Five takeaways from races in Oregon, Kentucky, Georgia, California and Idaho

Voters in multiple states headed to the polls Tuesday, focusing on key races in Oregon, Georgia, Kentucky and Idaho.

November matchups are set to be certain in many closely watched House races, while President Biden and former President Trump won their respective party primaries in Kentucky and Oregon.

At the same time, California voters elected Republican Vince Fung in a special election to finish out former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R) House term.

Here are five takeaways from Tuesday night’s contest.

Protest vote highlights dissatisfaction with Biden, Trump

Both presidential candidates attracted more delegates from their respective primaries in Kentucky and Oregon, which also saw protest votes highlighting Americans’ dissatisfaction with the looming November rematch.

Trump’s victory in the heavily red state of Kentucky was dented by enduring a protest vote for former rival Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the race in March.

Haley received about 6 percent of the Bluegrass state’s primary vote, with 99 percent of precincts voting as of press time. Another 4 percent voted “not committed.”

The numbers follow Haley’s notable numbers in other states and demonstrate deep-seated dissatisfaction among some in the Republican Party with the former president. Haley received about 20% of the vote in last week’s primaries in Maryland and Nebraska, and almost 10% in West Virginia.

The “Determined” push also ate into Biden’s Kentucky win, siphoning off about 18% of the Democratic primary vote at the time of publication. Mr. Biden’s leading challenger, Marianne Williamson, and Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips, who withdrew from the race, received a combined 11% of the vote.

Biden has witnessed “irresponsible” protests in multiple states as progressives express dissatisfaction with his administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. “Uncommitted” has won 28 delegates so far, according to DDHQ tracking, a number that dwarfs Biden’s tally but is still notable.

Organizers in Oregon also put “non-committal” on the ballot, although it is not an official option. Pushed in Voters will write “Independent.”

Incumbent lawmakers have a good night

Tuesday was a good night for incumbents in several key races.

In Kentucky, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie is in the primary for a seat in the state’s 4th Congressional District, despite efforts by a super PAC aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to oust him. He fended off his challengers.

In Georgia, Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath defeated two leading candidates for the Peach State’s 6th Congressional District seat.

Meanwhile, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the prosecutor leading the investigation into former President Trump’s attempts to interfere with Georgia’s 2020 election results, won Tuesday’s primary election and will take over the case. The judge was also re-elected.

Willis defeated attorney Christian Wise Smith in his first election since the high-profile investigation began. She is scheduled to face a Republican rival in the fall.

At the same time, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee fended off a challenge to keep his seat, avoiding complications that could arise in the Trump case if his case were handed over to his successor.

Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson also won re-election, fending off a challenge from former Democratic Rep. John Barrow, who sought to bring abortion to the forefront.

Establishment Democrats breathe a sigh of relief in Oregon

The party chosen by the Democratic establishment in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District won Tuesday’s primary, raising hopes that the party could flip the seat in November.

Democratic Rep. Janelle Bynum defeated her party’s unsuccessful 2022 candidate, Jamie McLeod-Skinner, with help from the party’s House campaign arm.

McLeod Skinner previously defeated centrist former Congressman Kurt Schroeder (Democratic) in the primary, but lost by a narrow margin to Republican rival Lori Chavez Delemer.

The seat has been rated a toss seat by nonpartisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report and is currently considered one of several that could help determine control of Congress in the fall.

The party establishment had rallied around Bynum, who was generally seen as the stronger candidate. Bynum has received support from Democratic Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Emily’s List, a group that endorsed McLeod-Skinner two years ago. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) added Bynum to its coveted “Red to Blue” program, which has touted the Democrat’s defeat of Chavez Delemer in previous state elections.

Candidates with deep pockets beat well-known candidates

In another notable Oregon race, Oregon Rep. Maxine Dexter (D) is the winner of the Democratic primary for the House seat held by retiring Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D, OR). became.

Dexter is running against Multnomah County Commissioner Sushila Jayapal, the sister of Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and six other Democrats for the vacant seat.

While Mr. Jayapal attracted early headlines thanks in part to his progressive sister’s name, Mr. Dexter raked in large sums of cash from pro-Israel donors and others in the final months of the campaign.

Even support from Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) wasn’t enough to carry Jayapal over the finish line, with progressives suffering one of their few notable defeats in the Beaver State.

Mr. Dexter is considered the frontrunner to replace Mr. Blumenauer in November in an overwhelmingly Democratic district.

Warning to Democrats on Crime

Another big loss for progressives came in Multnomah County, centered around Portland, where progressive District Attorney Mike Schmidt was trailing. I’m behind in the primaries.However, this race was still unannounced at the time of publication.

Schmidt faces a challenge from within his own office, from Senior Deputy District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, who ran on a tough-on-crime stance in a campaign that highlighted growing tensions over public safety and criminal justice. confronting.

The DA election comes amid what appears to be growing concern about drug decriminalization efforts in Oregon. To increase Homeless condition. Schmidt took office in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd sparked protests in Portland and has focused on progressive criminal justice reform.

And while Vasquez has the backing of Multnomah County’s six law enforcement unions, Schmidt has reportedly earned the endorsement of Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and former Gov. Kate Brown (D). oregon public broadcasting.

If Mr. Schmidt ultimately loses reelection, this election will turn into a crime issue that Republicans are trying to push to the forefront heading into November, much in the same way that Democrats have tried to highlight the abortion issue. It will likely be seen as a warning sign to Democrats on how to respond.