Power

The Primaries: Who Is In, Who Is Out

Last night a few new national races were solidified after primaries in Missouri, Michigan and Washington.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra. [img src]

We’ve already learned that the Missouri senate race will be between incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican challenger Rep. Todd Akin. But what other new races are out there now that another primary day has wrapped?

The biggest news is that former Republican Congressman Pete Hoekstra has won the GOP primary, and will face Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow in the general election. Hoekstra has a 100 percent rating from the National Right to Life Committee. Democratic Rep. John Conyers also won his primary and is highly likely to win the general election in his heavily Democratic district.

The Akin victory wasn’t the only Missouri news, either. A battle ensued between two sitting Democratic Congressmen after re-districting left longtime Rep. Russ Carnahan essentially seatless. Carnahan ran against Rep. Lacy Clay in Clay’s newly redrawn district, and Clay came out the victor.

Another Democrat versus Democrat redistricting battle took place in Michigan, where Rep. Gary Peters beat Rep. Hansen Clarke in the Detroit area. Clarke will be the first non-African American congressman to represent this district in decades, according to Roll Call.

Progressive activist Darcy Burner was unsuccessful in her Washington primary, where she lost to self-funded executive Suzan DelBene. DelBene will face Republican John Koster in a new and slightly Republican-leaning district.