Congressional primaries in New York and Colorado proved to be a mixed night for incumbents. Progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) lost a primary challenge from a centrist Democrat, while Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) won the GOP primary in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.
Other incumbent lawmakers including Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) survived primary challenges.
Meanwhile, three candidates endorsed by Donald Trump were defeated in their primary contests Tuesday, denting the former president’s endorsement record despite his continued sway over the GOP.
Here are the Washington Examiner’s top takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries.
Jamaal Bowman loses in Israel-centric primary
Bowman became the first member of the “Squad” ousted from Congress after George Latimer won the Democratic primary in New York’s 16th District. It was a strong rebuke for House progressives from pro-Israel groups and establishment Democrats who opposed Bowman’s controversial comments on the war in Gaza.
The Associated Press called the race for Latimer almost 40 minutes after the polls closed. Latimer won 59.6% of the vote compared to Bowman’s 40.4%, with 82% of ballots counted as of late Tuesday night.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group, waded into the primary by investing almost $15 million to defeat Bowman. The district remains a Democratic stronghold, making it very likely that Latimer will win the general election.
Fellow “Squad” member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortz (D-NY), who campaigned on Bowman’s behalf along with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), easily won her primary Tuesday night. The New York congresswoman won 82.1% of the vote with 90% of ballots counted, according to the Associated Press.
Lauren Boebert wins primary in new district
Boebert prevailed in Colorado’s 4th District GOP primary, which featured five other opponents vying to replace former GOP Rep. Ken Buck. The Colorado congresswoman won 43% of the vote with 89% of ballots counted, according to the Associated Press.
Unlike the other GOP contenders, Boebert was the main candidate running TV ads to bolster her campaign and had the backing of the former president despite backlash over her behavior at a Manhattan gala and during a Beetlejuice production in Colorado.
She opted not to run in the 3rd District GOP primary after Democrat Adam Frisch failed to unseat her by fewer than 600 votes during the 2022 midterm elections. Frisch will face Republican Jeff Hurd after Hurd defeated five other Republicans in the GOP primary.
Republican Greg Lopez won a special election to serve out the remainder of Buck’s term, but he will step down in January.
GOP chooses candidate to replace Sen. Mitt Romney
Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) won the Utah Senate GOP primary to succeed retiring Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT). Curtis, who represents the 3rd District in the House, won nearly 52% of the vote with 75% of ballots counted, according to the Associated Press.
Mayor Trent Staggs, the Trump-endorsed candidate, finished in second place at 28.4%. Staggs was selected at the Utah GOP convention to be the party’s nominee and is a champion of the MAGA wing of the GOP but was unable to resonate with enough voters to secure victory against the centrist Curtis.
Notably, Romney did not endorse in the race, but Curtis was the candidate most similar to the outgoing senator. Curtis has not endorsed Trump’s presidential campaign but has said he will support the Republican nominee for president.
Curtis will face Democratic nominee Caroline Gleich in November but is expected to easily win the Senate race. Meanwhile, Utah state Sen. Mike Kennedy won the 3rd District’s GOP primary to succeed Curtis.
Trump’s endorsement record gets dinged
Trump’s near-perfect endorsement record lost some of its luster after Pastor Mark Burns lost the South Carolina GOP primary in the 3rd District to Sheri Biggs, who was backed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC).
The Trump-backed Dave Williams, the head of the Colorado Republican Party, lost the GOP primary in Colorado’s 5th District to Jeff Crank, a former talk radio host. The former president also saw his preferred Utah Senate nominee, Staggs, easily defeated Tuesday in another blow.
However, Trump can still boast on the success of Boebert and Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans, who won Colorado’s 8th District GOP primary. Evans will face freshman Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) in November.
The Trump-endorsed Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) was still fending off a challenge from Colby Jenkins, who is backed by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), as of midnight. Maloy currently leads Jenkins, 51.9% to 48.1%, with 84% of votes counted, but the Associated Press has not yet called the race.
