Primary Election Results and Key Takeaways

St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell defeated Democratic Rep. Cori Bush on Tuesday, making her the second member of the Squad to lose a primary. | Robert Cohen/Pool Photo via AP

Cori Bush Loses to Wesley Bell

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), a member of the progressive “Squad,” lost her primary to St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell. Bush is the fourth incumbent and the second Squad member to lose a primary this year. Her defeat follows significant spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and personal scandals involving campaign spending on security services and her vote against the infrastructure package.

Primary Results:

Wesley Bell: 63,340 votes (51.2%)
Cori Bush: 56,492 votes (45.6%)
Other candidates: 3,987 votes (3.2%)

Other Vulnerable Incumbents

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) also faced heavy spending from AIPAC in his primary loss.
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), an Indian-American lawmaker, is in a tight race with Detroit City Council member Mary Waters in a predominantly Black district.

Trump’s Endorsement Tactics

Former President Donald Trump’s endorsements have become less impactful. Recently, Trump has endorsed multiple candidates in the same race, such as in the GOP primary for Missouri governor, where he backed Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, and state Sen. Bill Eigel. Kehoe won the primary.

Missouri Governor GOP Primary Results:

Kehoe: 274,840 votes (39.4%)
Eigel: 227,012 votes (32.6%)
Other candidates: 195,495 votes (28.0%)

Battleground Races

Several key battleground races have been set for the general election:

Michigan Senate Race: Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin vs. former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers.
Washington’s 3rd District: Freshman Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez vs. Joe Kent.
Lower Peninsula Michigan District: Democratic Carl Marlinga vs. GOP Rep. John James.
Michigan’s 3rd District: Attorney Paul Hudson vs. Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten.
Washington’s 8th District: Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier vs. Republican Carmen Goers.
Kansas’ 3rd District: Oncologist Prasanth Reddy vs. Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids.

These races will be critical in determining the balance of power in Congress and are closely watched by both parties.

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