Surprise upsets in GOP strongholds: 5 things to learn from Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska primary results
5 takeaways from Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska primaries
The May 14 primaries set the matchups for two key races in the battle to control the narrowly divided Senate this fall. On Tuesday, two Republican governors—one sitting, the other former—emerged victorious in the primaries, and a Democratic county executive defeated a congressman who had poured tens of millions of his own money into his campaign. In Maryland, the Republican primary was won by well-liked moderate former governor Larry Hogan. After a fierce and costly Democratic primary, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks of Prince George beat Representative David Trone, who contributed at least $62 million to his campaign. Let us look at 5 things to learn from Maryland, West Virginia, and Nebraska primary results.
1. Trone’s defeat against Alsobrooks despite money bomb
Rep David Trone, a third-term House Democrat, lost the party's Senate primary to Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks on Tuesday, defusing his money bomb. Alsobrooks, who has a chance to become just the third Black woman elected to the US Senate and the first Black senator from Maryland, will challenge well-liked Republican former governor Larry Hogan in November for a seat that the Democrats can't afford to lose in their fight for a majority in the Senate. In addition to spending tens of millions of his dollars, Trone promised to continue the same actions should he be nominated.
2. Jim Justice could seize Manchin’s Senate seat in West Virginia
Retiring Democrat Joe Manchin is holding the West Virginia Senate seat, which Republicans are well-positioned to seize from him. Two-term governor Jim Justice easily defeated US Representative Alex Mooney, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, in Tuesday's GOP primary. In November, he will go up against Glenn Elliott, the winner of a three-way Democratic primary. Though it's said that if former coal executive Don Blankenship had won the Democratic primary, Manchin could have thought about running an independent campaign. Now, with his supported candidate going on to November, that possibility is essentially gone.
3. AIPAC's big win in Maryland
Although Sarah Elfreth, a state senator from Maryland, is not well-known outside of the district, she is expected to represent in the Congress in 2025. Her low national profile may have boosted her chances in the deep blue suburban Baltimore area. Among over 20 leading contenders, Elfreth stood out by highlighting her ties to the area and, as the race became close, her main opponent's lack of them. Several Democratic heavyweights supported Harry Dunn, a former police officer who defended the US Capitol against pro-Trump insurrectionists on January 6, 2021. However, CNN projects that Elfreth easily won the nomination, thanks in large part to a major boost from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's super PAC, United Democracy Project.
4. Moderate House Republican incumbents survive
Rep Don Bacon beat conservative candidate Dan Frei in Nebraska's contested 2nd District, centered in Omaha. Now, Bacon is scheduled to face Democratic state legislator Tony Vargas again in November. US Representative Carol Miller, a member of the center-right Main Street Caucus, defeated a challenge from Derrick Evans, a former state lawmaker who was sentenced to three months in jail for recording himself behind police lines and in the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
5. Morrisey's West Virginia gubernatorial primary win
Due to Justice's term restriction, many influential Republicans entered the GOP primary to compete for the governor's mansion. The winner was Attorney General Patrick Morrisey who won over Republican Sen Shelley Moore Capito's son, Moore Capito; Secretary of State Mac Warner; and Representative Carol Miller's son, Chris Miller. Morrisey will face Democratic Huntington Mayor Steve Williams in the general election.
