Georgia, Oregon, Idaho and Kentucky primaries 2024: Willis, McAfee win; tough night for progressives

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.


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Initial results in Oregon's 4th District

With 29 percent of the expected vote reporting in the Republican primary for Oregon's 4th District, Air Force veteran and attorney Monique DeSpain leads former Keizer city councilmember, Amy Ryan Courser, 56 percent to 43 percent. DeSpain has an endorsement from Maggie's List — one of the GOP groups formed to elect more women to office that we've been tracking endorsements from this primary cycle. The winner of this primary will face incumbent Democrat, Rep. Val Hoyle in what's expected to be a competitive race.

—Meredith Conroy, 538 contributor


Which vibes even matter?

To our conversation on issue-related polling vs. vibes, I read that post today too, Nathaniel, but I think there's still something interesting in the polling around what voters say they're focused on. I've been tracking this throughout the primaries, and I think it can help hone in on how voters in different states are thinking about the issues that impact their communities. For example, we learned that Maryland voters are more focused on crime than voters in other states. Georgia Democrats are particularly worried about healthcare. Illinoisans are focused on crime and taxes.

These kinds of insights perhaps don't tell us who voters are going to choose at the ballot box, but they do tell us something about how voters are thinking about politics. And while a lot of voting choices may be just vibes, which vibes voters care about are probably connected to the issues they see as important in their local communities.

—Mary Radcliffe, 538


Well, that was quick in Oregon's 6th

Mere minutes after polls closed in Oregon's 6th District, ABC News reports that Erickson is projected to win the GOP primary. With about 37 percent of the expected vote counted, Erickson leads the field with 75 percent. The businessman only spent $43,000 on his primary bid but easily secured a rematch against Salinas, who is favored to win a second term in this relatively new district.

—Jacob Rubashkin, Inside Elections


Polls are now closed across Oregon and Idaho (plus California)

The night's only halfway over! And for anyone who took my advice to watch today's Pacers-Celtics game, overtime wrapped up just in time for our last polls to close.

As of 11 p.m. Eastern, polls are now closed in the Idaho panhandle and nearly all of Oregon, plus the California 20th District special runoff election to fill Kevin McCarthy's vacant House seat.

—Tia Yang, 538


Some statewide race projections from the Beaver State

Further down the ballot, Oregon voters also selected their party nominees for secretary of state and attorney general. Just a few minutes after polls closed (shoutout vote-by-mail!), ABC News reported that state Treasurer Tobias Read is projected to win the Democratic primary for secretary of state, the state's second-highest office. Read, who currently leads with 71 percent of the vote, had the establishment support and fundraising lead over state Sen. James Manning, who is in second place with 20 percent.

In April, Bolts Magazine wrote about this race as a test for different views on democracy and voting rights: Manning campaigned on a more progressive vision, including allowing incarcerated people to vote, while Read said he would prioritize fine-tuning the state's existing systems, including universal mail voting.

Oregon tends to elect Democrats statewide, so Read is probably the favorite to win in November over state Sen. Dennis Linthicum, the far-right Republican nominee who campaigned on ending vote-by-mail and was barred from running for reelection in the state Senate after he and other Republican lawmakers participated in a six-week quorum-denying protest over issues abortion, gun control and transgender health care.

ABC News also reports that state Rep. Dan Rayfield, who was state House Speaker for two years, is projected to be the Democratic nominee for attorney general. He'll face former prosecutor Will Lathrop in November in a race to succeed outgoing Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, who is stepping down after 12 years in office.

—Irena Li, 538