What Went Down In Elections In Minnesota, Wisconsin, Vermont And Connecticut
Filed under 2022 Election
Voters in Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont and Wisconsin headed to the polls today.
One interesting headline coming out of tonight is that it should be a good one for progressive Democrats. In Wisconsin’s Democratic Senate primary, the field has essentially cleared for Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes who, as Meredith Conroy will detail in a bit, is a progressive heavy hitter backed by groups and individuals like Indivisible and Sen. Bernie Sanders. And in Vermont’s at-large congressional district, the progressive candidate, state Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, looks as if she has the edge over Lt. Gov. Molly Gray. (But perhaps more importantly, regardless whether Balint or Gray wins, Vermont will likely send its first woman to Congress this fall, making it the last state to do so.)
On the Republican side, Wisconsin is the marquee state to watch as former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and construction executive Tim Michels duke it out for the gubernatorial nomination. Similar to what we saw in Arizona’s governors race last week, this is a race featuring a Trump-endorsed outsider against a more established Republican politician. But in an interesting twist, it’s actually Kleefisch — and not the Trump-endorsed Michels — who has been more adamant in claiming the 2020 election was fraudulent.
Finally, it’s not just primaries tonight. We also have a special election in Minnesota’s 1st District (well, and a primary too). As Nathaniel Rakich will detail in his preview of those races with Geoffrey Skelley, special elections have been a mixed bag for Democrats and Republicans this cycle, with neither party holding a clear advantage. It is possible, though, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade earlier this summer, that Democratic voters are more motivated than Republican voters. We’ll have to see what the results from Minnesota’s 1st can tell us.
OK! That’s it from me. There’s a lot more going on the live blog, and as always, thanks for following along, and if you have any questions, ping us @538politics and I’ll try to get your question answered on the live blog!