The June 4 primary results included a handful of competitive races out in Montana, a more interesting than expected primary in Iowa, and a bitter intraparty bout in New Jersey. Speaking of the latter, the Senate race there has officially taken shape.
We dig into the key races from Tuesday’s primary elections across America in alphabetical order.
District of Columbia Delegate
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) won her Democratic primary with ease on Tuesday. The 86-year old was first elected as Washington, DC’s delegate to the US House in 1990. She defeated Kelly Williams by a margin of 81 to 19 percent.
In her quest for an 18th term, she will face Myrtle Alexander (R) and minor-party candidates in the November election. As Washington, DC is one of the bluest dots on our nation’s map, however, Holmes Norton is all but assured victory.
Iowa: June 4 Primary Results
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Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) saw off a relatively tough primary challenge as she heads towards a re-election race in November. Miller-Meeks won over David Pautsch, a MAGA conservative who had the endorsement of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, by an unexpectedly close margin of 56 to 44 percent. She won this seat originally in 2020 by just six votes, and was re-elected with 53 percent in 2022, so 56 percent may seem like a great outcome, but a closer call than expected for an incumbent in a primary.
Miller-Meeks will again face Christina Bohannan, also the 2022 Democratic nominee, in a Fall rematch. Bohannan ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
This district is located in the southeastern corner of the state and includes the Iowa portion of the Quad Cities.
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The only other Iowa US House incumbent to face a primary challenge was in the 4th District, in the northwestern part of the state. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) claimed 60 percent of the vote in his primary victory over Kevin Virgil, who, much like Pautsch, ran to the incumbent’s right. Virgil ended up with 40 percent.
Feenstra may have the easiest general election in November out of all four sitting Iowa representatives. This district has by far the strongest Republican lean in the state, whereas the other three seats are much more competitive on paper.
Montana: June 4 Primary Results
US Senate
Tim Sheehy won the Montana Republican primary for the right to take on Sen. Jon Tester (D) in the November general election. He took 74 percent of the vote in a three-person field, with Brad Johnson being second in line with 19 percent. Sheehy won in every county.
Sheehy’s path to the nomination opened up considerably when Rep. Matt Rosendale dropped out of the race, though the former already had Donald Trump’s blessing when Rosendale briefly ran for this seat.
The Democratic incumbent Tester had a primary opponent, but sent him off while taking 97 percent of the vote.
Governor
Incumbent Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) easily won renomination on the GOP side over Tanner Smith. He advances to the general election where he will face Ryan Busse, winner of the Democratic primary. Busse is a former gun manufacturer executive and an author.
Gianforte’s winning margin was 75 to 25 percent over Smith, whereas Busse defeated Jim Hunt by a margin of 71 to 29 percent.
MT-02
The 2nd District of Montana, the more eastern of the state’s districts, had competitive primaries on both the Republican and Democratic sides. With Matt Rosendale (R) stepping aside, competitive battles emerged. On the GOP side, Troy Downing defeated, among others, former congressman Denny Rehberg. Downing currently serves as Montana’s state auditor and will be the favorite in the November general election.
In the crowded field, Downing won with 36 percent of the vote while Rehberg had 17 percent in his comeback attempt. Coming in third place was Stacy Zinn with 14 percent.
The Democratic primary was won by John Driscoll against multiple other candidates. In the late 1970s, he was the speaker of the Montana House. Driscoll claimed 34 percent of the vote to Steve Held’s 26 in a four-candidate race.
Though the primaries were contested in the 2nd, this is the less competitive of Montana’s congressional seats. Downing will enter the November race as the favorite.
New Jersey: June 4 Primary Results
US Senate
The Democratic nominee for the US Senate will be Rep. Andy Kim (3rd District). He swatted away two challengers en route to a landslide victory, carrying every county in the Garden State. Kim ended up with 75 percent of the vote, with his next-closest challenger being Patricia Medina at 16 percent.
Had Sen. Bob Menendez remained in this Democratic primary race, he almost certainly would have lost given his federal corruption indictments. Menendez is now running as an independent as he hopes to win a longshot fourth term in the Senate. Meanwhile, Kim had a very easy path to the nomination, given that Menendez declined to run and New Jersey’s first lady and establishment favorite, Tammy Murphy, also dropped out of the race.
In addition to Kim and Menendez, the New Jersey Senate general will feature Republican nominee Curtis Bashaw, a businessman. He defeated Christina Serrano Glassner, the mayor of Mendham who had Donald Trump’s endorsement. Bashaw carried most counties in the state, especially in South Jersey, while Serrano Glassner won a handful of them in the north. Serrano Glassner took 39 percent, but Bashaw won with 46 percent in a four-candidate field.
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As Andy Kim vacates this House seat to run for Senate, Herb Conaway, a state assemblyman, won the Democratic primary to replace him. Conaway faced four Democratic opponents but still managed almost an outright majority, putting him just under 50 percent of the vote. Carol Murphy came in second with 25 percent.
On the Republican side, Rajesh Mohan won a four-candidate race to advance to the November election. Mohan is a cardiologist by trade. His race was closer than Conaway’s, with Mohan taking 39 percent in the win while Shirley Maia-Cusack received 30 percent.
The 3rd District of New Jersey, spanning parts of Central and South Jersey and including Trenton, flipped to the Democrats in the House midterm wave of 2018 and was made more Democratic in recent redistricting.
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While Sen. Bob Menendez faces challenges inside and outside of electoral politics, his son, Rep. Rob Menendez (D), won a three-way primary fight in this heavily-Democratic seat. Menendez eclipsed 50 percent of the vote with his nearest challenger being Ravi Bhalla, the Hoboken mayor who ran a very pointed campaign against the Menendez family name. It was a very bruising primary race, but in the end, it will not matter, as the November outcome is all but assured.
Menendez took 54 percent of the vote while Bhalla won 36 percent. In third place was Kyle Jasey, who had about 10 and a half percent.
New Mexico: June 4 Primary Results
US Senate
Both major party nominees in the New Mexico Senate race were unopposed. The Democrats renominated Sen. Martin Heinrich, while the GOP will run Nella Domenici, the daughter of the late longtime Republican Sen. Pete Domenici.
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Just one primary in all three New Mexico US House seats was contested, being the 1st District. It was the Republican primary to take on Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D), which was won by Steve Jones in a close contest. Previously, Jones was a write-in candidate for the 2nd District in 2020.
He took 51 percent of the vote, narrowly beating Louie Sanchez on 49 percent.
South Dakota At-Large
Both Rep. Dusty Johnson (R) and Sheryl Johnson (D), no relation, were unopposed in their primaries for the US House at-large district. They will face off in November, where the GOP Johnson will be the strong favorite.
With few competitive races and no statewide elections of note, aside from a settled Democratic presidential primary in a red state, turnout was low. The South Dakota Secretary of State placed the turnout at around 17 percent.
