Key Insights from Tuesday’s Election Results in Five States

Primary elections in Kentucky, Georgia, Idaho, and Oregon and a special election in California proved to be a good night for some incumbents facing challengers from their own parties.

In Kentucky, Rep. Thomas Massie (R) easily won the GOP primary, fending off two Republican rivals, as did Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) who won a Democratic primary against two challengers. Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson (R) also survived GOP primary challengers.

Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis won a Democratic primary to continue on in her role. The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case Willis brought against former President Donald Trump last year also won election to a full term Tuesday night.

But in Oregon, progressive candidates were defeated by more mainstream Democrats in races that could determine control of the House. Results from left-leaning District Attorney Mike Schmidt’s primary challenge from Nathan Vasquez were pending. Meanwhile, a successor for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s old seat emerged.

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

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Fani Willis survives primary challenge

Fani Willis survived a Democratic primary for district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia against Christian Wise Smith. This is Willis’s second time defeating Smith after they faced off four years ago.

The Associated Press showed Willis winning with more than 87% of the vote compared to Smith’s nearly 13% of the vote.

Willis is currently prosecuting Trump over allegations that he attempted to overturn the 2020 race. Tuesday’s primary wins means that Willis will likely continue on prosecuting Trump for the time being after a scandalous relationship rocked the case.

Judge Scott McAfee ruled in March that Willis could continue on the case after allegations she was involved in a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor on the Trump case.

But McAfee added the caveat that Wade would have to leave the case for Willis to continue. Wade showed up to Willis’s victory party, surprising some guests.

Willis will still have to contend with the Georgia Court of Appeals agreeing to a review from Trump’s team over whether Willis can keep her job as the top prosecutor against Trump.

She will face Republican Courtney Kramer in the general election in the fall.

Georgia incumbent judges keep seats

Fulton County Superior Court Judge McAfee won the nonpartisan election to retain his seat against Robert Patillo, a civil rights lawyer and radio show host.

According to the Associated Press McAfee won more than 83% of the vote while Patillo pulled nearly 17% of the vote.

McAfee is overseeing the case Willis brought against Trump in Fulton County and will continue to do so after winning election. He is set to serve another four years beginning in January.

Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA), who appointed the incumbent judge in 2022, and former Georgia Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes both endorsed McAfee in his election.

Incumbent Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson also won his reelection bid against former Democratic Rep. John Barrow.

Barrow had campaigned heavily on abortion, an issue that has been successful for Democrats, but it wasn’t enough to thwart Pinson who won 55% of the vote compared to Barrow’s 45%.

Protest votes continue against Biden

Both Biden and Trump won their presidential primaries in Kentucky easily with the Associated Press calling the race for the candidates as soon as polls closed at 7 p.m. ET.

However, nearly 18% of Democrats opted to vote “uncommitted” in Kentucky’s primary with 98% of votes counted, a major snub of Biden, who won 71.3% of the vote.

Meanwhile, more than 6% of Republicans opted to vote for Nikki Haley in the primary despite the former South Carolina governor dropping out of the race more than two months ago.

Trump won nearly 85% of the vote in Kentucky’s GOP primary.

In Oregon, Biden again won the Democratic primary at nearly 89% of the vote with 32% of votes counted while 5% of voters chose to write-in a candidate.

Oregon progressives had a bad night

Oregon progressives in the 3rd and 5th Congressional Districts lost their primary races against moderate Democrats Tuesday night.

Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum defeated Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner, a progressive attorney, in the 5th Congressional District primary.

The Associated Press called the race for Bynum nearly 40 minutes after polls closed at 11 p.m. ET. With 48% of ballots counted, Bynum led McLeod-Skinner 70%-30%.

Democrats are itching to flip the seat back from Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer who defeated McLeod-Skinner during the 2022 midterms.

Over in Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District Susheela Jayapal, the older sister of Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), lost the Democratic primary to Maxine Dexter.

The Associated Press called the race within an hour of polls closing with Dexter winning 53.2% of the vote and Jayapal winning 25.1% with 37% of ballots counted.

Jayapal had been targeted by American Israel Public Affairs Committee over fears she would have the same views as her sister, who has called for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas battle.

Incumbents House members defeat challengers

Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) handily won the Democratic primary for Georgia’s redrawn 6th Congressional District against Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson and state Rep. Mandisha Thomas.

A little over 30 minutes after polls closed at 7 p.m. ET, the Associated Press called the race for McBath, who won nearly 85% of the vote.

She will face Republican Jeff Criswell who ran uncontested in the GOP primary.

Over in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, the 78-year-old Rep. David Scott (D) defeated six challengers to win the Democratic primary.

Scott won nearly 58% of the vote with 93% of the ballots counted, according to the Associated Press, who called the race at 9:46 p.m. ET, more than two hours after polls closed.

Scott’s win may be a good sign for Biden who has also faced accusations that he is too old for another four years in office.

Scott will face Republican Jonathan Chavez, who won the GOP primary, in November.

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) won the GOP primary for Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District fending off Republicans Scott Cleveland and Sean Higgins.

With 60% of votes counted, Simpson pulled in nearly 57% of the vote, a comfortable lead over Cleveland at nearly 34% and Higgins at 9.3%.

Rep. Thomas Massie wins GOP primary against challengers

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) easily defeated Republicans Eric Deters and Michael McGinnis in Kentucky’s GOP primary for the 4th Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race in Massie’s favor, at nearly 76% of the vote, 11 minutes after polls closed at 7 p.m. ET.

Deters followed in second place at nearly 13% of the vote and McGinnis at 11.5% of the vote.

Massie bucked GOP leadership by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) during the Republican presidential primary and pushed for the ouster of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) earlier this month. But despite these efforts, Kentucky voters opted for the incumbent rather than the Republican challengers.

Victor emerges in battle to replace Kevin McCarthy

California state Assemblyman Vince Fong won the runoff primary in California to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s seat defeating Tulare Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, 60.5% to 39.5%.

Fong was McCarthy’s handpicked successor and former staffer who will likely carry on the former House Speaker’s legacy while he serves the remainder of McCarthy’s term through January.

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Current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is sure to welcome another Republican in the House as the GOP faces slim margins, forcing him to rely on Democrats to pass major legislation.

As of now, there are 217 Republicans in the House but when Fong is sworn in it becomes 218 Republicans compared to 213 Democrats.