Key Points from Nebraska, Maryland, and West Virginia Primary Election Results

In West Virginia, Republicans chose Gov. Jim Justice for the GOP Senate primary to replace retiring Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), a key pickup seat that will help flip control from Democrats in the upper chamber.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is struggling to unite the GOP behind his presidency as former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s trend of racking up votes in Republican primary contests continued in West Virginia, Nebraska, and Maryland, despite Haley having exited the 2024 race more than two months ago.

Here are the Washington Examiner‘s five takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries.

Money can’t buy a Maryland Senate seat

Rep. David Trone (D-MD) was defeated by a significant margin on Tuesday when voters chose Alsobrooks as the Democratic Senate nominee in a 54% to 41.9% vote.

Trone had invested more than $60 million of his personal fortune as co-owner of Total Wine & More into his campaign but still came up short in the Democratic primary.

“The lesson I think we have learned over the past few years is that candidate quality matters, and to me, Alsobrooks was just the better candidate,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT).

The three-term member of Congress was no match for Alsobrooks who was backed by the majority of Maryland’s congressional delegation.

“Well, I know something about what it means to run against a billionaire,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), who successfully defeated incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) during a 2021 runoff race.

Trone’s wealth would have been a likely help to Democrats who are defending at least two vulnerable senators, however, Alsobrooks appears poised to gain financial support from allied groups.

“I’m sure she will raise the money she needs to win,” added Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) about Alsobrooks.

Alsobrooks is aiming to become the third black woman elected to the Senate and Maryland’s first black senator if she prevails against Hogan in November.

Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics rates the race as “Likely Democratic.”

Jan. 6 officer and defendant both lose their primaries

Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV), who represents West Virginia’s 1st District, survived a primary challenge from Derrick Evans, who served a three-month prison sentence after livestreaming himself during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Riot.

Evans, running to the right of Miller, was endorsed by House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good but was no match for the incumbency power of Miller, who won 63% to 37%.

Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn lost the Democratic primary in Maryland’s 3rd District to State Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth in a race that featured 22 Democrats running.

Despite receiving the backing of high-profile Democratic leaders, including Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elfreth won the race over Dunn, 35.4% to 24.9%.

Elfreth’s victory was a sign of success for United Democracy Project, the super PAC of AIPAC, which invested $4 million to boost the state senator over Dunn.

Nikki Haley has staying power

Trump may have long clinched the GOP presidential nomination, but Haley remains a thorn in his reelection bid.

Haley won 20% of the Maryland GOP primary, compared to Trump’s 80%. In ruby-red Nebraska, Haley won nearly 18% of the vote while Trump won 80.2% of the vote.

Haley won just a little over 9% of the vote in West Virginia as Trump won 88.4%, a sign that even in friendlier Trump-territory Republicans are still choosing to snub the former president.

The two former rivals have not spoken since Haley dropped out of the race the day after Super Tuesday but there remains pressure for the two leaders to unite before the election.

“This is going to be a very close election. And I think in order for President Trump and Republicans to be successful, we have to be a united party,” Eric Tanenblatt, a Haley fundraiser, told the Washington Examiner.

“There’s no doubt that Nikki Haley continues to play an outsized role in the direction of the Republican Party,” a former Haley staffer added. “It’s smart of her to continue to keep these donors close. If Donald Trump wants to win in November, he’ll need the Haley Coalition on his side.”

Family ties were on full display in West Virginia

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito‘s (R-WV) familial dynasty had mixed results in West Virginia Tuesday night as her son, former state Rep. Moore Capito, lost his gubernatorial primary to Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.

Morrisey’s victory blocked the younger Capito from a seat held by his grandfather, the late Republican Gov. Arch Moore. Chris Miller, the son of Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) came in third place at 20.6%.

Club for Growth and its affiliated super PAC spent more than $13 million in the costly primary, emerging victorious with Morrisey.

In West Virginia’s 2nd District, however, State Treasurer Riley Moore, the nephew of Capito, won the GOP primary, defeating Joe Early, 45% to 20.3%. Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) vacated House District 2 to run for Senate but lost the primary to Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV).

GOP gets their candidate to succeed Manchin

Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) prevailed in the GOP Senate primary to replace outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).

Manchin’s seat is one of the top targets the GOP is hoping to flip in November to retake control of the Senate.

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Justice easily prevailed in the primary at nearly 62% of the vote, more than 30 percentage points over the second-place contender, Mooney, at 26.6%. Mooney was backed by Club for Growth but lost anyway.

Manchin is backing Democratic nominee Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott but Justice is the heavy favorite to win.

Ramsey Touchberry contributed to this story.