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Ballotpedia's Top 50 state legislative primaries, 2018
From Ballotpedia
| 2018 Elections | |
|---|---|
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Updated September 20, 2018
This page lists 50 Democratic and Republican state legislative primaries to remember from 2018. Elections were chosen based on a number of factors, including competitiveness, ideological conflict between party factions, notable incumbent losses, and relationships to larger trends across the country like the early 2018 statewide teacher strikes. They are ordered by the date of the primary.
- Click here to see the top 25 Democratic primaries.
- Click here to see the top 25 Republican primaries.
Know of a primary you think should be included? Email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
For more on 2018 state legislative primary elections, see:
- Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 8, 2018
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2018
Top 25 state legislative Democratic primaries
1. Texas House District 46 (March 6, 2018)
- State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, who was first elected in 1994, did not advance to the runoff after drawing five challengers. She was charged with public corruption in 2017 and dropped out of the race before later reentering. Sheryl Cole won the primary to replace her.
2. Texas House District 116 (March 6, 2018)
- Former incumbent Trey Martinez Fischer defeated his replacement, state Rep. Diana Arevalo. Fischer represented the seat from 2001 to 2016, when he left to run for state Senate unsuccessfully. Fischer emphasized his ability to obstruct Republican policies, while Arevalo highlighted her attention to constituent services.
3. Illinois Senate District 8 (March 20, 2018)
- Sen. Ira Silverstein, the former Democratic caucus chairman, was defeated by Ram Villivalam after Silverstein was publicly accused of sexual harassment by a lobbyist. He was cleared by an official investigation after denying the charges.
4. North Carolina House District 11 (May 8, 2018)
- State Rep. Duane Hall was defeated by Allison Dahle after being accused of sexual misconduct earlier in the year. He had previously served as a leader in the House Democratic Caucus.
5. Ohio House District 13 (May 8, 2018)
- Michael Skindell defeated Tom Bullock in the race to replace state Rep. Nickie Antonio. The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party backed Bullock, while the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus endorsed Skindell.
6. Oregon Senate District 24 (May 15, 2018)
- State Sen. Rod Monroe was defeated by former state Rep. Shemia Fagan. Fagan criticized Monroe, who was first elected in 1976, for his opposition to rent controls and his support for no cause evictions.
7. Pennsylvania House District 21 and District 34 (May 15, 2018)
- Democratic Socialists of America members Summer Lee and Sara Innamorato defeated incumbents (and cousins) Paul Costa and Dominic Costa, respectively, in primaries for Pittsburgh-area House seats.[1]
8. California Assembly District 15 (June 5, 2018)
- In the race to replace state Asm. Tony Thurmond, former Barack Obama aide Buffy Wicks and Richmond City Councilwoman Jovanka Beckles advanced from the top-two primary and competed in the general election. While Obama endorsed Wicks after the primary, Beckles emphasized that she was the local candidate who knew the community best.
9. California Assembly District 58 (June 5, 2018)
- Incumbent state Asw. Cristina Garcia advanced from the top-two primary after drawing several six Democratic challengers. Garcia had been a national leader in the #MeToo movement until several of her former male staffers accused her of sexual harassment. Groups like the State Building and Construction Trades Council began opposing her re-election after the reports.
10. California Senate District 32 (June 5, 2018)
- Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza unsuccessfully ran for his former seat after resigning in February over sexual harassment allegations. He said he was unfairly forced to resign and blamed the political ambition of his former roommate and U.S. Senate candidate, state Sen. Kevin de Leon (D). Rita Topalian (R) and Bob Archuleta (D) beat out Mendoza in the top-two primary.
11. New Mexico House District 41 (June 5, 2018)
- Incumbent Debbie Rodella lost to Susan Herrera, who attacked Rodella for her past opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun regulations.
12. Colorado House District 9 (June 26, 2018)
- Incumbent Paul Rosenthal was denied a spot on the primary ballot by the Democratic district committee after being accused of sexual misconduct. In the open primary for his seat, Emily Sirota, who was backed by Bernie Sanders, defeated Ashley Wheeland, who was backed by Democratic Party of Colorado leaders.
13. Alabama House District 78 (July 17, 2018)
- State Rep. Alvin Holmes, who was first elected in 1974, was defeated by Kirk Hatcher in the primary. Hatcher ran on a message of new leadership and doing more for the economically disadvantaged districts.[2]
14. Tennessee Senate District 33 (August 2, 2018)
- Incumbent Reginald Tate lost to nurse Katrina Robinson, who was backed by Senate Democratic leaders opposing Tate for voting with Republicans on some issues. Tate received Republican endorsements and argued that he put his constituents over his party.
15. Missouri Senate District 4 (August 7, 2018)
- Incumbent Jacob Hummel was defeated by challenger Karla May despite Hummell's alliance with labor unions in St. Louis.
16. Washington Senate District 35 (August 7, 2018)
- Irene Bowling challenged incumbent Tim Sheldon, who caucused with Republicans and gave them the majority after the 2016 elections even though Democrats won more seats. Bowling won the top-two primary by 4 percentage points, setting the two up to face one another again in the general election.
17. Massachusetts House Nine Suffolk District (September 4, 2018)
- State Rep. Byron Rushing, the fourth highest-ranking Democratic in the state House, was defeated by Jon Santiago.
18. Massachusetts House Fifteenth Suffolk District (September 4, 2018)
- Nika Elugardo defeated state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez. Elugardo ran to Sanchez's left and criticized him for being too close to House Speaker Robert DeLeo.
19. Rhode Island House District 3 (September 12, 2018)
- The state Democratic Party originally endorsed Michael Earnheart over state Rep. Moira Walsh, who clashed with party leaders due to her support for legalized abortion. The state party withdrew its endorsement after learning Earnhart supported Donald Trump in 2016. Walsh won the primary.
20. Rhode Island Senate District 30 (September 12, 2018)
- The state Democratic Party endorsed Mark McKenney in his successful primary challenge of incumbent Jeanine Calkin, a progressive first-term senator who clashed with the state party on social issues.
21. New York Senate District 13 (September 13, 2018)
- Former Bill de Blasio staffer Jessica Ramos defeated former state Sen. Jose Peralta, a former member of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC). From 2012 to 2018, Peralta and the IDC caucused with Senate Republicans and helped them keep control of the chamber.
22. New York Senate District 18 (September 13, 2018)
- Democratic Socialists of America member Julia Salazar drew media attention in her successful challenge of state Sen. Martin Malave Dilan. Her campaign focused on housing costs in Brooklyn and was endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
23. New York Senate District 20 (September 13, 2018)
- Attorney Zellnor Myrie defeated former IDC state Sen. Jesse Hamilton.
24. New York Senate District 31 (September 13, 2018)
- Former New York City Councilman Robert Jackson defeated former IDC state Sen. Marisol Alcantara.
25. New York Senate District 34 (September 13, 2018)
- Former Hillary Clinton campaign staffer Alessandra Biaggi defeated former IDC leader Jeff Klein. Klein spent about $3 million on the primary while Biaggi spent about $200,000.
Top 25 state legislative Republican primaries
1. Texas House District 114 (March 6, 2018)
- Lisa Luby Ryan defeated incumbent state Rep. Jason Villalba, an ally of House Speaker Joe Straus who criticized Donald Trump during and after the 2016 presidential election.
2. Texas House District 134 (March 6, 2018)
- State Rep. Sarah Davis fended off a primary challenge from Susanna Dokupil, who was endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Davis was an ally of House Speaker Joe Straus and was referred to by political observers as the state's most independent Republican. Several of her colleagues, including members of the Texas Freedom Caucus, backed Dokupil.
3. Texas Senate District 8 (March 6, 2018)
- Angela Paxton, the wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, defeated Phillip Huffines, the brother of state Sen. Donald Huffines, in the race to replace state Sen. Van Taylor. The candidates spent more than $10 million, making it the most expensive Texas state Senate primary ever.
4. Texas Senate District 30 (March 6, 2018)
- State Rep. Pat Fallon defeated incumbent Craig Estes, one of the last Senate Republicans who occasionally broke with Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick and supported policies supported by House Speaker Joe Straus. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, and Patrick all endorsed Fallon.
5. Texas Senate District 31 (March 6, 2018)
- Despite well-funded opposition from challengers Mike Canon and Victor Leal, state Sen. Kel Seliger avoided a runoff in his Texas Panhandle district. Seliger, who was endorsed by Joe Straus, drew opposition from conservative groups after he opposed Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick on education funding and property taxes.
6. Illinois House District 109 (March 20, 2018)
- Incumbent David Reis was defeated by Darren Bailey, who had the support of Republican activist Dan Proft and his Liberty Principles PAC. Reis was the only Republican who supported the 2017 Democratic state budget plan to lose in the primaries. Nine of the other Republican budget supporters did not file for re-election and four won their primaries.
7. Indiana Senate District 29 (May 8, 2018)
- State Sen. Mike Delph fended off a primary challenge from former Carmel Redevelopment Director Corrie Meyer. Business groups endorsed Meyer while socially conservative groups endorsed Delph.
8. North Carolina Senate District 39 (May 8, 2018)
- State Sen. Dan Bishop defeated businesswoman Beth Monaghan, who challenged Bishop due to his sponsorship of HB 2 in 2016. HB 2 required individuals to use the bathroom that corresponded with the gender listed on their birth certificate and limited municipalities' abilities to pass ordinances related to non-discrimination and the minimum wage.
9. Ohio House District 51 (May 8, 2018)
- Incumbent Wes Retherford was defeated by Sara Carruthers. Their matchup was part of a larger struggle between opposing House Speaker candidates Larry Householder and Ryan Smith, with Retherford backing Smith and Carruthers backing Householder. Pro-Householder candidates won 15 primaries while pro-Smith candidates won three.
10. Ohio House District 98 (May 8, 2018)
- Brett Hudson Hillyer narrowly defeated Shane Gunnoe. After a recount, it was determined Hillyer won by 12 votes. Hillyer supported Larry Householder for House Speaker while Gunnoe supported Ryan Smith.
11. West Virginia Senate District 11 (May 8, 2018)
- Incumbent Robert Karnes was defeated by state Del. Bill Hamilton in the primary. Hamilton was endorsed by the West Virginia Education Association, which played a role in statewide teacher walkouts earlier in the year. Karnes criticized the teacher walkouts.
12. Idaho House District 34 (May 15, 2018)
- State Rep. Ronald Nate was defeated by Doug Ricks. Nate had come into conflict with House Republican leaders and Gov. Butch Otter (R) because he believed their policies were not conservative enough.
13. Georgia House District 6 (May 22, 2018)
- State Rep. Matt Gurtler fended off a primary challenge from Mickey Cummings, a local farmers market manager. State House Speaker David Ralston (R) and other Republican leaders opposed Gurtler for voting against Republican-sponsored bills he believed were insufficiently conservative.
14. Kentucky House District 71 (May 22, 2018)
- Teacher R. Travis Brenda defeated state House Majority Leader Jonathan Shell, an ally of U.S. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Brenda campaigned against cuts to teacher salaries and education funding months after Kentucky teachers went on a statewide strike.
15. California Assembly District 26 (June 5, 2018)
- Asm. Devon Mathis finished first in a closely contested top-two primary, beating the next highest Republican opponent by about 2 percentage points. Mathis was targeted in his primary due to his support for a Democrat-backed cap and trade bill in 2017 and sexual misconduct allegations against him, which he denied. He faced a Democrat in the general election.
16. California Assembly District 42 (June 5, 2018)
- Former Assembly Minority Leader Chad Mayes advanced from the top-two primary, beating out two Republican challengers. Mayes was ousted as the GOP leader in August 2017 for supporting Democrat-backed cap-and-trade legislation. Afterward, he started New Way California, a moderate Republican organization supported by former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R).
17. Colorado District 47 (June 26, 2018)
- State Rep. Judy Reyher was defeated by Don Bendell after she had made negative remarks about black people and Muslims on social media.
18. Oklahoma House District 20 (June 26, 2018)
- School administrator Sherrie Conley advanced to a runoff with incumbent Bobby Cleveland and then defeated him in the runoff on August 28. Cleveland had opposed a tax increase meant to boost education funding and teacher salaries. The legislature passed the tax increase right before teachers across the state went on strike in early 2018.
19. Oklahoma House District 65 (June 26, 2018)
- Incumbent Scooter Park was defeated by middle school teacher Toni Hasenbeck. Park had supported the bill to raise taxes to pay for increases in education funding and teacher salaries.
20. Kansas House District 75 (August 7, 2018)
- Incumbent Mary Martha Good was defeated by former state Rep. Will Carpenter. Like many of the Kansas state House primaries, the incumbent, Good, supported the repeal of Gov. Sam Brownback's (R) 2012 tax cuts while the challenger, Carpenter, supported the tax cuts. Good was one of six anti-tax cut incumbents to lose their primaries.
21. Kansas House District 104 (August 7, 2018)
- Paul Waggoner defeated incumbent Steven Becker by nine votes. Waggoner supported the repeal of the 2012 Brownback tax cuts while Becker opposed the repeal.
22. Alaska House District 15 (August 21, 2018)
- State Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, one of three Republicans who broke away from the mainline GOP caucus after the 2016 elections and joined a Democratic-led majority coalition, narrowly defeated Aaron Weaver in the primary. Weaver led LeDoux on election night but fell behind after absentee ballots were counted. The state GOP backed Weaver over LeDoux, but Weaver did not seriously campaign or raise any money after January 2018.
23. Alaska House District 25 (August 21, 2018)
- State House minority leader Charisse Millett was defeated by Josh Revak.
24. Alaska House District 32 (August 21, 2018)
- State Rep. Louise Stutes, one of three Republicans who broke away from the mainline GOP caucus after the 2016 elections, defeated primary challenger Rich Walker, who was backed by the state Republican Party.
25. Arizona House District 5 (August 28, 2018)
- State Rep. Paul Mosley did not advance from his primary, losing out to two Republican challengers. Mosely received media attention in July when a camera recording showed him saying that legislative immunity allowed him to avoid paying traffic tickets.
Footnotes
