Blankenship bears a striking resemblance to another oddball figure in politics
Every time I see a picture of him, I have to remind myself he's not Mike Lindell, the MyPillow guy. They have an uncanny resemblance.
—Mary Radcliffe, 538
538 tracked over 10 competitive primaries for Senate, House and governor.
Tuesday, May 14 was another busy primary day, as voters in three states decided who would be on their general election ballots this fall. In Maryland, Democrats nominated women in two safely Democratic congressional seats, including Angela Alsobrooks, who is poised to become only the third Black woman ever elected to the Senate. In West Virginia and Nebraska, incumbent Republican representatives fended off far-right challengers.
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.
Every time I see a picture of him, I have to remind myself he's not Mike Lindell, the MyPillow guy. They have an uncanny resemblance.
—Mary Radcliffe, 538
ABC News reports Jim Justice is projected to win the West Virginia Republican Senate primary. In a deep-red state, he is also overwhelmingly likely to defeat his Democratic opponent. That race is yet to be projected.
—G. Elliott Morris, 538
With 14 percent of the expected vote reporting in the Republican primary for West Virginia governor, Morrisey leads Capito 35 percent to 30 percent. Meanwhile, Warner (18 percent) and Miller (14 percent) are further back.
—Nathaniel Rakich, 538
For a few cycles now, 538 has been eyeing the relationship between the Democratic Party and its progressive wing by tracking primary endorsements from progressive groups. One progressive we've been watching for several cycles is Sen. Bernie Sanders. In 2018, capitalizing on the momentum gained from his 2016 Democratic primary, he became a real player when it came to elevating progressive candidates. That cycle, he endorsed in nine open primaries, but only five of whom won. In 2020, he endorsed in eight open primaries, six of whom won, and in 2022 he endorsed in ten primaries, eight of whom won.
In short, his endorsees are doing a little better, each cycle. Today's primaries marks his first open primary endorsement of the cycle — John Morse, a labor attorney, running in the very crowded Maryland's 3rd.
—Meredith Conroy, 538 contributor