Daily Brew: A primer on last night’s primaries

June 13, 2018

Corey Stewart wins Virginia Senate primary to face incumbent Tim Kaine (D) + Henry McMaster and John Warren to advance to runoff   Click here for a full list of yesterday's results   Corey Stewart wins Virginia Senate primary to face incumbent Tim Kaine (D) Prince William County Supervisor Corey Stewart defeated state Del. Nick Freitas by less than 2 percentage points to win the Virginia Senate Republican primary. Minister E.W. Jackson finished third. Stewart tied himself closely to President Donald Trump and said he would run a “vicious, ruthless campaign” against Kaine. He lost the 2017 Republican gubernatorial primary to Ed Gillespie by about 1 percentage point. Learn more         Henry McMaster and John Warren to advance to runoff in South Carolina gubernatorial Republican primary Incumbent Henry McMaster (R) and businessman John Warren (R) were the top two finishers in the Republican primary for governor of South Carolina. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote, McMaster and Warren will advance to a June 26 runoff. McMaster, who is running for his first full term in office after succeeding Nikki Haley (R) in January 2017, was the first statewide official in South Carolina to endorse Donald Trump's presidential bid and was in turn the first gubernatorial candidate in a 2018 election endorsed by Trump. Warren, a businessman and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, has contributed $3 million to his own campaign and emphasizes his background in his run. Learn more→ Democratic candidate distances himself from Pelosi in special election ad Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor (D) released his first campaign ad for the special election in Ohio's 12th Congressional District, calling for a change in congressional leadership from both House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). He follows a tactic used by now-Rep. Conor Lamb (D) in his successful special election bid for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. When incumbent Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R) resigned from office in January 2018, the seat became open for the first time in 18 years. Although a Republican has represented the district since 1983, the timing of the special election—on August 7, 2018—and increased turnout in the Columbus suburbs could lead to a competitive race, according to Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections. The Congressional Leadership Fund is wading into the general election to keep this seat red, spending $165,000 on an ad buy for state Sen. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) airing this week. Vice President Mike Pence (R) is also hosting a fundraiser for Balderson on Friday. Learn more→ California ballot initiative intended to divide the state into three is certified The secretary of state's office certified signatures for the ballot initiative, making the measure eligible to appear on the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018. Learn more→