Incumbent Upsets and Trump's Endorsement Woes Shake Up Congressional Primaries
ICARO Media Group
In Tuesday's congressional primaries, incumbents faced a mixed night of victories and defeats, leading to significant shake-ups in certain districts. Let's take a closer look at the key takeaways from these closely watched races.
In New York's 16th District, progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) suffered a major upset as Westchester County Executive George Latimer won the Democratic primary. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's involvement in the race, with nearly $15 million in spending to defeat Bowman, proved to be a decisive factor. Latimer secured 59.6% of the vote, while Bowman garnered 40.4% with 82% of the ballots counted. With this result, Bowman becomes the first member of the "Squad" to be ousted from Congress, a strong rebuke from pro-Israel groups and establishment Democrats who criticized Bowman's controversial comments on the war in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who campaigned alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on behalf of Bowman, easily won her primary, securing 82.1% of the vote with 90% of the ballots counted.
Over in Colorado's 4th District, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) emerged as the winner of the GOP primary, defeating five other opponents. Boebert garnered 43% of the vote with 89% of the ballots counted. Despite facing some backlash for her behavior at a Manhattan gala and a Beetlejuice production, Boebert's campaign received the backing of former President Donald Trump, distinguishing her from her Republican rivals.
It's worth noting that Boebert decided not to run in the 3rd District GOP primary, where she had faced a close race against Democrat Adam Frisch in the 2022 midterm elections. Frisch will now face Republican Jeff Hurd, who defeated five other Republicans in the GOP primary. Additionally, Republican Greg Lopez won a special election to serve the remainder of former Rep. Ken Buck's term but will step down in January.
In Utah's Senate GOP primary, Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) emerged as the victor with nearly 52% of the vote, positioning him to succeed Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), who is retiring. Curtis, a centrist candidate, managed to outperform the Trump-endorsed candidate, Mayor Trent Staggs, who secured 28.4% of the vote. Although Romney did not endorse in the race, Curtis has been described as the candidate most aligned with the outgoing senator's views. Curtis will now face Democratic nominee Caroline Gleich in the November Senate race, where he is expected to have a strong advantage.
Despite some setbacks, former President Trump still has reasons to celebrate. Boebert's victory along with Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans winning Colorado's 8th District GOP primary are among his endorsement successes. However, Trump's near-perfect endorsement record suffered some dings, as the Trump-backed Dave Williams lost the GOP primary in Colorado's 5th District to Jeff Crank, and Staggs was easily defeated in the Utah Senate primary.
As the primaries come to a close, the results signal a shift in the political landscape with significant victories, surprising upsets, and a dent in Trump's endorsement record. Voters in these districts will now turn their attention to the general elections in November, where the true impact of these primary outcomes will be determined.