Election Results: Maryland, West Virginia, and Nebraska Primaries Set the Stage for November with Unexpected Twists
Voters in West Virginia, Maryland, and Nebraska participated in crucial state and presidential primaries on Tuesday. Maryland and West Virginia featured significant Senate races, while open House seats were also at stake. President Biden and former President Trump aimed to secure delegates for their parties’ conventions. Primary results showed key victories and notable challenges for both candidates.
Voters in West Virginia, Maryland, and Nebraska cast their ballots Tuesday in both state and presidential primaries in races that could have large implications for the general election.
In Maryland and West Virginia, two open Senate seats were among the most important races of the night, as the outcome of the primaries will set the field for the general election when control of the upper chamber will be decided.
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There are also several open House seats hanging in the balance. In Maryland, Rep. David Trone’s (D-MD) seat is open as he pursues retiring Sen. Ben Cardin’s (D-MD) seat. In West Virginia, Rep. Alex Mooney’s (R-WV) 2nd Congressional District seat is up for grabs as he hopes to flip the seat held by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will also be seeking to increase their number of delegates ahead of their party’s nominating conventions later this year. However, both candidates surpassed their parties’ thresholds to become the presumptive nominees shortly after Super Tuesday.
Eyes will be watching, however, to see if Biden or Trump lose sizable chunks of their voting bases in any of the primary contests. Biden has been plagued by “uncommitted” protest votes for his handling of the Israel-Hamas war throughout the primary cycle, whereas Trump has failed to bring in supporters of former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the primary race two months ago.
Results
West Virginia
President
Biden won the Democratic primary, with the Associated Press calling the race for the president at 7:44 p.m., 14 minutes after polls closed. Biden secured 82% of the vote with 4% of votes counted, while Democrat Jason Palmer had 6.9%, Democrat Stephen Lyons had 5.2%, and Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) had 3.5%.
There is no “uncommitted” or write-in option on the ballot.
Trump easily won West Virginia’s GOP primary at nearly 83% of the vote with 4% of the votes counted. The Associated Press called the race just 14 minutes after polls closed at 7:30 p.m. But Trump’s onetime rival, Haley, is pulling roughly 15% of the vote, more than two months after she dropped out of the 2024 race.
Governor
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who ran in West Virginia’s 2018 Senate race against Manchin, won the GOP primary for West Virginia’s governorship. The Associated Press called the race for Morrisey at 10:25 p.m., with Morrisey holding 33% of the vote with 92% counted.
Morrisey defeated former state Rep. Moore Capito, the son of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and four other Republicans for the nomination
On the Democratic side, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams ran unopposed. Moore and Williams will go face to face in November.
Polls closed at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Senate
Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) won the GOP primary for West Virginia’s Senate seat. The Associated Press called the race at 8:15 p.m., with Justice holding 61% of the vote with 11% of votes counted. Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV), Justice’s top rival, had 27.9%.
Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott, who has Manchin’s endorsement, won the Democratic primary, with the Associated Press calling the race at 10:46 p.m. Elliott won with 45.6% of the vote to Democrat Zach Shrewsbury’s 36%.
House
1st District
Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) won the 1st District’s GOP primary, with the Associated Press called the race for Miller at 9:03 p.m., an hour and a half after the polls closed in West Virginia.
With 60% of ballots counted, Miller led with 64.8% of the vote. Miller defeated Derrick Evans, who had 35.3% support. Evans, a former member of the House of Delegates, served a three-month sentence after livestreaming himself participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Yet to be called: Democrats also have two candidates to choose from: Jim Umberger, a Vietnam veteran, and Chris Reed, an educator.
2nd District
The Associated Press called the race for State Treasurer Riley Moore at 8:58 p.m., an hour and a half after the polls closed in West Virginia.
With 73% of ballots counted, Moore led with 45.6% of the vote. Moore defeated Joe Early, who had 19.7% of the vote, followed by retired Brig. Gen. Chris Walker with 14.1% of the vote, along with two lesser-known Republican candidates who appeared on the ballot.
Moore will face Democrat Steven Wendelin, who ran unopposed.
Maryland
President
Biden won Maryland’s Democratic primary with 84.6% with 0% of votes counted, while “uncommitted” received 10.9%. The Associated Press called the race at 8:27 p.m.
The #ListentoMaryland campaign organized a protest vote effort similar to the ones seen in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, among others.
The campaign is seeking to secure at least 15% of votes in a congressional district in order to receive an “Uncommitted” delegate to send to the Democratic convention. Phillips and author Marianne Williamson also appeared on the ballot.
Trump won the GOP primary, with the Associated Press calling the race at 8:27 p.m., nearly half an hour after the polls closed in Maryland. With just 1% of the ballots counted, Trump led Haley 79.1% to 20.9%, marking the second state on Tuesday where Haley is pulling in double digits.
A deep-blue stronghold, Biden is expected to win the Old Line State in November.
Senate
Maryland’s Senate race for Cardin’s seat has received increased attention following the entrance of former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan into the GOP primary.
Hogan won the GOP primary with 68% with about 24% of the ballots counted. The Associated Press called the race for Hogan at 8:38 p.m., a little more than a half-hour after the polls closed in Maryland.
On the Democratic side, Rep. David Trone (D-MD) was defeated by Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, with the Associated Press calling the race at 9:46 p.m. Alsobrooks won with 52.6% to Trone’s 43.4% with 38% of the votes counted. Trone spent millions on his campaign in his bid to win the Democratic nomination.
House
2nd District
In Maryland’s 2nd District, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. won the Democratic primary for Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger’s (D-MD) seat, defeating five other Democratic hopefuls. The Associated Press called the race for Olszewski at 8:41 p.m., with Olszewski holding 82.4% with 27% of votes counted.
Conservative talk radio host Kim Klacik won the Republican primary, with the Associated Press calling the race at 8:43 p.m. Klacik holds 65% with 22% of votes counted. Klacik defeated Army veteran and businessman John Thormann and businessman Dave Wallace.
3rd District
State Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth defeated former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn for the Democratic nomination in Maryland’s 3rd District. Dunn, who gained national attention after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, was expected to have an upper hand due to his name recognition.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:27 p.m., with Elfreth winning 36% of votes to Dunn’s 25.7% with 49% of votes counted.
Yet to be called: On the Republican side, Arthur Radford Baker, Jr., Ray Bly, Berney Flowers, Thomas E. “Pinkston” Harris, Jordan Mayo, Naveed Mian, Joshua M. Morales, John Rea, and Robert J. Steinberger are seeking the GOP nomination.
6th District
Former state Del. Neil Parrott won the GOP primary, beating out former state Del. Dan Cox, who previously ran for governor in 2022 against now-Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD). Parrott won with 49.6% of the vote with 47% counted. The Associated Press called the race at 10:02 p.m.
Former Commerce Department official April McClain Delaney won the Democratic primary, defeating state Del. Joe Vogel and 14 other Democrats for the nomination. The Associated Press called the race at 10:21 p.m., with Delaney holding 40% of the vote with 31% counted.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Nebraska
President
Trump handily won Nebraska’s GOP primary, with the Associated Press calling the race for the former president at 9:02 p.m. Eastern, just two minutes after polls closed. With 15% of the votes counted, Trump won 68.2% of the vote, while Haley won 29.3%, her highest share of the primary vote during Tuesday’s night primaries.
Biden won Nebraska’s Democratic primary, holding 94.2% of the vote with 46% counted. Phillips received 5.8%. The Associated Press called the race at 9:02 p.m.
There was no “uncommitted” option in Nebraska for the Democratic primary.
Nebraska is one of two states that splits its Electoral College votes, awarding electoral delegates proportionally, meaning that a strong showing from Biden in November could be pivotal to his reelection.
Senate
Sen. Deb Fischer’s (R-NE) seat
Fischer easily sailed to victory in the Republican primary after the Associated Press called the race for the incumbent senator at 8:10 p.m., just 10 minutes after the polls closed in Nebraska. Fischer leads with 79.4% of the vote with only about 18% of the ballots counted.
Special Election for former Sen. Ben Sasse’s seat
Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) won Nebraska’s special election to serve out former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse’s term. The Associated Press called the race at 9:10 p.m. Eastern with Ricketts receiving 75.5% of the vote with 17% of votes counted. His closest competitor, John Glen Weaver, received 15.9% at the time the race was called.
House
2nd District
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) won the GOP primary. The Associated Press called the race for Bacon at 9:23 p.m. Eastern, just 23 minutes after the polls closed in Nebraska. Bacon is leading with 70.2% of the vote with 40% of the ballots counted.
Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Nebraska voters also cast their ballots for the 1st and 3rd Districts, though both districts are considered solidly red and are likely to stay Republican.
Polls closed at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
Annabella Rosciglione and Rachel Schilke contributed to this story.
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