Abortion didn’t help liberals flip a Georgia Supreme Court seat.
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.
We've been tracking Trump's endorsements of House candidates, and despite getting an endorsement from the former president in 2022, this time around Trump withheld his nod. Massie was the only incumbent Republican in tonight's races that Trump did not endorse -- though Trump didn't endorse any of his opponents, either. As Tia alluded to, Trump and Massie haven't always gotten along in the past.
—Mary Radcliffe, 538
Of Kentucky's five GOP incumbents, two tonight faced challengers, and both prevailed easily.
ABC News reports that Republican incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie — noted obstructionist and slinger of social media sass — will prevail over challengers Eric Deters and Michael McGinnis in Kentucky's 4th District. With around 58 percent of the expected vote reporting, he leads with 75 percent of the vote. Rep. Hal Rogers — who holds the title of House Dean, or longest serving member of the House of Representatives — had an even easier time in the 5th District. With around 52 percent of the expected vote reporting, he's garnered 81 percent.
While both these contests went as expected, Massie's did see some intrigue. Deters tried to get Massie thrown off the ballot earlier this year, and the incumbent has certainly made enemies within his own party with his hardline opposition to foreign spending and other legislation. AIPAC-affiliated ad spending in this House race was apparently intended to weaken him for potential future runs for higher office.
P.S. — If you're bored waiting for results, I highly recommend browsing the #sassywithmassie hashtag.
—Tia Yang, 538
According to The Associated Press, 10 percent of the expected vote is now reporting in the GOP primary for Georgia's 3rd District, and Jack leads Dugan 42 percent to 30 percent. Remember, though, if no one wins a majority today, this race will go to a runoff.
—Nathaniel Rakich, 538
Tonight, we'll be monitoring how candidates of color perform in primaries for the U.S. House of Representatives. Overall, 31 people of color are running in these contests — 27 Democrats and four Republicans.
The most high-profile primaries involving these candidates are arguably in Oregon. Jayapal, who is Indian American, faces a competitive primary in the state's 3rd District. One of her principal opponents is Morales, who is Latino. Meanwhile, in the 5th District, Bynum is seeking to become the first Black representative from Oregon. Two Latina incumbents in Oregon, Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Democratic Rep. Andrea Salinas, should easily win renomination.
In Georgia, the main race of interest involving a person of color is incumbent Rep. David Scott, who faces six other Democrats of color in the majority-Black 13th District. Redistricting changed this seat significantly from the previous version Scott represented, but he's still probably favored. Flowers, who is also Black, is Scott's only challenger who really stands out, although he's not raised remotely as much as he did in 2022 or party activist Johsie Cruz Fletcher.
Elsewhere in Georgia, four Black incumbents — Democratic Reps. Sanford Bishop, Hank Johnson, Nikema Williams and Lucy McBath — all look set to win renomination in their solidly blue districts. Only McBath has any primary opposition, as she faces Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson and state Rep. Mandisha Thomas, who are both Black, in the redrawn 6th District. Johnson, meanwhile, can look forward to a November matchup against Republican Eugene Yu, a Korean American and perennial candidate who is unopposed for his party's nomination in the 4th District.
In some of Georgia's solid red seats, the Democratic nominees will also likely be people of color. In the 14th District, retired Army Gen. Shawn Harris, who is Black, has raised a few hundred thousand dollars and looks favored to advance to November, where Greene will be heavily advantaged. In the 12th District, either 2022 nominee Liz Johnson or Army veteran Daniel Jackson, both Black, will be the Democratic pick against Republican Rep. Rick Allen, who'll likely win reelection. In the 11th District, businessman Antonio Daza, who is Latino, may be favored to win the Democratic nod to face GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk, to whom Daza lost in the 2022 general election.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Richardson, who is Black, is the only person of color on a House primary ballot today in Kentucky; he's one of a few Democrats looking to challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Barr in the safely red 6th District this fall. No candidates of color are running today in Idaho.
—Geoffrey Skelley, 538
