Live Election Updates: Polls Close in Maryland, West Virginia, and Nebraska, Key Senate Races Progress
Voters in West Virginia, Maryland, and Nebraska participated in state and presidential primaries with significant implications for the general election. Key Senate and House races were crucial in shaping the outcomes. Results showed wins for Biden and Trump in different states. Notable candidates and primaries garnered attention as the electoral landscape unfolded. Voters in West Virginia, Maryland, and Nebraska made their voices heard in pivotal state and presidential primaries that carry weight for the upcoming general election. Senate and House races played a vital role in determining the results, with notable victories for Biden and Trump in various states. Noteworthy candidates and competitive primaries captured widespread attention as the electoral scene evolved.
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
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.
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%.
Yet to be called: Three Democratic hopefuls are vying to replace Manchin, whose decision to retire decreased the party’s chances to hold on to the seat significantly. Don Blankenship, an ex-coal executive who was found guilty of violating safety standards following a 2010 coal mine explosion that killed 29 people, is among the candidates.
Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott, who has Manchin’s endorsement, and Zach Shrewsbury, who is supported by the Progressive Democrats of America, are also on the ballot.
House
1st District
Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) won the 1st Congressional 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. Moore defeated Derrick Evans, a former member of the House of Delegates who served a three-month sentence after livestreaming himself participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, who had 35.3% support.
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 Brigadier General 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.
Yet to be called: On the Democratic side, Rep. David Trone (D-MD) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks are going head-to-head for the party’s nomination.
House
Maryland has eight House seats on the ballot on Tuesday. Among them are three open seats that the Washington Examiner will be watching.
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.
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. ET, 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.
Races to watch
West Virginia
Governor
Six Republicans are running to replace Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV), who is term-limited and running in the state’s open Senate race. Among them is former state Rep. Moore Capito, the son of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who ran in West Virginia’s 2018 Senate race against Manchin.
Rep. Carol Miller’s (R-WV) son, car dealer Chris Miller, is also running for the governorship, as well as West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner.
On the Democratic side, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams is running unopposed.
Polls closed at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Maryland
House
Maryland has eight House seats on the ballot on Tuesday. Among them are three open seats that the Washington Examiner will be watching.
3rd District
Maryland’s 3rd District is up for grabs after Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) decided to not seek reelection. The race features 22 Democrats and nine Republicans.
Leading the pack on the Democratic side is former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who first gained the national spotlight for his service during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. He has received the endorsements of “Squad” member Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), among others.
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
Sixteen Democrats are vying for the opportunity to replace Trone, including former U.S. Commerce Department official April McClain Delaney and state Delegate Joe Vogel.
The Republican primary includes seven candidates, including former state Delegate Dan Cox and former state delegate Neil Parrott.
Cox previously ran for governor in 2022 against now-Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD), whereas Parrott has won the Republican nomination for the seat twice before.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Nebraska
Senate
Special Election for former Sen. Ben Sasse’s seat
The special election for former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse’s seat is on Tuesday. Sasse left his seat to become the president of the University of Florida last year. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) succeeded Sasse. The special election will decide who finishes out Sasse’s term, which ends in 2026.
Ricketts is facing John Glen Weaver and Mac Stevens in the primary.
On the Democratic side, Preston Love Jr., from North Omaha, is the only registered Democrat in the race and will face the winner of the GOP primary in November.
Sen. Deb Fischer’s (R-NE) seat
Fischer is seeking reelection for a third term in the upper chamber. She is facing Arron Kowalski, a rancher from Grand Island.
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House
2nd District
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) is running for reelection in Nebraska’s 2nd District in the GOP primary. He faces businessman Dan Frei, who previously ran an unsuccessful campaign against then-Rep. Lee Terry Jr. in 2014.
Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Nebraska voters will 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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