AP Decision Notes: What to expect in North Carolina's state primaries

North Carolina voters will narrow down the field of candidates Tuesday in a competitive U.S. Senate race that could decide control of the closely divided chamber in November. Also on the ballot are contested primaries for the U.S. House, state Senate and House, and state Court of Appeals. Even before Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced his retirement last June, the state offered Democrats one of few opportunities to flip a Republican-held seat in an otherwise difficult electoral map. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate, and Democrats need a net pickup of four seats to win back the chamber.