Missouri, Michigan, Washington and Kansas primaries 2024: Cori Bush loses

The fields are set for Michigan's Senate and Missouri's governor contests.

By538 Staff via five thirty eight logo
Last Updated: August 6, 2024, 6:01 PM EDT

Three months out from the big November election, around a third of all states had yet to hold (non-presidential) primaries. On Tuesday, Democrats and Republicans in Missouri, Michigan, Washington and Kansas went to the polls to pick which candidates will appear on their ballots in the fall.

The electoral fate of a couple endangered House incumbents hung in the balance on this packed primary day. In Missouri, a progressive "Squad" member was defeated by centrist forces, and in Washington, one of only two remaining House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump was challenged by not one but two Trump-endorsed opponents from his right.

Meanwhile, both parties locked in their nominees for Michigan’s critical Senate race, and the outcomes of Republican primary contests are likely to determine Missouri’s next governor and attorney general. In battleground House districts, the fields were set for competitive fall contests, while in safe red and blue districts, ideological lines were drawn as candidates duke it out in primaries tantamount to election.

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

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Here's how the news is developing.
Aug 06, 2024, 9:06 PM EDT

Kansas's 3rd is moving leftward

One other note about Kansas's 3rd District and why it's not a priority for Republicans. Look at Laura Kelly's margin's by congressional district in her 2018 race and 2022 reelection. While her statewide margin decreased from 5 points to 2 points, she actually improved on her performance in the 3rd, from a 15 percentage point to a 17 point win. (Kelly also won the 2nd District by 1 point in 2022, but Schmidt should have little trouble carrying it in a federal race — Democrats didn't seriously contest the seat in 2022, though they came close to flipping it in 2018.)

—Jacob Rubashkin, Inside Elections

Aug 06, 2024, 9:04 PM EDT

Polls are closed in all of Michigan and Kansas

It's just past 9 p.m. Eastern, and the final few counties in Michigan and Kansas have stopped accepting new voters (though those who are already in line will be able to vote). That means we could soon get a projection in the one statewide race we're tracking across these two states: U.S. Senate in Michigan.

—Nathaniel Rakich, 538

Aug 06, 2024, 9:03 PM EDT

Fun fact about Jim Ryun

Since you mentioned him, Geoffrey, and it happens to be Olympics season, Jim Ryun competed in three Olympic Games in the 1960s and 70s, earning a silver medal for the U.S. in the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.

—Mary Radcliffe, 538

Aug 06, 2024, 9:02 PM EDT

In Kansas, a former Democratic congresswoman attempts a comeback

When looking ahead to this primary day, a blast from the past popped up on the radar in Kansas: former Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda is seeking her party's nomination in Kansas's solidly red 2nd District. With a little more than a quarter of the expected vote in per the AP, Boyda and community developer Matt Kleinmann are running neck and neck in the Democratic primary. (To be clear, the eventual nominee will almost certainly lose in November.)

Turning back the clock, Boyda ran for an old version of the 2nd District in 2004, losing badly to conservative Republican Rep. Jim Ryun. But during the 2006 blue wave, Boyda made headlines when she defeated Ryun. Yet Boyda lost reelection by 5 points in 2008 despite what was broadly another strong Democratic cycle. Her defeat may have come in part from her decision to ask the DCCC — the Democrats' House campaign arm — to not run ads on her behalf, prompting them to cancel a $1.2 million ad buy. Boyda later left a remorseful voicemail with then-DCCC Chair (and now Sen.) Chris Van Hollen, asking him to use her as an example in the future if members wanted to reject the DCCC's assistance. Boyda then served in the Obama administration before trying her hand at a Senate bid in the 2020 cycle, although she dropped out of the race before the primary.

—Geoffrey Skelley, 538