From Michigan’s Senate and governor primary to Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, a number of key races in primary elections Tuesday could signal the future for Democrats and Republicans.
Courtesy of NPR Five states hold primaries Tuesday, with competitive House and Senate races that could ultimately decide control of Congress next year. Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia and Washington are all holding contests. A number of Democratic primaries are pitting congressional incumbents against progressive challengers. Redistricting efforts will also influence the races. Missouri Republicans redrew their map to squeeze Democrats, while Virginia moved its primary from June to August for a Democratic redistricting push that courts ultimately threw out. Democrats choose between moderates and progressives The open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, a swing state, has two Democratic candidates lodged in a tight
Missouri voters block GOP-led effort to raise bar to pass constitutional amendments
By Jane C. Timm Missouri voters blocked a Republican-led effort to raise the bar for passing citizen-led constitutional amendments, NBC News projects. Under current state law, such ballot measures require a simple statewide majority for passage, a process that has been used in recent years to grant abortion rights, expand Medicaid and legalize marijuana. But Amendment 4 would have required citizen-led ballot initiatives to win a majority in each of Missouri’s congressional districts, boundaries that are drawn by state lawmakers. Other ballot measures, like those referred from the Legislature, would not have been subject to this higher bar. It would have
Rep. Wesley Bell defeats former Rep. Cori Bush in a Missouri Democratic primary rematch
By Sahil Kapur and Brennan Leach ST. LOUIS — Rep. Wesley Bell defeated former Rep. Cori Bush in a Democratic primary rematch, NBC News projects, in the latest chapter of a long-term fight over a deep-blue St. Louis-based district. Bell overwhelmed Bush on the airwaves, fending off her push to make the race a referendum on his support for U.S. aid to Israel. In total, Bell’s campaign and outside allies outspent Bush by a staggering 27-to-1 ratio, according to AdImpact, an ad-tracking service. United Democracy Project — the super PAC linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel advocacy group known
Most Black Texas voters back Talarico over Paxton, poll finds, despite Senate primary tensions
By Alejandro Serrano Fewer than one in 10 Black voters in Texas say they are less likely to vote in November’s midterm elections due to U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s defeat in the Democratic primary, according to a poll released Tuesday that suggests James Talarico could face limited electoral fallout from the racial tensions that have persisted since he secured the U.S. Senate nomination. The survey of 500 Black Texans who voted in recent elections, fielded by Texas Southern University, provides a temperature check of the crucial voter bloc as Talarico continues efforts to coalesce Black Democrats behind his candidacy. While numerous Black political leaders have backed Talarico,
Govs. Kevin Stitt and Wes Moore say civility can win general elections but primaries promote partisanship
By Alexandra Marquez Govs. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., and Wes Moore, D-Md., on Friday blamed partisan primaries for making politics more extreme and called for bringing back “dignity” in politics and government. Asked whether dignity is a quality that could win a presidential election, Stitt told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, “I would think so.” They were speaking during a moderated conversation with Moore and Tim Shriver at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Oklahoma City. “I think the pendulum is swinging,” the Oklahoma governor added. “Of course, you get to the general election, it wins. But the problem is,
Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow order targeting mail-in voting before midterms
By Lindsay Whitehurst The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections. The Justice Department asked the justices to halt for now lower court decisions blocking the sweeping changes in nearly half the country. The request comes shortly after Trump delivered a primetime address elevating his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of elections, and could be one of several voting-related challenges before the court ahead of the high-stakes midterm contest. Trump ordered the government in March to create a “state
Federal judges allow new Tennessee congressional map that divides majority-Black district in Memphis
By The Associated Press A federal judicial panel has allowed Tennessee to use a new congressional map that breaks apart a majority-Black district in Memphis, providing another legal victory for Republicans who hope to gain an additional seat in this year’s midterm elections. A three-judge panel on Thursday declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the new districts, paving the way for them to be used in the Aug. 6 primary elections. Tennessee had revised its congressional districts in May, shortly after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities. President Donald Trump has urged Republican-led states to redraw districts to their
South Carolina’s New U.S. Senator Is an Alumna of a HBCU
Lindsey Graham, the four-term U.S. Senator from South Carolina, died on July 11. A staunch conservative and an ally of President Trump, Senator Graham was a strong supporter of the state’s historically Black colleges and universities. In a statement, Said Sewell, president of Morris College, wrote: “Over the course of his career, he showed a steady commitment to historically Black colleges and universities by supporting federal investments that helped expand educational opportunities and protected the legacy of these institutions.” Alexander Conyers, president of South Carolina State University added that “Senator Graham understood that higher education is an investment in South
Lindsey Graham remembered for South Carolina HBCU support
South Carolina HBCUs are remembering longtime U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham following his death over the weekend. South Carolina State University and Benedict College were among the first institutions to honor the senator. Both schools pointed to his public service and his long-standing support for projects that benefited higher education in SouthCarolina. Graham died Saturday night, July 11, at his home in Washington, D.C. His family announced his death Sunday. He was 71. While Lindsey Graham built his national reputation on military, judicial and foreign policy issues, he also developed ties with several HBCUs in his home state. Those relationships included federal
South Carolina governor appoints Lindsey Graham’s sister to finish his Senate term
By Rebecca Shabad and Raquel Coronell Uribe South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of Sen. Lindsey Graham, to serve the rest of the late Republican senator’s term, which ends in early January. “Today, under the law, it’s my duty to and honor to name someone to serve in the place of this irresistible man, this irreplaceable man, this extraordinary man, for the remainder of his term,” McMaster, a Republican, said at a news conference alongside Graham’s sister. “Lindsey took care of his little sister in years long departed. It’s my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham,
