Primary voters in seven states headed to the polls Tuesday for a heavy primary election night, determining several contested races in key states that might sway control of Congress in November.
Voters cast their ballots in Illinois, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, New York, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Nebraska — marking a busy election night that offered the last significant round of primaries and runoff elections until Aug. 2.
FULL COVERAGE OF THE 2022 MIDTERM ELECTIONS
Here are the biggest results from last night’s primaries:
Lee Zeldin bests Andrew Giuliani for GOP nomination in New York governor’s race
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) clinched the Republican nomination for New York’s governor’s race, besting Andrew Giuliani and concluding a contentious yearlong campaign.
Zeldin emerged as the winner despite being attacked by both parties, with Republicans criticizing him for not supporting former President Donald Trump enough and Democrats arguing he was too close to the former president. The four-way primary, when Zeldin faced Giuliani, son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, 2014 Republican gubernatorial nominee Rob Astorino, and businessman Harry Wilson, was largely unexpected because several GOP leaders in the state threw their support behind Zeldin shortly after he announced his campaign in April 2021.
Zeldin will face Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as she vies for her first full term after taking office when ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned last August.
Trump-backed freshman candidate bests Rep. Rodney Davis in newly drawn Illinois seat
Conservative firebrand and freshman Rep. Mary Miller edged out Rep. Rodney Davis in the heated Republican primary for Illinois’s newly redrawn 15th Congressional District, offering Trump another victory among his endorsed candidates.
Davis, who has held his seat since 2012 and is the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, conceded the race late Tuesday night. The race became more contentious as election night neared, as Miller attempted to paint Davis as a “RINO,” or Republican in name only.
The race was also seen as a litmus test for the power of Trump’s endorsement, which has seen mixed results in the primary election season thus far. Miller is expected to win the safe Republican seat in November.
Colorado Republicans reject election skeptic for secretary of state nomination
Former Jefferson County Clerk Pam Anderson won the GOP nomination for Colorado’s secretary of state on Tuesday, dealing a blow to Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters who is known to be an election skeptic.
Peters isn’t the only Republican who sought the nomination for a state’s top elections role after denying the results of the 2020 election or promoting false claims about voter fraud. However, she was one of the most controversial candidates due to her current criminal charges, including criminal impersonation and identity theft in connection to a 2021 security breach of data from voting machines.
Anderson’s victory is seen as somewhat of an upset because she was vastly out-raised by Peters. She’ll face Democratic incumbent Jena Griswold in November.
Scandal-plagued Mississippi incumbent defeated in runoff election amid campaign finance investigation
Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell edged out Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) for the Republican nomination for Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District, ending a runoff election the incumbent was forced into as he faced allegations he misused campaign funds.
A crowded field of primary challengers sought to unseat Palazzo in the primary earlier this month after a report issued by the Office of Congressional Ethics found “substantial reason to believe” he had “converted funds to personal use.” Palazzo has denied the allegations and claimed they are politically motivated.
Ezell will advance to the November ballot and is expected to win the safe Republican seat.
Mississippi Republican who voted in favor of Jan. 6 commission survives primary
Rep. Michael Guest defended his seat in a runoff election, winning the Republican nomination for Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District despite an electoral scare stemming from in-party criticism that he was disloyal to Trump.
Guest is one of a handful of Republicans to vote in favor of creating an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack, which many in the GOP have decried as politically motivated. The incumbent has since opposed the creation of the House select committee now investigating the events leading up to the Jan. 6 attack, and he objected to certifying election results from some states after the 2020 election.
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Guest will face Shuwaski Young, who worked in the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration, in November.
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