Downballot primaries continue tonight with races in four states. We'll begin our live coverage at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT when polls close in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We'll be liveblogging the results here and also covering the returns closely on X.
Key Races: Previews | Live cheat-sheet
Results: Associated Press | New York Times | Politico
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:51:47 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-03: The last domino of this Election Night has fallen, as the AP has called the Democratic primary for businesswoman Rebecca Cooke, who defeats state legislator Katrina Shankland by a 49-42 margin. Cooke will go on to face freshman GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden in a tough-but-potentially winnable race this November for the Democrats.
And with that, we can close the books on another fun election night here at Daily Kos Elections. We thank all of you for following along, and wish you a wonderful rest of the week!
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:49:03 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
Wisconsin: Quick note here about general political enthusiasm. Dane County, home to Madison and the most left-leaning county in the state, has had at least 163,000 votes cast today in a primary election. That is equivalent to over half of the (very good) 2022 turnout, and is close to half of the 2020 presidential turnout.
I dare say that if there IS an enthusiasm gap in 2024, it may well favor the Democrats.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:39:54 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-08 (R): ”In Green Bay, Wisconsin, Wied smokes you.” (Youngsters, consult your elders for what this bit means...old people television advertising, friends). Tony Wied has been given the AP seal of approval, and is the winner of this primary to replace the departed GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher. With about two-thirds of the vote tallied, he leads former state legislator Roger Roth by a 40-36 margin.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:31:31 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
Wisconsin: Still two races left to call tonight, but the writing is pretty clearly on the wall in both of them. In the Democratic primary in WI-03, Rebecca Cooke has a 48-43 lead over Katrina Shankland with 87% reporting. Almost all of Shankland’s strength was in two counties that have largely reported, so it seems unlikely that she’ll have the votes to catch up. Meanwhile in the northeastern part of the state, Tony Wied seems well on his way to clinching the GOP nomination in the open seat in WI-08. Wied has a 39-36-25 lead over former state legislator Roger Roth and state senator Andre Jacque.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:07:45 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-08 (R): As eager as I was to post an update that said “Roth smokes Wied!”, it’s looking far less likely to happen the further we get into the night. Tony Wied, the Trump-endorsed businessman, now leads Roger Roth by a 39-35 margin, with state senator Andre Jacque at 26 percent. What’s more: the counties with the fewest votes tallied thus far are counties where Wied is well ahead of both Roth and Jacque.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:54:58 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
Wisconsin: While Trump appears to be getting his pick in that open primary in WI-08, not all the news is good in MAGA-world:
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:49:02 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-07 (R): And the Senate call is almost immediately followed by a call in this rural red district, where incumbent Rep. Michelle Fischbach has secured the nomination, albeit far from resoundingly. With about half the vote in, she leads fellow Republican Steve Boyd by a 65-35 margin.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:46:51 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-Sen (R): We have an AP call for former NBA player Royce White, whose lead over Joe Fraser has been consistently in the 8-10 percentage point range all evening. He will go on to face Democratic incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is seeking her fourth term in the U.S. Senate.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:41:57 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-05 (D): Basically all of Hennepin County reported in one fell swoop, and with it, we get an AP call for incumbent Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar. The Squad member did not have it necessarily easy, though, as she appears to have defeated Don Samuels by a 56-43 margin.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:40:20 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-03 (D): A huge margin for state legislator Katrina Shankland out of favorable turf in Portage County has rocketed her into contention, but not yet into the lead. Shankland rode an 83-14 edge in the county to maximum effect, and now trails Rebecca Cooke by just 600 votes (47-46).
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:26:20 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-08 (R): We have a lead change in this GOP-friendly district, and it is one that speaks to the power of the MAGA cult in the modern GOP. Tony Wied, the beneficiary of the Trump endorsement, has moved ahead of former state legislator Roger Roth. At present, the margin is less than 200 votes, but Roth’s best county (Outagamie) is basically all-in at this point, so we’d expect the margin for Wied to expand.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:14:56 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WISCONSIN: Anything that makes Wisconsin’s Republican legislature sad is a good day for the rest of us. And, indeed, today is a good day. Their attempt to strip Gov. Tony Evers of more responsibilities to consolidate power for themselves has failed—the AP has declared that neither measure put on the ballot by the GOP will pass when all the votes are counted.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:12:07 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-Sen (R): The threshold has finally been crossed here, and any swing district Republicans have to be mildly ill at ease. Royce White, the former NBA player given to wild statements and conspiracy theories, has a 38-30 lead over Joe Fraser. Both trail incumbent Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar by similar margins, but White’s penchant for flirting with antisemitism and conspiracy theories might make him a liability as the GOP tries to reclaim the state House of Representatives.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:05:33 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-03 (D): With more than half the vote in, the avenues for Katrina Shankland to make a comeback here are thinning out. Eleven counties in this vast district in southwestern Wisconsin have reported votes, while only eight counties have not reported anything. Rebecca Cooke leads in ten of those counties, including the two most populous ones.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:01:19 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-08 (R): With about a quarter of the vote tallied, the coveted (for Republicans, at least) Trump endorsement has not led to an easy win. In fact, businessman Tony Wied, for whom Trump and allies tried to clear the field, is trailing former GOP state legislator Roger Roth by a 42-36 margin. A third candidate, state senator Andre Jacque, is a distant third with 22% of the vote.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:57:41 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-02 (R): In this “zombie primary” where one-time GOP contender Tayler Rahm dropped out, but then curiously kept sending out campaign literature, he nonetheless has fallen. The Associated Press has called the primary for Joe Teirab, who currently leads Rahm 75-25 in early balloting. Teirab, who earned a Trump endorsement, now goes on to face Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in November.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:55:46 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WISCONSIN: With about half the precincts reporting, it looks like current state Sen. Dan Knodl has found a soft place to land. Having seen his Senate seat (which he narrowly won in a special election) redrawn, he elected instead to return to a more GOP-friendly seat in the state assembly, held by incumbent Rep. Janel Brandtjen. With about 57% of the expected vote in, Knodl leads Brandtjen by a 60-40 margin.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:36:06 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-03 (D): In the battle to take on freshman Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, businesswoman (and 2022 candidate) Rebecca Cooke is staked to a 53-37 lead over state legislator Katrina Shankland with about one-third of the expected vote counted.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:33:13 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WISCONSIN: We are now at the 10 percent reporting threshold statewide, and the early indicators are decent for the defeat of the two statewide measures aimed at stripping Gov. Tony Evers of vital powers. Both are trailing by roughly 3-2 margins, although it is fair to note that Dane and Milwaukee Counties are offering up fairly large portions of the total vote thus far. Two counties are well into their counting: red-leaning Jefferson and crucial (that will never get old) Waukesha County. In both, the “yes” vote is running behind Donald Trump’s 2020 totals.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:24:31 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
TX-18: Our first bit of news tonight does not come in a primary election, but rather a caucus of precinct chairs down in the Lone Star State:
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:06:05 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another primary night on the road to November! Tonight features four states, with some intriguing contests on board. Two states (Connecticut and Vermont) have already got the ball rolling, but most of our attention is centered on the midwest: Wisconsin and Minnesota. Wisconsin has a couple of key House primaries, as well as two ballot questions put forward by the GOP state legislature to further strip power from Gov. Tony Evers, for the immense crime of (checks notes) being a Democrat. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, we have a Republican Senate primary that promises to be a hoot, and several House races to keep at least one eye on.
Key Races: Previews | Live cheat-sheet
Results: Associated Press | New York Times | Politico
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:51:47 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-03: The last domino of this Election Night has fallen, as the AP has called the Democratic primary for businesswoman Rebecca Cooke, who defeats state legislator Katrina Shankland by a 49-42 margin. Cooke will go on to face freshman GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden in a tough-but-potentially winnable race this November for the Democrats.
And with that, we can close the books on another fun election night here at Daily Kos Elections. We thank all of you for following along, and wish you a wonderful rest of the week!
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:49:03 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
Wisconsin: Quick note here about general political enthusiasm. Dane County, home to Madison and the most left-leaning county in the state, has had at least 163,000 votes cast today in a primary election. That is equivalent to over half of the (very good) 2022 turnout, and is close to half of the 2020 presidential turnout.
I dare say that if there IS an enthusiasm gap in 2024, it may well favor the Democrats.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:39:54 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-08 (R): ”In Green Bay, Wisconsin, Wied smokes you.” (Youngsters, consult your elders for what this bit means...old people television advertising, friends). Tony Wied has been given the AP seal of approval, and is the winner of this primary to replace the departed GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher. With about two-thirds of the vote tallied, he leads former state legislator Roger Roth by a 40-36 margin.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:31:31 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
Wisconsin: Still two races left to call tonight, but the writing is pretty clearly on the wall in both of them. In the Democratic primary in WI-03, Rebecca Cooke has a 48-43 lead over Katrina Shankland with 87% reporting. Almost all of Shankland’s strength was in two counties that have largely reported, so it seems unlikely that she’ll have the votes to catch up. Meanwhile in the northeastern part of the state, Tony Wied seems well on his way to clinching the GOP nomination in the open seat in WI-08. Wied has a 39-36-25 lead over former state legislator Roger Roth and state senator Andre Jacque.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 3:07:45 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-08 (R): As eager as I was to post an update that said “Roth smokes Wied!”, it’s looking far less likely to happen the further we get into the night. Tony Wied, the Trump-endorsed businessman, now leads Roger Roth by a 39-35 margin, with state senator Andre Jacque at 26 percent. What’s more: the counties with the fewest votes tallied thus far are counties where Wied is well ahead of both Roth and Jacque.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:54:58 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
Wisconsin: While Trump appears to be getting his pick in that open primary in WI-08, not all the news is good in MAGA-world:
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:49:02 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-07 (R): And the Senate call is almost immediately followed by a call in this rural red district, where incumbent Rep. Michelle Fischbach has secured the nomination, albeit far from resoundingly. With about half the vote in, she leads fellow Republican Steve Boyd by a 65-35 margin.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:46:51 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-Sen (R): We have an AP call for former NBA player Royce White, whose lead over Joe Fraser has been consistently in the 8-10 percentage point range all evening. He will go on to face Democratic incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is seeking her fourth term in the U.S. Senate.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:41:57 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-05 (D): Basically all of Hennepin County reported in one fell swoop, and with it, we get an AP call for incumbent Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar. The Squad member did not have it necessarily easy, though, as she appears to have defeated Don Samuels by a 56-43 margin.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:40:20 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-03 (D): A huge margin for state legislator Katrina Shankland out of favorable turf in Portage County has rocketed her into contention, but not yet into the lead. Shankland rode an 83-14 edge in the county to maximum effect, and now trails Rebecca Cooke by just 600 votes (47-46).
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:26:20 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-08 (R): We have a lead change in this GOP-friendly district, and it is one that speaks to the power of the MAGA cult in the modern GOP. Tony Wied, the beneficiary of the Trump endorsement, has moved ahead of former state legislator Roger Roth. At present, the margin is less than 200 votes, but Roth’s best county (Outagamie) is basically all-in at this point, so we’d expect the margin for Wied to expand.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:14:56 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WISCONSIN: Anything that makes Wisconsin’s Republican legislature sad is a good day for the rest of us. And, indeed, today is a good day. Their attempt to strip Gov. Tony Evers of more responsibilities to consolidate power for themselves has failed—the AP has declared that neither measure put on the ballot by the GOP will pass when all the votes are counted.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:12:07 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-Sen (R): The threshold has finally been crossed here, and any swing district Republicans have to be mildly ill at ease. Royce White, the former NBA player given to wild statements and conspiracy theories, has a 38-30 lead over Joe Fraser. Both trail incumbent Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar by similar margins, but White’s penchant for flirting with antisemitism and conspiracy theories might make him a liability as the GOP tries to reclaim the state House of Representatives.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:05:33 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-03 (D): With more than half the vote in, the avenues for Katrina Shankland to make a comeback here are thinning out. Eleven counties in this vast district in southwestern Wisconsin have reported votes, while only eight counties have not reported anything. Rebecca Cooke leads in ten of those counties, including the two most populous ones.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 2:01:19 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-08 (R): With about a quarter of the vote tallied, the coveted (for Republicans, at least) Trump endorsement has not led to an easy win. In fact, businessman Tony Wied, for whom Trump and allies tried to clear the field, is trailing former GOP state legislator Roger Roth by a 42-36 margin. A third candidate, state senator Andre Jacque, is a distant third with 22% of the vote.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:57:41 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
MN-02 (R): In this “zombie primary” where one-time GOP contender Tayler Rahm dropped out, but then curiously kept sending out campaign literature, he nonetheless has fallen. The Associated Press has called the primary for Joe Teirab, who currently leads Rahm 75-25 in early balloting. Teirab, who earned a Trump endorsement, now goes on to face Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in November.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:55:46 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WISCONSIN: With about half the precincts reporting, it looks like current state Sen. Dan Knodl has found a soft place to land. Having seen his Senate seat (which he narrowly won in a special election) redrawn, he elected instead to return to a more GOP-friendly seat in the state assembly, held by incumbent Rep. Janel Brandtjen. With about 57% of the expected vote in, Knodl leads Brandtjen by a 60-40 margin.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:36:06 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WI-03 (D): In the battle to take on freshman Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, businesswoman (and 2022 candidate) Rebecca Cooke is staked to a 53-37 lead over state legislator Katrina Shankland with about one-third of the expected vote counted.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:33:13 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
WISCONSIN: We are now at the 10 percent reporting threshold statewide, and the early indicators are decent for the defeat of the two statewide measures aimed at stripping Gov. Tony Evers of vital powers. Both are trailing by roughly 3-2 margins, although it is fair to note that Dane and Milwaukee Counties are offering up fairly large portions of the total vote thus far. Two counties are well into their counting: red-leaning Jefferson and crucial (that will never get old) Waukesha County. In both, the “yes” vote is running behind Donald Trump’s 2020 totals.
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:24:31 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
TX-18: Our first bit of news tonight does not come in a primary election, but rather a caucus of precinct chairs down in the Lone Star State:
UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024 · 1:06:05 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another primary night on the road to November! Tonight features four states, with some intriguing contests on board. Two states (Connecticut and Vermont) have already got the ball rolling, but most of our attention is centered on the midwest: Wisconsin and Minnesota. Wisconsin has a couple of key House primaries, as well as two ballot questions put forward by the GOP state legislature to further strip power from Gov. Tony Evers, for the immense crime of (checks notes) being a Democrat. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, we have a Republican Senate primary that promises to be a hoot, and several House races to keep at least one eye on.