Kansas voters on Tuesday rejected an amendment to the state constitution that would have allowed further restrictions to abortion rights, and a candidate backed by former President Donald Trump won Michigan’s Republican primary for governor.
Here’s what you need to know from Tuesday’s primary elections:
MAGA candidates with strong showings in Arizona: Polls closed late Tuesday in Arizona and Washington, with races yet to be called.
Arizona’s GOP primaries for governor and secretary of state feature a pair of prominent 2020 election deniers in Kari Lake and Mark Finchem. Finchem won the nomination for secretary of state by a wide margin, seemingly boosted by an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
The gubernatorial race has yet to be called in Arizona, but Lake took a narrow lead over Karrin Taylor Robson, with about 80% of precincts reporting as of Wednesday morning.
Blake Masters, who received Trump’s endorsement, won Arizona’s GOP Senate primary, and will take on incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat, in November.
A few races in Washington state are yet to be called, although incumbent Democratic Sen. Patty Murray has advanced to the general election against GOP challenger Tiffany Smiley. In Washington, candidates of all parties compete in an open primary, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general race.
Democrats promote Trump’s candidate: In another Michigan GOP primary for the 3rd Congressional District, John Gibbs, a former Trump administration official, took down incumbent Rep. Peter Meijer with help from an unlikely ally: Democrats.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ran ads in Michigan to boost Gibbs, who they think is a weaker general election candidate. By doing so, they ousted Meijer, a moderate Republican who was one of 10 who voted to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
Gibbs will face Democrat Hillary Scholten in the general election.
Abortion rights protected in Kansas: In the first major referendum following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Kansas voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have let the state legislature further restrict abortion in the state.
The Associated Press called the race late Tuesday night, with more than 60% of voters voting against the amendment.
Abortion rights supporters cheered the victory, which played out in one of the nation’s conservative strongholds.
Trump endorsee wins in Michigan: Tudor Dixon, a conservative commentator, won Michigan’s Republican primary for governor, and will face Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November’s general election.
Dixon has received high-profile endorsements from Trump and Betsy DeVos, Trump’s education secretary.
Whitmer was a key target for Republicans trying to flip governors’ seats in the midterms, and Dixon emerged from a crowded field of challengers after two were disqualified for turning in forged petition signatures, and another was charged with four misdemeanors for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
Eric Schmitt wins Missouri Senate primary: Missouri’s attorney general, Eric Schmitt, was declared the winner in Missouri’s GOP primary for Senate, ending the comeback bid by former Gov. Eric Greitens, who has faced allegations of domestic abuse during the campaign.
Some Republicans rallied behind Schmitt during the primary campaign, fearing Greitens’ scandals and a campaign ad, in which he wielded a shotgun and asked voters to go “RINO (Republican in name only) hunting,” would limit his electability in a general campaign.