Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska primaries 2024: Alsobrooks beats Trone, GOP incumbents survive

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.


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Trump and Justice celebrate their GOP Senate primary victory

Former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Justice in October, celebrated the governor's victory on his social media account shortly after the race was called in West Virginia. "Congratulations to Big Jim Justice!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Justice, in his own post (on X), nodding to the former president's "America-First" agenda. "Thank you, West Virginia, for placing your support and trust in me. I am truly humbled and will work every day to win in November so we can flip the Senate and deliver on our America-First agenda!" Justice wrote.

The two have a short but storied history. Justice switched his party registration from Democratic to Republican in 2017, announcing the high-profile shift at a Trump rally in Huntington, West Virginia.

—Isabella Murray, ABC News


Baltimore's Democratic primary for mayor looks tight

In Baltimore, Democratic voters are choosing between a current and former mayor, and the race looks very close. Former mayor Sheila Dixon is currently leading incumbent Brandon Scott by less than a tenth of a percentage point with mostly early vote reported, according to the state's board of elections.

This is Dixon's third attempt to return to the mayor's office since she resigned in 2010 after being found guilty of embezzlement. In 2016, she narrowly lost the primary to Catherine Pugh, who later went on to plead guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion. Then in 2020, Dixon lost the primary to Scott by just 2.1 percentage points, though a crowded field of 24 candidates meant neither put up a strong showing.

Perhaps ironically, Dixon's campaign this time around focused in part on crime, an issue that 79 percent of Baltimore voters cited as "extremely serious" or "very serious" in a March Washington Post/University of Maryland poll, far more than other areas of the state. Thirty-two percent of Baltimore City voters also told the pollsters that they feel "not too safe" or "not at all safe" from crime in their neighborhoods.

Two different surveys of the mayoral primary in April both showed a single-digit race with Scott ahead, so this one might go down to the wire.

—Mary Radcliffe, 538


A quick reminder that land area can be deceiving

As results start to stream in across the state, the map for the Democratic primary for Maryland Senate looks great for Trone. Unfortunately for him, the vote totals are showing a much closer race, with Alsobrooks currently ahead by around 3 points, thanks to a strong showing in Baltimore and a significant lead in her home county, Prince George’s County. As more votes are reported, we’ll be keeping an eye on whether Alsobrooks can maintain her small lead, and if it starts to be reflected geographically.

—Amina Brown, 538


Bacon projected to win in Nebraska

Another primary challenge to a sitting Republican representative has fallen short. ABC News reports that Bacon is projected to win the Republican primary in Nebraska’s 2nd District. With 37 percent of the expected vote in, he is defeating Frei, his right-wing challenger, 70 percent to 30 percent.

—Nathaniel Rakich, 538


Candidates of color to watch

Tonight, we'll be monitoring how candidates of color perform in primaries for governor, U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Overall, 47 people of color are running in these contests — 36 Democrats and 11 Republicans. Almost all of the candidates (44) are running in Maryland, which is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse states in the country.

The marquee Maryland race involving a candidate of color is, of course, the Democratic primary for Senate. If Alsobrooks makes it through both the primary and general election, she will be only the third Black woman ever elected to the Senate — although she may be tied for that distinction with Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is a strong favorite to win in Delaware.

Down the Maryland ballot, a number of candidates are running in the solidly blue 3rd District. In the Democratic primary, former Capitol Hill police officer Harry Dunn, who is Black, has been a fundraising machine but finds himself in a tight contest in against state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, who is white. State Sen. Clarence Lam, who is of East Asian descent, may have an outside shot of catching Dunn and/or Elfreth, while three other legislators of color — Dels. Mark Chang, Terri Hill and Mike Rogers — look unlikely to break through. On the GOP side, retired Air Force officer Berney Flowers, who is Black, has raised a bit more than his primary opponents, although the Republican nominee will have virtually no chance here.

In the blue-leaning 6th District, state Del. Joe Vogel, a Latino, is locked in a close race with former Commerce Department official April McCalin Delaney. A third contender, Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez, who is Black, has raised a sizable amount of campaign cash, too. In the mix in the Republican primary are Air Force veteran Mariela Roca, who is Latina, and former Del. Brenda Thiam, who was the first Black female Republican to ever sit in the Maryland legislature. However, this crowded race could go in a lot of directions.

Elsewhere, in the solidly blue 2nd District, Del. Harry Bhandari, a Nepali immigrant, looks like a significant underdog in the Democratic primary against Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. The GOP favorite in that seat may be Kim Klacik, a Black woman whose failed 2020 campaign in the solidly Democratic 7th District raised millions after Trump retweeted her campaign ad. She has raised far less this time around, and whomever Republicans nominate will be a huge underdog in November.

In the dark-blue 5th District, health care executive Quincy Bareebe, a Ugandan immigrant, has loaned her campaign more than $200,000 in her long-shot primary challenge to longtime Rep. Steny Hoyer. On the Republican side, Charles County GOP chair Michelle Talkington, who is half Black and half white, has no opposition in her primary. Reps. Glenn Ivey and Kweisi Mfume, both Black incumbents, should easily win renomination in their safe blue seats.

Outside Maryland, state Sen. Tony Vargas, who is Latino, is unopposed for the Democratic nomination in Nebraska's highly competitive 2nd District. And in Nebraska's special election for Senate, community advocate Preston Love Jr., who is Black, is also unopposed but will stand little chance in the general election. In West Virginia's dark-red 2nd District, Walker, who is Black, has raised a lot of money in the Republican primary but, as Nathaniel wrote earlier, looks like an underdog against Moore.

—Geoffrey Skelley, 538