Voters Head to the Polls in Closely Watched Primary Races
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Voters across the country head to the polls Tuesday in primary elections for top Congressional and statehouse races, whose results could prove pivotal in November’s mid-term elections.
Pennsylvania’s primaries are the most closely watched contests being held. A long-time ‘swing-state,’ its electorate is considered a bellwether for the national mood and presidential elections. At stake is the open Senate primary, with Republican Senator Pat Toomey retiring. Holding the seat has been a top Republican priority to ensure the party is positioned to control the Senate in January of next year.
The GOP race, however, has upended over the last two weeks by insurgent candidate Kathy Barnette. Running on a MAGA-style populist plaform and personal background as a child of rape (to an 11-year-old mother), her candidacy has been catalyzed by the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, former president Donald Trump’s chosen candidate, celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, has seen his lead shrink to just 2.2 percent (within the margin of error) in recent weeks against Barnette’s surge. Venture capitalist and former U.S. Treasury official David McCormick remains in third place.
The Democratic primary, meanwhile, is a two-way contest between John Fetterman – the 6-foot 8-inch lieutenant governor known for wearing shorts, and who suffered a recent stroke – and Congressman Conor Lamb, who gained national attention after winning a 2018 special election to the House in rural Pennsylvania. Fetterman, with an aggregate lead of 30 percent over Lamb, is the favorite to prevail.
The state is also holding gubernatorial primaries for November’s contest to replace term-limited Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat. Its GOP contest has been a three-way race between Trump-endorsed state Senator Doug Mastriano, Trump-ally and Congressman Lou Barletta, and former Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain.
Mastriano, who has repeatedly questioned the 2020 election and has a double-digit lead over second-place Barletta, has raised anxieties among Republicans about electability in November – leading to a public feud with the state GOP Chairman Lawrence Tabas. The winner will face Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the sole Democrat running in the race. Polls in the state for all primaries will close at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and voters may find official information on how to vote here.
Primaries are also being held in North Carolina for Congressional seats. None have been more controversial than the state’s 11th House District, where wheelchair-bound 26-year-old Congressman Madison Cawthorn is being challenged by seven candidates. Cawthorn has been a lightning-rod of controversy for his controversial statements about Volodymyr Zelensky (“a thug”), making allegations of orgies and cocaine use by House GOP colleagues, and for having driven with a suspended license and brought firearms to airports, twice. Per North Carolina law, Cawthorn will need 30 percent of the vote to avoid a run-off election.
Meanwhile, the Senate primary to replace retiring Republican Senator Richard Burr has been a top-tier contest between Trump-endorsed Congressman Ted Budd and former Governor Pat McCory. Over the last few weeks, Budd has surged pass McCory to hold a firm 18-point lead, and is expected to win handily. The winner will face off against Democrat Cheri Beasley, the state’s former Chief Justice, who is expected to win the party’s primary with no major challengers. Polls close for all state races at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and information from the State Board of Elections is available here.
Other states with primaries for federal and state office today are Idaho and Oregon. In the former, Governor Brad Little is being challenged for the state’s GOP nomination by his Trump-endorsed lieutenant governor, Janice McGeachin. Polls close at 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time, with voting information available here. Oregon’s voters, meanwhile, will select nominees for the U.S. Senate (where incumbent Ron Wyden is running), three House Seats, and all statewide offices. Its voters can find official information on how to vote here.
Results for each of the primaries are expected after their state polls close this evening.
