Four states went the polls Tuesday night in matchups that included a race to take on a swing-state governor, a member of the progressive “Squad” with several primary challengers and an opportunity to elect a woman for the first time in Vermont’s at-large congressional district.
Tuesday’s primaries take place a day after the FBI searched former President Donald Trump’s primary residence in Florida, at Mar-a-Lago, as part of a probe into documents that may not have been preserved as required by the Presidential Records Act.
Since the search, Trump has launched fundraising efforts off “Biden’s FBI RAIDS.” Republicans blasted the search, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy vowed to retaliate if the GOP takes back the House in November.
Wisconsin, the site of the Republican National Convention in 2024, is one of the four states holding primaries on Tuesday. The state was one of the battleground states that Trump won in 2016 but swung to President Joe Biden in 2020. Trump has repeatedly called for state legislators to “decertify” Wisconsin’s 2020 election results, which is not legally possible.
CBS News has projected that Trump-backed Tim Michels won the Republican nomination in the Wisconsin governor’s race. Trump rallied for him on Friday in Waukesha. At that rally, Michels vowed to dissolve the state’s elections commission. Former Vice President Mike Pence and former Republican Gov. Scott Walker backed Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.
In a victory speech on Tuesday night, Michels thanked Trump for his endorsement, calling it a “tremendous validation of the meteoric rise of our campaign.”
Michels will take on Democratic incumbent Gov. Tony Evers, who did not face a primary challenge.
In the race to take on incumbent Republican and Trump ally Sen. Ron Johnson, the major Democratic candidates dropped out as the primary drew closer, effectively clearing the field for Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive Squad, won her primary against four challengers in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, although the race was close. With 97% of the vote in, Omar had 56,392 votes to 53,890 for Don Samuels, who was backed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
Vermont is possibly poised to elect its first female member of Congress. CBS News projected Becca Balint will win the Democratic primary. Baliant was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, while retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy said voted for Lt. Gov. Molly Gray.
On the Republican side, Liam Madden won the Republican nomination, defeating two women, Ericka Redic and Anya Tynio.
Democratic Rep. Peter Welsch won the nomination for retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy’s seat.
