Yesterday, voters in five state primaries delivered wins for both progressive and GOP-establishment candidates.
In Michigan, representative Rashida Tlaib won what the New York Times calls a decisive victory over the candidate she also faced in 2018. However, the surprise of the night came from Missouri, where Cori Bush won an upset victory over incumbent William Lacy Clay, in the contested House race.
Bush, who previously lost to Clay in 2018, and who ran on a platform of racial justice, benefited from recent support for Black Lives Matter and calls for change across the country’s institutions. While progressive candidates surged in the coastal states back in 2018, the Times reports that Bush’s victory now suggests progressives can also win in Middle America.
If she wins in November, Bush would be the first Black woman elected to the House from Missouri.
In Kansas, the state’s former Secretary of State and Trump supporter, Kris Kobach, lost to incumbent Roger Marshall in a highly-contested race for Senate. Marshall received the support of Mitch McConnell and the GOP, who feared that Kobach would lose to democratic nominee, Barbara Bollier. However, one Republican strategist told NPR that even with Kobach out, the race between Marshall and Bollier is still very much competitive.
With nine seats up for grabs – two in Georgia – November’s elections will determine the fate not only of the White House, but also of the Senate. While Republicans have assumed an edge in Alabama’s Senate race (the position is currently held by incumbent Doug Jones), NPR reports that Democrats have an edge in Arizona, Colorado, and North Carolina.
Other states up for grabs include Maine, Iowa, Kansas, and Montana.
Republicans currently hold the Senate with a 53-47 majority. Democrats would need to win four seats, or three seats and the White House to shift the balance.
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