The two most controversial candidates on the primary ballot last Tuesday were both nominated and advance into safe general election campaigns from their respective states.

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minneapolis) withstood a hard-fought and expensive Democratic primary challenge from attorney Antone Melton-Meaux for a 57-39% re-nomination victory in a district election that drew the highest turnout of the night (just over 160,000 voters). Both candidates raised well over $4 million apiece for their respective campaigns.

In Northwest Georgia, businesswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) who has drawn attention for her association with the QAnon movement, a loose organization of individuals who believe that the government’s “deep state bureaucrats” are conspiring to take down President Donald Trump, won the Georgia 14th District Republican runoff election. 

Ms. Greene defeated Rome area surgeon John Cowan by a 57-43% margin from what will likely be over 75,000 voters who participated in the runoff vote. The final turnout number could soar, however, since a relatively substantial number of mailed ballots remain to be counted. The primary election in this district drew over 108,000 voters.  

Connecticut

Very little fanfare occurred here as few races were contested. The only result of interest came in the state’s 2nd District Republican primary where the two candidates are separated by just 78 votes with approximately 90% of the precincts reporting. The winner advances to the general election and a sure loss opposite Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Vernon). All five Democratic candidates were unopposed for re-nomination and each is a heavy favorite for re-election in the Fall.

Georgia

In addition to Ms. Greene winning the 14th District Republican runoff and stamping her ticket for Washington, DC from her politically safe congressional district from which Rep. Tom Graves* (R-Ranger/Rome) is retiring (Trump ’16: 75-22%), three other runoffs were settled.

In the Savannah anchored 1st District, attorney and retired Army officer Joyce Griggs defeated former local Democratic county chair Lisa Ring in the party runoff. Ms. Griggs victory margin was 56-44%, but from a low in-person turnout of only about 28,000 individual voters. Ms. Griggs now becomes a heavy underdog against incumbent Rep. Buddy Carter* (R-Pooler) who is running for a fourth term.

The open 9th District located in northeast Georgia and has no incumbent seeking re-election because Rep. Doug Collins (R-Gainesville) is a candidate in the US Senate special election. Both parties held runoff elections, and retired Navy officer and firearm business owner Andrew Clyde*, who self-funded most of his campaign, defeated state Rep. Matt Gurtler (R-Tiger) by a hefty 56-44% margin. In the June 9 primary, it was Rep. Gurtler outpacing Mr. Clyde, 21-19%, within a field of nine contenders.

On the Democratic side, retired Army veteran and local business owner Devin Pandy, also a second-place finisher in the original Democratic primary, scored a strong 68-32% victory over businesswoman Brooke Siskin. The 9th is a strong Republican CD (Trump ’16: 78-19%), so Mr. Clyde now becomes the Congressman-in-waiting.

Minnesota

Both Sen. Tina Smith (D) and former Rep. Jason Lewis (R) were easy winners in their respective primaries, with percentage victories of 87 and 78 over their minor Democratic and Republican opponents. Mr. Lewis is a clear underdog against Sen. Smith but a new Emerson College survey of Minnesota likely voters (8/8-10; 733 MN likely voters) finds the incumbent’s lead shrinking to only 48-45% over Mr. Lewis. Other polling yields Sen. Smith a more substantial advantage.

The other consequential race came in the northwestern Minnesota 7th District, where Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Detroit Lakes) will now officially face former Lt. Governor and ex-state Senate President Michelle Fischbach. Rep. Peterson easily won the Democratic primary with 76% of the vote against two minor candidates. Ms. Fischbach won the Republican nod in a strong 59-22-15% victory over David Hughes, the 2016-18 nominee who twice held Rep. Peterson to 52% re-election wins, and Dr. Noel Collis, who spent heavily on television advertising. 

This will likely be a strong Republican challenge race, as MN-7 was President Donald Trump’s strongest district in the country (Trump ’16: 62-31%) that elects a Democrat to the House. The contest begins as a Lean Democrat race but could quickly become a toss-up affair. The turnout figures in the primary election slightly favored the GOP, as about 9,000 more Republicans than Democrats voted here despite the latter party enjoying a 2:1 turnout advantage statewide. 

South Dakota

Though South Dakota had runoff elections scheduled, no federal race fell into that category. Therefore, the two federal general election nominees, Sen. Mike Rounds* (R) and at-large freshman Rep. Dusty Johnson* (R-Mitchell), face only minimal opposition in the fall.

Vermont

Republican Gov. Phil Scott easily won re-nomination opposite three minor Republican candidates, exceeding 73% of the vote. 

In the Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman defeated former state Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe, 51-40%. Mr. Zuckerman will also carry the Vermont Progressive Party ballot line. Gov. Scott can expect a competitive general election campaign in his quest for a third two-year term from a state that clearly favors the Democrats.

In the lone House race, seven-term at-large Rep. Peter Welch (D-Norwich) recorded a 96% victory in the Democratic primary. His Republican opponent will be nurse and screenwriter Miriam Berry who scored a plurality win over three other GOP contenders. Rep. Welch is a prohibitive favorite to again prevail in November.

Wisconsin

An uneventful night occurred last Tuesday night in the Wisconsin primary election, as most of the incumbents and candidates from both parties ran unopposed in the US House races.

Freshman Rep. Bryan Steil* (R-Janesville) succeeded former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R) in the 1st Congressional District and will face National Security analyst Roger Polack who scored a 58-42% Democratic primary win. Rep. Steil is a strong favorite to clinch a second term in November.

As expected, state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) scored a big 77% victory in his Republican primary from a district that recorded the highest number of voters in the state. He is the prohibitive favorite to succeed retiring Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Menomonee Falls) who is retiring after serving what will be 42 years in the House. Democrat Tom Palzewicz, a Navy veteran and business consultant, was unopposed in his primary.