Voters in New Hampshire picked nominees for a House seat opened by a retirement, and Republicans backed a former senator’s bid in the governor’s race. In Delaware, a senator’s retirement produced no drama in the primary but left the state’s lone House seat vacant, and there was competition for the nominations to fill it. A Rhode Island senator, meanwhile, swatted away a primary challenger who put his own money into challenging him.
Here’s a rundown of the results Tuesday in the final round of congressional primaries before the Nov. 5 election. This report will be updated.
New Hampshire’s 2nd District
Maggie Goodlander, a former official in President Joe Biden’s administration, defeated Colin Van Ostern, a former member of the New Hampshire executive council, in a testy Democratic primary for the nomination to replace retiring Rep. Ann McLane Kuster.
Goodlander had 62 percent of the vote when The Associated Press called the race at 8:41 p.m.
The 13-candidate Republican fight was not called as early, with New Hampshire Asian American Coalition Chair Lily Tang Williams and unsuccessful 2022 Senate primary candidate Vikram Mansharamani leading the pack.
Goodlander’s win brings an end to one of the most contentious Democratic primaries of the year. She will now try to hold on to a battleground seat, albeit one in which Democrats are favored. She had significantly more cash on hand than her opponents as of Aug. 21.
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race as Likely Democratic.
Rhode Island Senate
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse easily turned back a challenge from a self-funding fellow Democrat, while the Republican primary to face him in November was won by state Rep. Patricia Morgan.
Morgan led Army veteran and former city official Raymond McKay, 65 percent to 35 percent, when the AP called the race at 8:18 p.m.
Whitehouse was ahead of Bristol investment adviser Michael Costa by 67 points when his primary was called at 8:10.
Costa, who has never held elective office before, loaned his campaign $200,000. He ran on a platform that called for 12-year term limits for members of Congress. Whitehouse has served in the Senate since 2007.
The race is rated Solid Democratic by Inside Elections.
Delaware At-Large House District
Sarah McBride, a Delaware state senator, won the Democratic primary for the state’s at-large House seat, setting her up to potentially be the first openly transgender member of Congress if she wins in November.
McBride had 84 percent of the vote when the AP called the three-way race at 8:41 p.m. Businessman Earl Cooper had 13 percent and financier Elias Weir had 3 percent.
She will face Republican John Whalen, who was leading his opponent Donyale Hall by nearly 10 percentage points when the AP called the race at 9:16 p.m.
Inside Elections rates the race as Solid Democratic.
The seat is open because Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is running for the Senate to succeed retiring Sen. Thomas R. Carper. Blunt Rochester was unopposed in the Democratic primary, as was the Republican she will face in November, Eric Hansen. Inside Elections rates the race as Solid Democratic.
New Hampshire governor
Former New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte won the Republican primary for governor, a seat that’s open after GOP Gov. Chris Sununu opted not to seek a fifth term.
Ayotte had 69 percent of the vote when the AP called the race at 8 p.m. Chuck Morse, the former state Senate president who lost a Republican primary for Senate in 2022, had 28 percent and four other candidates shared the rest of the vote.
Ayotte served one term in the Senate before she was defeated by Sen. Maggie Hassan in 2016.
The Democratic race was more competitive. Former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington were within a few percentage points of each other but no winner had been called.
Inside Elections rates the race in November as a Toss-up.
Daniela Altimari contributed to this report.
