Tuesday, nine months after taking office following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul handily won the Democratic primary for governor of her state.
Jumaane Williams, the elected public advocate for New York City, and Tom Suozzi, a moderate U.S. Representative from Long Island, were opponents of New York’s first female governor, but she prevailed.
Given that there are more than twice as many Democrats as Republicans in New York and the state hasn’t elected a Republican governor in 16 years, Hochul has a significant lead going into the general election.
The following are additional highlights from the seven state primaries held on Tuesday:
Colorado
Right-wing extremist One of a number of crucial races on Tuesday saw Rep. Lauren Boebert upset state Sen. Don Coram in the primary.
In a testimony to her attention-grabbing brand of far-right politics there, Boebert, a co-chair of the Second Amendment caucus who has brazenly shown her gun collection in Zoom Congressional hearings and TV appearances, won her primary in Colorado’s solid-red third district. In a speech over the weekend, Boebert asserted that “the church is meant to direct the government” and claimed she was “weary of this separation of church and state rubbish.”
After the redistricting, Boebert’s district became more conservative, and she is predicted to win in November.
A more moderate Republican, though, is predicted to defeat his opponent to the right in a different Colorado contest and secure the party’s nominee for the Senate, where he will face Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet in the fall.
According to the Associated Press, Republican businessman Joe O’Dea is expected to defeat state representative Ron Hanks.
O’Dea has declared his support for a government ban on late-term abortions as well as federal funding for the surgery, but he would leave the choice to end a pregnancy in the first few months “between a person and their God.”
State Representative Ron Hanks, who opposes abortion in all circumstances and attended the “Save America” demonstration on January 6 before the Capitol violence, is O’Dea’s main challenger.
On the Democratic side, Bennet is the only candidate.
Mississippi
Mississippi held its primaries on June 7 but two Republicans were pushed into a runoff after they fell short of the required 50 percent of the vote. Rep. Michael Guest is predicted to defeat retired Navy fighter pilot Michael Cassidy in the primary.
Guest, who was thrown into the primary after voting to establish an independent commission to investigate on January 6 and facing accusations of being disloyal to Trump, is vying for a third term.
Another incumbent from Mississippi was less fortunate; six-term Rep.
Steven Palazzo is expected to lose to former sheriff Mike Ezell. Palazzo had come under fire after a congressional ethics report in 2021 accused his office of misusing campaign funds, doing favors for his brother, and using staff for personal and political errands.
Illinois
Darren Bailey, a Bible-toting, conservative farmer who curryd Trump’s favor just last weekend at a rally in Illinois, was successful thanks to Trump’s endorsement.
Richard Irvin, the mayor of Aurora, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, was Bailey’s main rival in the GOP primary, which had six candidates.
Despite having received $50 million from billionaire Ken Griffin, Irvine’s campaign was destroyed by Democrats, who saw Bailey as a more dangerous challenger to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Meanwhile, Pritzker prevailed over progressive nurse and Army veteran Beverly Miles, who had been his main opponent from the left.
Additionally, Rep. Sean Casten is predicted to defeat Marie Newman in an incumbent vs incumbent contest.
Both candidates had very liberal voting records, but Newman identified herself as the one in the contest who is more on the left.
She spoke out in favor of the Green New Deal and blasted Casten for supporting the ‘anti-choice’ George H.W. Bush by sharing her own 1980s abortion experience.