) May 18, 2022

Madison Cawthorn’s tweets will not age well .

🤣 pic.twitter.com/K3QaasASdX

— ABBA is not Putin's Puppet (@Abba_Annabelle) May 18, 2022

Some reacted with joy that Cawthorn will not return to Congress, while others seemed sad to see him go.

Madison Cawthorn tonight in a nutshell #NC11 pic.twitter.com/xGsoH3Ctlq

— Woke Jeb 🅱️ush 🇺🇲 🇺🇦 – (Web Developer Arc?) (@WokeJebBush) May 18, 2022

I’m gonna miss Madison Cawthorn and his signature :( pic.twitter.com/10OwcoQix8

— zaddy long legs (@williamferr94) May 18, 2022

In Pennsylvania, a Senate primary resulted in a tie on the Republican side between TV doctor Mehmet Oz and Dave McCormick, with the vote still too close to call.

okay im sorry but as a canadian i had no idea that #DrOz was now a politician. are Americans just letting everyone run now?

— Azeria (@azeriadalmatia) May 18, 2022

On the Democratic side, Pennsylvania’s unconventional Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman won the Senate nomination in a landslide.

The real takeaway from Fetterman’s win last night is that we should all be allowed to wear shorts whenever we want

— G. Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris) May 18, 2022

Pennsylvania is rated as one of the most competitive Senate races in 2022, so who the candidates are matters considerably and will undoubtedly be closely watched. Fetterman, a progressive who chooses to wear hoodies and shorts instead of the traditional suit and tie, is almost 7-feet tall and has been embraced by memers in the past for his distinctive appearance and mannerisms.

Fetterman with hair looks like Lou Reed injected with the super soldier serum https://t.co/yyqrrJ0toN

— David Weigel (@daveweigel) May 18, 2022

Lt. Governor John Fetterman (D-PA) pic.twitter.com/JPMCJgQPbw

— Dripped out Politicians (@PoliticDrip) May 18, 2022

Controversially, Fetterman chased an unarmed Black jogger with a loaded 20-gauge shotgun in 2013 after believing he heard gunshots in his neighborhood. Fetterman has not apologized for the incident and accusations of racism have followed him ever since.

The jogger he assaulted, Christopher Miyares, has since expressed support for Fetterman’s candidacy in letters written to local papers, and said that he understands why Fetterman has not apologized or admitted he pointed the gun at Miyares because “it could cause him more harm than good” and “… it is inhumane to believe one mistake should define a man’s life.”

I’d feel even slightly better if John Fetterman would once look into a camera and say “the reason I can dress the way I dress and talk the way I talk and still be competitively running for statewide office is because I’m a white man.”

I don’t see “real,” I see privilege. pic.twitter.com/G8nRMnuBsu

— Julian® 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@sixxis311) May 15, 2022

The political media has been abuzz with Fetterman, seeing him as a possible new type of Democrat who could be more competitive among voters the party has lost.

Fetterman's win signals the first new Big Boy Era in politics since the 1930s pic.twitter.com/Inlh8yB3xs

— Evelyn Waughluigi (@matress_island) May 18, 2022