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!

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Aug 06, 2024, 11:36 PM EDT

Hudson may be favored in Michigan's 3rd District GOP primary

We're starting to get a significant number of votes in from Michigan's 3rd District. With 43 percent of the expected vote reporting, per the AP, Hudson leads by about 8 points over Markey, 53.7 percent to 46.3 percent. And the good news for Hudson is that he's leading in the two counties that still have many votes left to report: Kent (home to Grand Rapids and the majority of this seat's votes) and Muskegon. Markey does lead in Ottawa, which has almost entirely reported, but if he doesn't make up ground elsewhere — especially Kent — that'll likely put Hudson into the general election against Scholten, the Democratic incumbent.

—Geoffrey Skelley, 538

Aug 06, 2024, 11:35 PM EDT

Gluesenkamp-Perez is another win for our candidates of color tracker

As Meredith said, Gluesenkamp Perez is projected to go on to the general in November, which notches another win for incumbents of color in our tracker. (Though notably, the state uses a top-two primary system, so Gluesenkamp's main competition today was Republican Joe Kent, who she'll face head-to-head in November.)

Washington has a number of other candidates of color running today throughout the state as well.

—Monica Potts, 538

Aug 06, 2024, 11:31 PM EDT

There will be a rematch in Washington’s 3rd District in November

The AP is projecting that Republican Joe Kent and incumbent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez will be the top two finishers in Washington’s 3rd District primary, meaning the pair will advance to the general election. In 2022, Gluesenkamp Perez defeated Kent in what was seen as a major upset in this Republican-leaning district. With this projection, we will get to see if she can do it again.

Republican candidate Joe Kent waits before taking the stage for a candidates debate Sept. 27, 2022, in Vancouver, Wash.
Rachel La Corte/AP

—Meredith Conroy, 538 contributor

Aug 06, 2024, 11:27 PM EDT

Race to derail Trump impeacher Newhouse is close

Republican Jerrold Sessler, a former NASCAR driver, is out to an early lead over Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse in the top-two primary in Washington's 4th District. With almost half of the expected vote reporting, based on the AP's tally, Sessler has 30 percent to Newhouse's 25 percent. If those results hold, both Republicans would advance to the general election. Sessler earned Trump's initial endorsement, but Trump came in just before the primary and also endorsed veterans advocate and 2022 Senate nominee Tiffany Smiley, the third major Republican in this race. Smiley is at 20 percent, within shouting distance in third place.

Trump would take either Sessler or Smiley over Newhouse, who is one of two Republicans still in the House who voted for his impeachment after Jan. 6. The three Democratic candidates have split the vote enough that an all-Republican general election looks like a real possibility.

—Geoffrey Skelley, 538