Here’s what we learned from an eventful primary day.
President Donald Trump’s chosen candidate routed longtime Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Tuesday in one of the most expensive House primaries ever.
Former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein is the likely new member of Congress from this deep-red Kentucky 4th District. Trump and his allies made it their mission to unseat Massie, a far-right firebrand who had opposed key planks of Trump’s agenda. Some $33 million later, Massie lost by more than 10,000 votes.
Trump is riding on a revenge-tour high. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) failed to even make his primary runoff last Saturday. The president’s decision to endorse Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could very well spell doom for Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in his May 26 primary runoff against Paxton.
Georgia. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) and former football coach Derek Dooley advanced to a June 16 runoff in the Georgia Senate GOP primary. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) finished third.
GOP Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed Dooley, and Kemp’s super PAC spent big to get Dooley into second place.
Collins and Dooley are vying to take on Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in the general election. Republicans once viewed Georgia as their party’s top flip opportunity. But as the GOP primary stretches on and Ossoff continues to stockpile massive amounts of cash, some in the party see Michigan as a better opportunity to pick up a blue seat.
Also in Georgia, state Rep. Jasmine Clark won a crowded Democratic primary to succeed the late Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) without a runoff.
Kentucky Senate. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) won the Kentucky GOP Senate primary over former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Trump intervened on Barr’s behalf, endorsing the House Republican and getting Nate Morris to drop out to assume a yet-to-be-announced post in the administration.
Barr will face the unsuccessful 2022 Democratic candidate, Charles Booker, in the general election.
Alabama Senate. Trump-endorsed Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.) advanced to a runoff in the Senate primary. As of early Wednesday morning, the race for second was still too close to call between Attorney General Steve Marshall and veteran Jared Hudson.
Pennsylvania. Firefighter Bob Brooks won a crowded 7th District Democratic primary to take on Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa). Brooks, backed by the DCCC and Gov. Josh Shapiro, was targeted by a mysterious super PAC that tried to knock him out while boosting an underfunded opponent.
In the safely blue open 3rd District, state Rep. Chris Rabb won a crowded Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.). Rabb, the progressive candidate backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), beat the son of a former Philadelphia mayor and Evans’ preferred candidate.
