The headline of the August 6 primary results was a sitting representative, Cori Bush, losing her Democratic contest in Missouri.
August 6 Primary Results: Missouri
MO-01
Cori Bush, a progressive “Squad” member of the US House who was a champion for Black Lives Matter and the Palestinian cause, lost her Democratic primary on Tuesday in the 1st District of Missouri. The winner was Wesley Bell, the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, whom as we noted in our preview was heavily backed by pro-Israel interest groups.
In the end, Bell defeated Bush by a margin of about 51 to 46 percent.
Bush herself knows what it is like to defeat an incumbent in a primary, as she upset longtime Rep. Lacy Clay in 2020. Now, however, it will be two terms and done for Bush.
This is by far the most Democratic district in the state; Bell is all but guaranteed victory in November.
Missouri Governor
The GOP had a large field in their race to succeed Gov. Mike Parson, and the winner was his lieutenant. Mike Kehoe, the state’s lieutenant governor, won the Republican primary which included Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and State Sen. Bill Eigel. Kehoe ended up with 39 percent of the vote while Eigel claimed about 33 percent. Ashcroft lagged behind in third place with 23 percent. No other candidate escaped single digits.
On the Democratic side, State Rep. Crystal Quade is the nominee. She cleared 50 percent in a five-way contest, with her main opponent being the well-funded Mike Hamra. He won 32 percent of the vote.
MO-03
The 3rd District is open with the retirement of Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R), and his successor looks to be State Sen. Bob Onder. He claimed 47 percent of the vote while Kurt Schaefer finished in second with 37 percent.
This is a district with a strong Republican lean, meaning Onder has a high probability of November victory.
August 6 Primary Results: Michigan
Michigan Senate
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R) easily won their respective primaries in Michigan’s open US Senate race.
On the Democratic side, Slotkin took 77 percent over the vote over Hill Harper, winning every county in the state. As for the Republican primary, Rogers claimed 63 percent, with former Rep. Justin Amash in second on 16 percent. Rogers also carried every county.
The two will face off in November as both national campaigns will descend on the state for its critical electoral votes.
MI-08
Kristen McDonald Rivet won the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 8th District, defeating Matt Collier and Pamela Pugh. McDonald Rivet, a state senator, took 53 percent over Collier’s 26 and Pugh’s 20. She will next face Republican nominee Paul Junge, who won his primary with ease.
This is considered one of the nation’s most critical seats. It is currently held by retiring Rep. Dan Kildee, a Democrat. However, according to the Cook Political Report’s Partisan Voter Index (PVI), this is an R+1 district, and the country’s most politically median district out of all 435. Expect a very close contest in November.
August 6 Primary Results: Kansas
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Kansas had no major statewide primaries this time, but the race for the US House in the 2nd District was one of the only elections of note. This is an open seat being vacated by Rep. Jake LaTurner (R). The GOP nominee to succeed him will be Derek Schmidt, the state’s former attorney general who lost a close race for governor in 2022. He finished well ahead of four other candidates, claiming 53 percent of the vote while nobody else passed 20. Shawn Tiffany was in second with 19.8 percent.
He will face Democrat Nancy Boyda in the general election. Boyda represented this district briefly in the 2000s, but will have an uphill battle in this GOP-leaning seat. Boyda narrowly won her primary over Matt Kleinmann by a 52 to 48 margin.
Johnson County Sheriff
We make special note of the GOP primary for Johnson County, the state’s largest. The incumbent county sheriff, Calvin Hayden, lost his primary to Doug Bedford. The final margin was about 56 to 44 percent.
The reason for Hayden’s defeat stems from election denialism surrounding the 2020 presidential race. Joe Biden won Johnson County, and a Democrat carrying it in statewide elections is not uncommon these days. However, following the 2020 election, Hayden launched an investigation into potential fraud which lasted several years. This eventually earned him criticism even from within his own party, as Hayden was accused of wasting department resources and ignoring more pressing issues while the investigation turned up little.
Byron Roberson is the Democratic candidate facing Bedford in November.
August 6 Primary Results: Washington
Washington Governor
As expected, the two candidates emerging from the state’s top-two “jungle” primary are Bob Ferguson, a Democrat and the state’s attorney general, and Dave Reichert, a Republican former congressman. No other candidate got out of single digits, though Republican Semi Bird was the closest at nine percent.
Ferugson and Reichert will advance to the November general election, and the GOP has their work cut out for them – they have not won the Washington governorship in 44 years.
WA-03
In a race to watch in November, incumbent Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez finished first in her top-two primary for the 3rd District. Joe Kent, the Republican she defeated in 2022, came in second, but there is a catch: there was a second Republican, Leslie Lewallen, who took a significant chunk. Both Republicans so far have secured over 50 percent.
