Heart of the Primaries, Democrats-Special Edition 10 (August 15, 2018)
In this special post-primary edition: Evers will be fourth Democratic gubernatorial nominee to face Wisconsin Gov. Walker (R) since 2010, Ellison wins nearly 50 percent to secure MN-AG nomination, and ironworker Randy Bryce will compete for seat held by outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan (R).
Here are the results of the Aug. 14 primaries so far.
Connecticut
Lamont wins Connecticut Democratic gubernatorial nomination
Businessman Ned Lamont (D) defeated Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim (D) to win the Democratic gubernatorial nomination 81.2 to 18.8 percent.
Lamont, who ran unsuccessfully for governor and U.S. Senate in the past, won the state party’s endorsement at its annual convention. He emphasized economic policy, including job creation, education, and infrastructure.
Ganim is in his sixth term as mayor of Bridgeport. Ganim referred to his re-election as mayor following his release from federal prison, where he served seven years on charges of racketeering, bribery, and extortion, as a factor inspiring his run for governor. His emphasized education spending and urban development.
Lamont faces businessman Republican nominee Bob Stefanowski (R) in the November general election. Incumbent Dan Malloy (D) is not seeking a third term.
Hayes beats state Democratic Party-backed candidate in CT-05
2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes defeated former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman in Connecticut's 5th Congressional District Democratic primary. Hayes won over 62 percent of the vote. The state party supported Glassman, while progressive groups like the Working Families Party backed Hayes.
The day before the Aug. 14 primary, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Glassman, saying she "has a clear vision to champion free trade.” According to the Daily Kos, this was the first time the U.S. Chamber endorsed a candidate in a Democratic primary since it backed U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) in 2010. Glassman supported keeping the Affordable Care Act over moving to a single-payer healthcare system.
Hayes supported single-payer health care and talked about growing up in poverty on the campaign trail. Hayes said she was the political outsider in the race, and emphasized she would be the first black Democrat elected to Congress from Connecticut. The Congressional Black Caucus, the state AFL-CIO, and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) also endorsed Hayes.
Hillary Clinton won the District over Donald Trump by 4.1 percentage points in 2016, making it one of Connecticut's most closely contested districts. However, election forecasters see the House race as safely Democratic.
Bysiewicz joins Lamont on Democratic gubernatorial ticket in Connecticut
Longtime Connecticut politician Susan Bysiewicz defeated labor organizer Eva Bermudez Zimmerman in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. With 97 percent of precincts reporting, Bysiewicz won 62 percent of the vote.
The two candidates came from different wings of the party. Bermudez Zimmerman, who supported Bernie Sanders in 2016, said she represented young, working-class minorities seeking to increase their clout in the Democratic Party. Clinton supporter Bysiewicz said she held similar policy positions to Bermudez Zimmerman and that her experience as a legislator and secretary of state had prepared her for the office.
Our Revolution, the Connecticut branches of the AFL-CIO and the Working Families Party, and more than 20 state legislators endorsed Bermudez Zimmerman. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ned Lamont (D) and more than 60 local officials and state legislators supported Bysiewicz.
Minnesota
Walz wins Democratic nomination over party-endorsed Murphy
Rep. Tim Walz (D) won the Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating four other candidates including party-endorsed state Rep. Erin Murphy (D). With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Walz has 41.7 percent of the vote to Murphy's 32.1 percent.
Walz has represented Minnesota's Republican-leaning 1st Congressional District since 2007. Among his backers was the state’s largest labor union, Education Minnesota.
Murphy has served in the state House since 2006 and in Democratic leadership since 2013. She won the endorsement of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) at its annual convention. Her other endorsements included the AFSCME and the state branch of the SEIU.
The only other candidate to receive more than 5 percent of the vote was Lori Swanson (D), who filed for the gubernatorial seat after the DFL declined to endorse her for a fourth term as state attorney general.
The three had clashed on firearms regulations, with Murphy criticizing her opponents for having received "A" ratings from the National Rifle Association in previous elections. Walz highlighted his current "F" rating from the NRA and called for universal background checks and the treating gun violence as a public health issue. Walz said his background as a veteran and sportsman uniquely positioned to draw support for stricter gun regulations. Swanson pointed to actions she had taken as attorney general, including a lawsuit challenging the legality of blueprints for 3D printing firearms.
According to unofficial figures provided by the state, nearly 875,000 voters participated in the state’s primaries—the highest turnout in a non-presidential primary since 1994.
Walz faces GOP nominee Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson (R) in the November general election.
Ellison wins DFL nomination for Minnesota's AG seat
Rep. Keith Ellison (D) defeated four opponents for the DFL attorney general nomination, earning nearly 50 percent of the vote.
A late entry into the race, Ellison campaigned with the support of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), and the endorsement of 1984 presidential nominee Walter Mondale (D). Ellison, the nation’s first Muslim congressman, said he could do more as attorney general to oppose the Trump administration than he could in Congress.
Absent from the list of contenders was the incumbent, Lori Swanson (D), who bowed out of the race at the party convention and chose instead to run for the DFL gubernatorial nomination. The DFL endorsed attorney Matt Pelikan (D) at the convention after Swanson's departure.
Former Ramsey County Attorney Tom Foley (D), state Rep. Debra Hilstrom (D), and Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce Mike Rothman (D) also ran for the nomination.
Foley, Hilstrom, and Pelikan called on Ellison to address accusations of abuse in the days leading up to the primary. Ellison denied any misconduct. More than 100,000 absentee votes were cast before the allegations were published on social media.
Smith defeats Painter in Democratic primary for Minnesota Senate special election
Incumbent Sen. Tina Smith (D) defeated former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter in the special Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Smith led Painter by more than 60 percentage points.
Smith was appointed to replace Al Franken (D), who resigned in January due to sexual harassment allegations. Rep. Keith Ellison (D) described Smith as “a progressive champion.”
Painter, a longtime Republican who served as an ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, referred to Donald Trump's (R) policies as autocratic. He said one reason he ran as a Democrat was that Republicans critical of Trump were not welcome to run for federal office in that party.
Smith faces state Sen. Karin Housley (R) in the general election.
Without DFL endorsement, Radinovich wins MN-08 Democratic primary
Joe Radinovich (D), a former state representative and campaign manager to departing incumbent Rep. Rick Nolan (D), defeated four other Democratic candidates in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District primary. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Radinovich had 44 percent of the vote.
No candidate received the necessary 60 percent of the vote to earn the DFL endorsement at its April convention. Former FBI analyst Leah Phifer (D) and Radinovich were the remaining candidates on the final ballot, but neither could breach the 60 percent barrier.
Phifer withdrew from the race several days later, narrowing the field to Radinovich, North Branch Mayor Kirsten Hagen Kennedy (D), former news anchor Michelle Lee (D), state Rep. Jason Metsa (D), and Soren Christian Sorensen.
This district is seen as critical for Democrats to retake control of the U.S. House. Although Nolan won the District in 2016, Donald Trump carried it by 15 percentage points over Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama won the 8th by 6 points in 2012.
Omar wins DFL nomination in MN-05
Ilhan Omar (D) won the 5th Congressional District Democratic primary. The seat opened when incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison (D) announced his bid for state attorney general rather than running for re-election in the safely-Democratic District.
At a special party convention June 17, the DFL endorsed state Rep. Ilhan Omar (D), the first Somali-American lawmaker in the U.S. Omar emphasized her opposition to President Donald Trump's (R) immigration policies citing her experience as a refugee. Omar won 48.2 percent of the vote.
The runner-up was former state House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D) with 30.4 percent. Kelliher campaigned on her legislative experience and the statewide name recognition she earned in a closely contested loss in the 2010 gubernatorial primary.
State Sen. Patricia Torres Ray (D) earned 13 percent of the vote. Jamal Abdulahi (D), Bobby Joe Champion (D), and Frank Drake (D) also appeared on the ballot.
Wisconsin
Evers wins Democratic gubernatorial nomination
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers (D) won the Democratic nomination with 41.7 percent of the vote. Second place finisher Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, had 16.4 percent.
Evers was among 10 candidates seeking the nomination. Most polls showed Evers leading the race, and he said his three statewide wins showed he was the candidate best-suited to challenge incumbent Gov. Scott Walker (R). Evers' endorsers included former Sen. Herb Kohl (D) and former Reps. Steve Kagan (D) and Dave Obey (D).
Mitchell has support from the Wisconsin branches of the AFL-CIO and the SEIU. He said his activities with organized labor, including his role in protests opposed to the budgetary measure known as Act 10, gave him the experience necessary to defeat Walker.
Former state Rep. Kelda Roys (D), who was minority caucus chair in the state Legislature, was the only other candidate to receive more than 10 percent of the vote. Roys had endorsements from EMILY's List, NARAL, and Demand Universal Healthcare. Roys said her experience as an attorney and small-business owner before entering politics would give her the edge against Walker.
According to unofficial state figures, nearly 950,000 voters participated in the primaries. The 21 percent turnout was the highest for any non-presidential Wisconsin primary since 2002.
Ironworker Bryce wins Democratic nomination to succeed Paul Ryan
Ironworker Randy Bryce (D) won the Democratic nomination for retiring House Speaker Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R) 1st District seat. Bryce defeated teacher Cathy Myers' (D) 59.6 percent to 40.4 percent.
Both Bryce and Myers said their strategy to win the general election was to encourage Democratic turnout and winning votes from Trump supporters. Both called for a $15 minimum wage and Medicare-for-all.
Bryce’s 2017 campaign launch attracted national attention from political observers who said his messaging was a model for Democrats seeking to appeal to Trump voters.
Bryce had a six-to-one fundraising lead over Myers and secured endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), nine U.S. House members, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, Justice Democrats, the United Auto Workers, and the Wisconsin branch of the AFL-CIO.
Myers said Bryce would not win a general election because of his record of nine arrests, including a 1998 arrest for driving while intoxicated. Bryce also pointed to allegations that Bryce had fallen behind on child support payments.
Bryce faces former Ryan staffer Bryan Steil (R) and independent candidate Ken Yorgan in the November general election. Two outlets rate the contest "Leans Republican" and a third rates it a "Toss-up.”
Special guest analysis: Minnesota primary results, 2018
Barry Casselman has covered national politics and public policy issues since 1972. Click here for more from his blog, The Prairie Editor.
The tumultuous Minnesota 2018 primaries, marked at the end by last-minute candidate filings and, in two major races, by controversial allegations, produced only one major upset.
The upset came in the Republican primary for governor where GOP-endorsed candidate Jeff Johnson defeated the better-known former Governor Tim Pawlenty who polls had shown was ahead. Johnson ran an energetic campaign with much less money than Pawlenty had, and asserted he was the only true supporter of President Trump in the race, citing an earlier criticism of candidate Trump in 2016. Trump endorsed neither candidate, but his support remains strong in many areas outside Minneapolis and St, Paul.
Retiring Democratic (DFL) Rep. Tim Walz won his party’s nomination for governor, defeating DFL-endorsed state Rep. Erin Murphy and retiring state Attorney General Lori Swanson, who had entered the race at the last moment, and had led in polls. A late controversy involving Swanson perhaps affected the race.
Another controversy, involving state attorney general candidate, retiring Rep. Keith Ellison, received sensational national and local headline stories, but appeared not to affect his race, which he won by a large margin. The controversy might, however, present post-primary problems for the nominee.
There were two competitive congressional primaries—in MN-1, GOP-endorsed Jim Hagedorn easily defeated challenger state Senator Carla Nelson—and in MN-8, Joe Radinovich won the DFL nod against four other DFLers.
Many of these and other races in Minnesota will be competitive and hard fought in November.
Both parties had reasons to cheer and be concerned. All Republican endorsed candidates won in their primaries, and Johnson might prove to be their strongest candidate at the top of the ticket in November, but GOP turnout trailed DFL turnout notably in the primary. DFLers probably nominated their strongest candidate for governor, and were heartened by DFL voter participation in the primary, but their nomination of some candidates espousing the views of the Bernie Sanders wing of the national party might pose difficulties in their appeal to outstate conservative and independent Minnesota voters in November.
Election preview
Up next: Alaska and Wyoming primaries Aug. 21, followed by Arizona, Florida, and Oklahoma Aug. 28. Top stories to watch include...
- A seven candidate field competes for Florida's gubernatorial nomination.
- Following Arizona's teacher strike, educators are running in at least 11 contested Democratic state legislative primaries.
- Three Stoneman Douglas parents can win primaries outright for the Broward County Public Schools, Florida, school board.
