The Latest: Rep. Wesley Bell fends off primary challenge from Cori Bush in Missouri rematch

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:

Republican John Braun advances in battleground Washington district

State Sen. John Braun will advance to the general election in the 3rd Congressional District, challenging Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in one of the GOP’s top pickup opportunities.

Gluesenkamp Perez has won twice in the Republican-leaning district, both times defeating Joe Kent, who faced scrutiny about his ties to white nationalists.

Compared with Kent, Braun has a more conventional Republican background. He’s the president of a family business that makes ambulances and other emergency response vehicles, and he has served more than a decade in the state Legislature, rising to be the Senate Republican leader.

The district in Southwest Washington includes the northern suburbs of Portland, Oregon, as well as rural communities reliant on ports, timber, agriculture and fishing.

US Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez fends off progressive challenger in battleground Washington district

The moderate Democrat will advance to the general election despite a longshot challenge from the left in the 3rd Congressional District.

Gluesenkamp Perez, who has won twice in a battleground district that voted for Trump, is one of a dwindling number of Democrats representing a rural, working class district.

She’s been vocal in warning her fellow Democrats that their party is losing touch with blue-collar voters like those she represents.

Challenger Brent Hennrich made a progressive case against her, highlighting her votes for the Laken Riley immigration bill and a version of the SAVE Act, a voting bill favored by Trump.

But he struggled to raise money or secure support from progressive politicians and interest groups that have helped insurgent challengers topple Democratic incumbents this year in Colorado and New York.

Bush says ‘I am not down, sad’ after loss to Bell

With her supporters cheering and clapping, Bush said she remains “that same fighter that stood up for you before.”

“I don’t have to have a title to fight for my people, St. Louis,” she said.

Saying Bell had ties to Republican candidates in the past, Bush also implied that GOP forces had targeted the district for possible redrawing “because if they make this a Republican district, they already got somebody ready.”

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 in Gaza to Hamas’ attack on the country in 2023.

“This ain’t over, y’all,” she said. “Let them all reap what they sow.”

Bell thanks voters for putting their faith in him a second time

“There’s going to be times we disagree on issues, but that should never stop us from doing the work for regular folks,” Bell said. He went on to say that is “because progressives are supposed to make progress.”

Bell said he saw “cruelty, chaos and corruption” from the Trump administration, which the crowd chanted “yes” in response to. He said November is a chance for voters to have a voice.

“To everyone who trusted me to represent you, thank you, and when we talk about the progress we need to make, I think the folks know, and St. Louis knows, that I’m always going to wake up working for you,” Bell said.

Cori Bush, in losing rematch, says Wesley Bell ‘ran a whole campaign on smears’

The former U.S. House member was greeted with chants of “we love you, Cori” as she took the stage at an events center in Dellwood, more than an hour after U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell was declared victor of the Democratic primary rematch.

Bush, who had been part of the progressive group of House members known as the “Squad,” also says Republican billionaires “want to control this district,” referencing GOP efforts to possibly redistrict the area more favorably to their party.

Polls have closed in Washington state

In-person voting centers in Washington closed at 8 p.m. PT, which is 11 p.m. ET. The state votes almost entirely by mail. 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 primary, the AP first reported results at 11:06 p.m. ET, or six minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:43 p.m. ET, with about 51% of total votes counted. The vote count surpassed the 75% mark on the Thursday following the election at 7:56 p.m. ET and reached about 95% of the total vote six days after the election at 7:24 p.m. ET.

▶ Follow tonight’s results in Washington

Stevens’ watch party buoyed by Wayne County votes

Stevens’ supporters moved into an adjoining room with a large American flag overlooking the crowd to the tune of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”

Buoyed by incoming votes from Wayne County, people chatted, occasionally breaking out into chants of “Haley.” Some held up signs above the crowd reading “Haley Stevens for US Senate” and “Michigan Made.”

Michigan has seen big increases in early voting and voting by mail

The number of people who voted in person early at Michigan polling places ahead of Tuesday’s primary was nearly double the number for the 2024 primary, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie said.

Edevbie also said that the number of people voting by mail also increased by more than 20% compared to the 2022 primary.

He said during a brief news conference that 1.3 million people had cast mail ballots as of Tuesday, up 226,000 from the 2022 primary. Another 139,000 people voted early in person — compared to fewer than 74,000 in 2024.

Edevbie also told reporters that 28,000 people registered to vote Tuesday and then cast their ballots.

Chris Stigall wins Missouri Republican primary to replace longtime US Rep. Sam Graves

The conservative talk radio host’s victory in the five-person primary gives him an edge in the November election for the sprawling 6th Congressional District that includes rural northern Missouri and part of Kansas City.

Graves has represented the district for a quarter century and currently is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Stigall once worked for Graves and was endorsed by the congressman shortly after Graves announced in late March that he was not seeking reelection.

US Rep. Wesley Bell says in victory speech that he will work for the people in St. Louis

“When we think about all of the division that we hear, I think it is important that we focus on what this place can be,” Bell said.

Bell’s speech focused on the work he plans to do for the city, which was met with applause. He described St. Louis as a “sleeping giant” and encouraged applause for campaign volunteers around the room.

“I have a tremendous group of folks, and we just got to work,” Bell said.

Stevens watch party cheers for Wayne County votes

The crowd at Stevens’ watch party erupted into cheers, applause and chants of “Haley” as votes from Wayne County, Michigan’s most populous, began to roll in.

The campaign over a failed ballot measure showed Kansas what judicial races might have looked like

Spending on broadcast and digital advertising reached nearly $13 million during the campaign over an unsuccessful proposal to amend the Kansas Constitution to elect state Supreme Court justices, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Voters rejected the measure in Tuesday’s primary.

Opponents of the Kansas ballot measure spent almost $9 million on broadcast and digital ads. That was more than twice as much as the $4 million spent by supporters.

The governor now appoints the justices from among three finalists selected by a nominating commission, with no role for the Republican-controlled Legislature. The measure’s backers had hoped that if they were successful, they could start electing conservative justices in 2028.

Twenty-two states elect their justices, and some have multi-million dollar races. In Wisconsin, spending in a race last year topped $100 million.

US Rep. John James, backed by Trump, wins Michigan Republican primary for governor

James, who represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, was endorsed by Trump in late June.

His biggest opponent, business owner Perry Johnson, spent about $30 million of his own money on his campaign, according to campaign finance filings. James’ win adds him to the list of Trump-backed candidates who prevailed in primaries around the country, including in Indiana and Louisiana.

James will face Democrat Jocelyn Benson in November. 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.

Kansas state Sen. Cindy Holscher wins the Democratic nomination for governor

She won Tuesday’s primary even though term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly endorsed one of her opponents, fellow Kansas City-area state Sen. Ethan Corson.

Holscher has said she entered politics as a parent concerned about funding for public schools, winning a Kansas House seat in 2016 before capturing her Senate seat in 2020.

She portrayed herself as more of a fighter than her opponents. Her campaign had a populist tone and she even criticized the highest profile business development deal of Kelly’s tenure as governor — $2.4 billion in bonds for a new stadium, training facility and retail development to lure professional football’s Kansas City Chiefs out of Missouri.

Kansas voters reject a proposal from abortion foes seeking to remake the state’s top court

The measure would have amended the state constitution to have Supreme Court justices elected rather than initially appointed by the governor.

Supporters pitched the measure to voters as increasing democracy, but their goal has been to move the court to the right so that it overturns a landmark 2019 decision declaring that the Kansas Constitution protects abortion rights. Voters soundly rejected a proposed amendment in 2022 that would have nullified that decision.

Conservatives also have been upset for at least 20 years over Supreme Court decisions forcing the Legislature to boost spending on public schools.

Advocates of abortion rights and public schools fought the amendment.

Rick Brattin wins Republican primary in Missouri district redrawn at Trump’s request

Brattin, a Republican state senator, prevailed in a six-way primary for the right to take on longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver in the November general election. Brattin is a Marine veteran and a founding member of the legislature’s conservative Missouri Freedom Caucus.

Missouri was the second Republican state, after Texas, to respond to Trump’s call last year to redraw congressional districts to the GOP’s advantage ahead of the midterms. The revamped map stretches Cleaver’s previous Kansas City district eastward into rural central Missouri to give the new 5th District a Republican tilt.

Republicans already hold six of Missouri’s eight congressional seats and are hoping to pick up one more.

Stevens supporters cite her policy experience and bipartisanship

Diallo Smith, 51, thinks Stevens’ congressional experience and connection to the Detroit area make her the best candidate for Senate. He said the large crowds at Abdul El-Sayed’s event are proof of how politically focused Detroit residents are.

“It’s been a very, very competitive primary race so far, and this is not the last leg of the journey,” Smith said.

Other attendees also cited Stevens’ policy experience and willingness to work across the aisle.

Emily Dove-Medows, 49, said while she hopes for a Stevens win, she would vote for El-Sayed against Republican Mike Rogers. In her eyes, keeping Michigan’s Senate seat blue is crucial to providing a bulwark against the Trump administration, and she said she is cautiously optimistic that the Democratic Party will bridge internal rifts.

“Time heals all wounds, right?” she said. “Maybe it might not happen tomorrow, but I think it will happen eventually.”

Rep. Bill Huizenga wins the Republican primary for Michigan’s 4th District

Huizenga is seeking reelection in the district that stretches along Lake Michigan in the western part of the state. He defeated opponent Philip Tanis, a former mayor of Holland, Michigan.

Huizenga ran unopposed in the 2022 Republican primary, then had little trouble winning the 2024 primary.

He was a Michigan state representative from 2003 to 2008 and first was elected to Congress in 2011. He planned to launch a U.S. Senate bid in 2025 against former Rep. Mike Rogers until Trump encouraged Huizenga to seek reelection as part of efforts to keep House seats in GOP hands.

Controversial streamer Hasan Piker in attendance at El-Sayed primary night event

The Twitch livestreamer was interviewed on CSPAN as he stood at El-Sayed’s watch party at Detroit’s Majestic Theatre. The crowd let out cheers when Piker was shown on a big screen.

Piker has appeared with El-Sayed multiple times on the campaign trail, receiving criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. Piker has made controversial comments in the past, including that America deserved 9/11.

Missouri voters reject ballot measure to eliminate the state income tax

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.

Trump-endorsed Mike Bouchard wins Michigan’s 10th District Republican primary

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.

Missouri voters reject proposal for the nation’s most difficult standard for constitutional amendments

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.

Stevens’ watch party is subdued but optimistic

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.

US Rep. Wesley Bell wins Missouri Democratic primary in rematch against former Rep. Cori Bush

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.

Backed by Trump, the Kansas Senate president wins the GOP primary for governor

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.

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall wins the GOP nomination for a 2nd term

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.