Georgia, Oregon, Idaho and Kentucky primaries 2024: Tough night for progressives

Abortion didn’t help liberals flip a Georgia Supreme Court seat.

Last Updated: May 21, 2024, 5:28 PM EDT

On May 21, voters in Georgia, Idaho, Oregon, Kentucky and California held key elections for Congress and nationally watched local races. Two key figures from one of Trump’s legal cases, Fani Willis and Scott McAfee, easily won their races, while conservatives won a Georgia Supreme Court election fought largely over abortion. In the House, progressives lost two key races in Oregon, while California voters picked a successor to Kevin McCarthy.

As usual, 538 reporters and contributors broke down the election results as they came in with live updates, analysis and commentary. Read our full live blog below.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
May 21, 2024, 7:50 PM EDT

I'm not surprised to see Willis and McAfee walking away with it

That sounds about right, Nathaniel. According to a YouGov/CBS News poll in March, only 27 percent of Georgia voters thought there was "widespread voter fraud and irregularities" in the 2020 election in the state. When asked which concerns them more, that "Donald Trump tried to overturn a presidential election" or that "the charges and indictments against Donald Trump are politically motivated," likely Georgia voters were split 36-43, respectively (21 percent said both were equally concerning).

So with relatively friendly polling statewide, I'm not surprised to see the officials overseeing the case do well in more Democrat-friendly Fulton County.

—Mary Radcliffe, 538

Kaleigh Rogers Image
May 21, 2024, 7:46 PM EDT

Pinson is doing well in Atlanta suburbs, a signal that he may stick around on the state Supreme Court

In the only contested state Supreme Court race tonight in Georgia, the incumbent Justice Andrew Pinson (the Republican pick) is currently leading former Democratic Rep. John Barrow. With 23 percent of the expected votes in, Pinson leads 54 percent to 46 percent. And while the county-level results are largely breaking the way we'd expect, Pinson is picking up the lead in some unexpected parts of the Atlanta suburbs. As Nathaniel pointed out on X, Pinson leads in Douglas County, which went for Biden 62–37 percent in 2020, as well as Gwinnett County—which Biden carried 58–40 percent in 2020. He's leading, too, in Henry County, which Biden won with 60 percent of the vote in 2020, and currently (narrowly) ahead in Clayton County, which went for Biden 85-14 percent! It could be that these suburban voters are happy with the status quo, or agreed with Pinson's characterization that Barrow was "politicizing" this non-partisan race by focusing so intently on the issue of abortion, but whatever the reason, Pinson is probably happy to see these early numbers.

—Kaleigh Rogers, 538

Monica Potts Image
May 21, 2024, 7:45 PM EDT

McBath holding a strong lead in her new district

Because of redistricting, McBath is running in a redrawn 6th district instead of the 7th, which she currently represents. But her name recognition and fundraising strength looks like they're carrying over. With 37 percent of the expected vote in, she has a commanding 88 percent of the vote, according to the AP.

—Monica Potts, 538

Nathaniel Rakich Image
May 21, 2024, 7:44 PM EDT

The main characters in Trump’s Georgia trial are coasting tonight

If you’ve been following Trump’s legal woes, some of the names on today’s ballot will be familiar to you: Both Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who charged Trump in connection with his efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election in Georgia, and Judge Scott McAfee, who’s overseeing the case, are running for reelection this year. And neither one of them is encountering any trouble: The AP is already projecting that Willis has won her Democratic primary 90 percent to 11 percent over a token challenger. And the AP has also projected that McAfee will win reelection over his “conservative Democratic” opponent, 83 percent to 17 percent.

—Nathaniel Rakich, 538