Tuesday’s races in Colorado, New York, South Carolina and Utah saw the House’s first-ever incumbent Democrat lose in this cycle’s primaries, along with several defeats to Trump-endorsed candidates.
The progressive wing of the Democratic Party was dealt a major blow when Rep. Jamaal Bowman (DN.Y.) lost to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a moderate, in one of the most tumultuous primaries yet. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s near-perfect endorsement record this cycle has taken a hit almost everywhere, while Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado), a political lightning rod, has all but ensured her survival in Congress in November.
Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s primary results:
Bowman’s defeat is a blow to the Squad
The New York lawmaker’s defeat was not a shock. As a member of the House progressive “Squad,” which has stirred controversy on a range of issues and generated unflattering headlines, Bowman entered Tuesday’s primary facing a steep climb. His defeat is nonetheless a major setback for the progressive wing of the party, which made a public show of support in the days and weeks leading up to the race.
The race gained widespread national attention as a test of democratic divisions that were exposed following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas after October 7.
Latimer’s attacks on Bowman focused on Israel, criticizing the incumbent for his votes against providing additional aid to Israel, calling for a permanent ceasefire, and commenting initially qualifying reports of sexual violence during the October 7 attack of “propaganda” and “lies”. Bowman later walked back those comments and apologized.
Bowman defended his position in relation to Israel, which he accused of committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. He also criticized pro-Israel groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) for investing millions in the race against him.
Both candidates sought to portray each other as being out of touch with the district, but Bowman was unable to convince his district that he deserved two more years in office. He is the first member of the Squad to lose a primary challenge since the group was formed, and his defeat could serve as a warning to other lawmakers who are critical of Israel.
The next test for progressives will come in August, when another member of the Squad, Rep. Cori Bush (D), faces a competitive primary in Missouri.
Trump-endorsed candidates have a bad night
It is indisputable that no political figure in the country has single-handedly exerted more influence than Trump, whose support is often enough to carry a candidate over the finish line in the Republican Party primaries.
But that wasn’t the case in Tuesday’s three elections, in which Trump-backed candidates fell short.
In a South Carolina runoff to determine the Republican nominee and likely eventual House member for the solidly red 3rd Congressional District, nurse Sheri Biggs narrowly edged out Trump-backed pastor Mark Burns for the nomination. Her victory was also a victory for Governor Henry McMaster (R), himself a Trump ally, who supported her.
In Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, controversial state Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams lost his primary against Jeff Crank despite having Trump’s endorsement. Crank has had support from Republican leaders like House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), while Williams has drawn the ire of many within his own party because of his divisive behavior and past statements.
And in Utah, Trump-backed Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs lost the Republican primary for the Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah). Instead, Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), a more moderate candidate, prevailed.
Tuesday also included some victories for Trump, with his endorsed candidate in Colorado’s 8th District, Gabe Evans, winning his primary against the state’s GOP-endorsed candidate.
But while the former president remains the dominant force in his party, Tuesday’s results underscored that not everything he touches turns into political gold.
Boebert sails to victory
After Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) nearly lost her House seat in November 2022, many observers in both parties were ready to write her political obituary.
But the controversial firebrand secured an opportunity for a safer path to re-election when Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colorado) announced his retirement, leading to running in the safer red 4th District rather than the swinging 3rd District she represents.
Still, she faced a competitive primary in the 4th District amid accusations of cheating.
She also had to deal with a lingering controversy after she was kicked out of a theater last year where she was accused of causing a disturbance, prompting a rare apology from the congresswoman.
But Boebert received help when the leading candidate in the special election to fill Buck’s seat decided to run only for the remainder of the term rather than a full term. And Trump’s endorsement allowed his name to be placed first on the ballot.
All of this, along with opposition to Boebert not centralizing around a single candidate, likely contributed to her achieving a victory in the primary and ensuring that she continued to be able to serve in the House.
A victory for AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups
One of the major stories of the Latimer-Bowman race was the large influx of dollars that pro-Israel groups like AIPAC spent on the race to oppose the incumbent.
Bowman regularly criticized the spending of these groups, accusing them of being part of right-wing efforts to oust him. The race was the most expensive House primary in U.S. history, and most of the spending he came of pro-Israel groups.
Latimer’s overall spending exceeded Bowman’s spending by a 7-to-1 margin.
Latimer defended the sources of his fundraising, noting that most of the direct funding for his campaign came from within the district and emphasizing his deep ties to the area. He also attacked Bowman for funding coming from outside the district.
Pro-Israel groups like AIPAC have already demonstrated a willingness to participate in elections to support their preferred candidates, but their role has had a much more significant focus in this race than in most other cases in the past.
Democratic intervention in Colorado primaries does not pay off
Democrats nearly pulled off a shocking upset two years ago when Adam Frisch failed to defeat Boebert by just a few hundred votes. Frisch is running again as the Democratic candidate for Colorado’s 3rd District, but this time against a different candidate after Boebert moved to Buck’s district.
Hoping to get their preferred opponent to potentially facilitate Frisch’s election, Democrats advanced in the GOP primary to contest the seat between establishment-backed lawyer Jeff Hurd and former state Sen. Ron Hanks, an election denier.
Frisch’s campaign and other Democrats saw Hanks as an easier opponent to beat and ran ads to support him or attack Hurd for avoiding debates or certain policy positions.
But that effort was ultimately unsuccessful, with Hurd comfortably winning the nomination over Hanks and a few other candidates.
The race is still up for grabs for Frisch to win, but it could be a tougher race for Democrats now. The Cook Political Report rates the race as “lean Republican.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
