The Latest: Rep. Wesley Bell fends off primary challenge from Cori Bush in Missouri rematch
Rep. Wesley Bell won Tuesday's Democratic primary in Missouri's 1st Congressional District against former Rep. Cori Bush, settling a rematch that provided a test of America's evolving viewpoints on Israel.
Bell was backed by a political group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The pro-Israeli group also financed his ouster of Bush in the 2024 primary after Bush criticized Israel’s response to Hamas’ attack on the country in 2023.
Meanwhile, Michigan will offer the country its clearest gauge yet on the direction of the Democratic Party, as primary voters in the battleground state choose between a progressive standard-bearer and an establishment-backed candidate for their Senate nominee.
Although there have been similar contests around the country, this one will hold extra weight because Michigan is a key state in presidential races. Abdul El-Sayed, backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, is up against four-term Rep. Haley Stevens, supported by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
Democratic and Republican voters in Michigan are also deciding on their parties’ nominees to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
In Kansas, Missouri, Virginia and Washington state, voters are settling primaries in a host of races. Also in play is whether Democrats, who tried to redraw districts in Virginia to their advantage but were rebuffed by the state supreme court, can pick candidates who can defeat Republicans in the fall.
Here is a look at the Latest:
Amendment 5 would have directed the legislature to phase out the individual income tax as state revenue grows. To spur that along, it also would have allowed lawmakers to expand the sales tax to “any goods and services.” Lawmakers would have had five years to decide which sales to tax without needing further voter approval.
The Missouri measure marks the first time since the modern income tax began over a century ago that a U.S. state legislature has asked voters whether to eliminate it. Alaska is the only state so far to impose a general individual income tax and then repeal it, doing so in 1980 by a legislative vote.
Massachusetts voters rejected income tax eliminations in 2008 and 2002 that were initiated by citizens, not lawmakers.
Bouchard advances to the November general election for a seat Democrats have prioritized as they try to win control of the U.S. House.
Bouchard is an Army veteran and son of long-time sheriff Michael Bouchard. He defeated Steffan Demetropoulos and Justin Kirk in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
The seat is currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. John James, who is running for Michigan governor with Trump’s endorsement.
The district includes a portion of Oakland County and stretches across very red communities in Macomb County. It was created by redistricting after the 2020 U.S. Census.
Amendment 4 would have required future constitutional amendments proposed by citizen initiatives to pass by a majority in each of the state’s congressional districts instead of a simple statewide majority. No other state has a standard that high.
The Republican-led Legislature referred the measure to the ballot after voters in recent years narrowly passed several controversial amendments through citizen initiatives. Those measures enshrined abortion rights, legalized recreational marijuana, allowed sports betting and expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income adults.
But none of those would have passed under a requirement for amendments to win approval in all congressional districts.
Under Amendment 4, the higher standard would have applied only to citizen-initiated amendments — not ones placed on the ballot by the legislature.
About 100 people, many from Haley Stevens’ campaign, mingled over charcuterie and drinks at Stevens’ primary watch party in downtown Detroit. Two large TVs showed election results rolling in.
Stevens has not shown up yet and plans to address the crowd later tonight.
Bell’s primary victory is likely to propel him to reelection in November in the heavily Democratic 1st Congressional District in St. Louis.
Bell, a former St. Louis County prosecutor, was backed by a political group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The pro-Israeli group also financed his ouster of Bush in the 2024 primary after Bush criticized Israel’s response to Hamas’ attack on the country in 2023.
Bush had been a part of a progressive group of House members known as the “Squad.”
The rematch provided a test of America’s evolving viewpoints on Israel since the last election. A recent survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 58% of Democrats now say the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel, up from 45% in an AP-NORC poll from January 2024.
Ty Masterson defeated six other Republican candidates in Tuesday’s election.
He is running to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. The two of them have scrapped regularly over tax cuts and social issues, such as proposals backed by Masterson to restrict abortion providers and to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 18.
If Masterson wins in November, he’s likely to push Kansas to the right.
Masterson has been state Senate president since 2021. He served four years in the state House before being elected to the Senate, where he’s also chaired its budget-writing Ways and Means Committee.
He enters the fall campaign with about $5.7 million in cash — a good start in Kansas, where advertising is relatively inexpensive.
Marshall also has history on his side. No Republican has lost a U.S. Senate race in Kansas since 1932.
Marshall won his Senate seat in 2020 after representing western and central Kansas in the House for four years.
He defeated 10 other candidates in Tuesday’s primary.
Hamilton leads the 22,000-member Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area, the nation’s largest Methodist congregation, building it over 35 years from a small group worshiping in the chapel of a funeral home.
He has raised about $4.2 million since launching his campaign at the end of April, a little more than incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall had raised for his reelection bid since the start of last year.
But Marshall didn’t start from zero and went into the fall campaign with $5.7 million, while Hamilton’s balance was about $1.8 million.
Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state since 2018, gained national recognition after defending the results of the 2020 presidential election. She was the first Democrat to serve as secretary of state in Michigan in more than 20 years.
She was seen as the frontrunner in the Democratic primary, defeating opponent Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
Benson will face either Republican U.S. Rep. John James, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, or businessman Perry Johnson in November. If elected, Benson would continue the trend of women in statewide executive roles.
The race to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — who won the last gubernatorial election by nearly 11 percentage points — will be closely watched in swing state Michigan, which voted for Trump in 2024.
The crowd gathered in Detroit for Abdul El-Sayed’s primary night party erupted into cheers as a screen displaying CSPAN showed Cori Bush — before quickly turning to loud boos when her opponent, Rep. Wesley Bell, was shown.
Bush is attempting a political comeback Tuesday in a Missouri Democratic primary that tests evolving views on American-Israeli relations, just two years after the progressive “Squad” member was ousted by voters in favor of Bell.
“I’ve fought for my country before, and I’m ready to fight for it again,” Luria wrote.
She said incumbent Jen Kiggans “broke her promise” to be independent in Washington and claimed Kiggans voted with Trump “100 percent of the time.” Kiggans previously voted yes on the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which cut clean energy incentives, despite later supporting offshore wind in her district.
“I’m ready to serve and deliver for the people of Hampton Roads who are being left behind by Jen Kiggans and Donald Trump,” Luria wrote.
The 2nd District is one of the seats Democrats hope to flip in Virginia this fall.
As polls closed in Michigan, early vote counts began to flash on a projector screen at Abdul El-Sayed’s watch party in Detroit. A crowd of supporters erupted as those numbers showed him ahead.
But it’s still early.
His opponent, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, is targeting a big showing in Wayne County, the state’s largest and the home of Detroit, to hold off what El-Sayed’s campaign expected to be a wider base of support from across the state — including in many of the counties in southeastern Michigan surrounding Wayne.
Wayne County historically has released election results later than most of Michigan, which could result in El-Sayed taking an early lead before votes from Detroit are added later in the night.
The Democratic nominee in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District says her career as a prosecutor would inform her work in Washington if she flips a red seat blue in November.
Taylor has long served as the top elected prosecutor in a suburban Richmond county.
“I’ve spent the last 14 years prosecuting violent criminals, fraudsters and anybody who abuses our trust. If they took advantage of our community, I hold them accountable. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do when I’m in Congress,” she told a crowd of cheering supporters gathered at a restaurant in the district.
Taylor will face longtime incumbent Rob Wittman in the general election. The district tilts slightly in Wittman’s favor.
A spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee said Wittman has a “proven track record of delivering results.”
Among the many supporters streaming into Detroit’s Majestic Theatre tonight at El-Sayed’s watch party were two other high-profile progressives who have had big wins recently.
Chris Rabb, who won the Democratic nomination for a congressional district in Philadelphia in May, and Denver’s Melat Kiros, who won a Colorado House primary, were in attendance. Kiros wore a “Habibi for Abdul” shirt.
Both are self-described members of the Democratic Socialists of America. El-Sayed said that he does not consider himself a democratic socialist.
The problem affected elections clerks’ connection to the state’s list of qualified voters for about an hour, Angela Benander, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Tuesday.
It slowed registering voters at the polls and processing mail ballots. Benander said the secretary of state’s office does not yet know how many counties or precincts were affected or what caused the problem.
However, Benander said in an email to The Associated Press that electronic poll books are not connected to the internet during voting, and that election workers still could check voters in and give them ballots “without delay.”
Problems with e-poll books occur routinely and have delayed voting in the past, including in general elections.
Minutes before polls closed at 8 p.m., Haley Stevens’ primary night event in downtown Detroit was still awaiting supporters. A large stage with a “Haley Stevens for U.S. Senate” podium flanked by U.S. and Michigan flags stood empty.
Stevens spokesperson Joetta Appiah said the campaign expects supporters to arrive after polls close.
In-person Election Day voting ended in Missouri at 7 p.m. local time, which is 8 p.m. ET. Comparable past elections can offer clues about when to expect the first vote results and how long the vote count might take.
In the 2024 state primaries, the AP first reported results at 8:06 p.m. ET, or six minutes after polls closed. The vote count surpassed the halfway mark at about 10:20 p.m. ET. The last vote update of the night was at 12:26 a.m. ET, with about 99.9% of total votes counted.
▶ Follow tonight’s results in Missouri
In-person Election Day voting ended at 8 p.m. ET in most of Kansas and Michigan. Some of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is in Central time, and some of western Kansas is in Mountain time. Polls in these later time zones will close an hour later at 9 p.m. ET.
Comparable past elections can offer clues about when to expect the first vote results and how long the vote count might take.
In the 2022 Democratic primary for Kansas governor, the AP first reported results at 8:24 p.m. ET, or 24 minutes after polls closed in most of the state. The vote count surpassed the halfway mark at about 10:02 p.m. ET. The last vote update of the night was at 3:31 a.m. ET with about 96% of total votes counted.
In the 2024 Democratic U.S. Senate primary in Michigan, the AP first reported results at 8:03 p.m. ET, or three minutes after polls closed in most of the state. The vote count surpassed the halfway mark at 12:03 a.m. ET. By 4:12 a.m. ET, about 95% of the vote had been counted.
▶ Follow tonight’s results in Kansas and Michigan
State Sen. Darrin Camilleri, the Michigan Senate assistant majority leader, told AP at Abdul El-Sayed’s primary night event that “Americans are frustrated. Democrats are frustrated.”
“They want to see our leaders take action and do something with the power that they have been given. And I think you will see that resonate tonight,” said Camilleri.
While Camilleri has endorsed El-Sayed, other elected officials have backed his opponent, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens. But Camilleri said he believes the party will be able to come together for November’s general election against Republican Mike Rogers.
“This is not the first time that we’ve had Democrats have different opinions about the direction of our party and the direction of our country,” said Camilleri. “I expect all of us to come together pretty quickly this week.”
She advances from a crowded primary contest and will face longtime Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman in the general election.
While the 1st District, with its population center in the Richmond suburbs, has generally tilted toward Republicans, Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger won it in 2025. Democrats see it as a target to flip in the fall, when they will be trying to retake control of the U.S. House.
Taylor was the establishment pick in the seven-way primary, endorsed by the House Democrats’ campaign arm and a wide array of Democratic Virginia officeholders, including Spanberger.
The first-term Republican was endorsed by Trump and defeated GOP challenger Melanie Lucero. Former Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello won the nomination on the Democratic side.
Republicans have an edge in the central Virginia district. McGuire won the general election with more than 57% of the vote two years ago, though Republicans view Perriello as an especially strong competitor.
McGuire, a former state lawmaker and Navy SEAL, was first elected to Congress in 2024, after he narrowly defeated incumbent Bob Good, the ultraconservative chair of the House Freedom Caucus. Trump threw his support to McGuire after Good endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 presidential primary.
The Democrat seeking his seventh term in Congress defeated four challengers to win his party’s nomination in northern Virginia’s 8th District.
Beyer will go on to face Republican candidate Tony Sabio in the general election. Located just outside Washington, D.C., the 8th District is overwhelmingly blue. Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger won 80% of the vote there in last year’s election.
Beyer, who was first elected to Congress in 2014, served two terms as Virginia’s lieutenant governor in the 1990s, was his party’s nominee for governor in 1997 and later served as President Barack Obama’s ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
He campaigned as a tested leader, touting his work to protect federal workers, promote clean energy and regulate artificial intelligence. He had the support of Virginia’s Democratic political establishment and Democratic-aligned interest groups, while facing opponents who pitched themselves as anti-establishment, generational change agents.
Beyer defeated Lorena Bruner, Michael Duffin, Adam Dunigan and Mo Seifeldein.
The former two-term congresswoman’s win in the 2nd Congressional District sets up what will be a closely watched general election rematch with incumbent Republican Jen Kiggans.
The coastal district, with its population center in Virginia Beach, is a must-win for Democrats who hope to flip control of the U.S. House in November.
The race between Kiggans and Luria, both veterans in a district with a massive military presence, is expected to be among the costliest.
Luria flipped the district in 2018 and served for two terms — sitting on the armed services, veterans’ affairs and homeland security committees and helping investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. She was defeated by Kiggans 2022.
Luria emerged from a four-way Democratic primary. She had been the establishment favorite, with backing from the House Democrats’ campaign arm and a wide array of Democratic Virginia officeholders, including Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
The decorated retired Army major general has emerged as the Republican nominee to take on the incumbent Democrat in the general election.
Mizusawa defeated two other GOP opponents in Tuesday’s primary. Mizusawa, who also holds a law degree, has had a long career that’s included senior military leadership roles, legal and federal contracting work, and positions advising the first Trump campaign and the CIA. He has unsuccessfully run for federal office in Virginia before.
Democrats feel confident that Warner, a moderate former governor who was first elected to the Senate in 2008, will win reelection in November. Independent analysts rate the seat as safely blue.
Red and blue lights point down from the ceiling. Red and blue streamers hang from the walls. A podium stands empty with a sign that reads “Michigan is Not For Sale.”
The stage is set at Detroit’s Majestic Theatre for a night that Abdul El-Sayed and his supporters expect to be a celebration. Dozens of media members and cameras filled the music venue as supporters of the Senate candidate filed into an overflow room.
A massive screen on stage displayed CSPAN, where a countdown to Michigan’s first polls closing ticked down to 8 p.m. ET.
Gluesenkamp Perez has won twice in a district that voted for Trump, and she’s become known nationally for warning fellow Democrats that they’re losing touch with the blue-collar voters she represents.
But she has faced vocal opposition from some on the left angry with her for occasionally voting with Republicans, including for the Laken Riley immigration bill and resolutions censuring progressive House members.
Those votes and others are powering Brent Hennrich’s challenge to Gluesenkamp Perez, though he struggled to raise the money and progressive endorsements that have helped insurgent challengers topple Democratic incumbents in Colorado and New York.
Meanwhile, Republican officials and donors have largely coalesced around John Braun, the state Senate Republican leader.
Under Washington’s top-two primary, Braun will appear alongside Gluesenkamp Perez, Hennrich and several lesser-known candidates on the same ballot, and the top two finishers will advance to the general election in November.
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