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Rep. Clay beats Rep. Carnahan in Missouri Dem House primary
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08/07/12 11:33 PM ET
Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) beat fellow Democratic lawmaker Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) Tuesday night in a hard-fought, oftentimes bitter primary.
With 97 percent of percents reporting, Clay took 62 percent to Carnahan's 35 percent. The results reflect most of the polling throughout the race, which showed Clay ahead of Carnahan by a wide margin at most points, most recently by 21 percent.
Attacks were often borderline personal, with vitriol fed by Carnahan's belief that Clay worked with Republicans in the statehouse to draw a district favorable to him, as it includes a majority of his old district, but one that essentially locked Carnahan out. The state lost a House seat in the redistricting process.
"Republicans clearly from day one wanted to merge the two Democratic districts in St. Louis into one," Carnahan said during a radio debate, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Unfortunately, my friend Congressman Clay supported them in doing that."
The competition in the 1st district was also marked by racial undertones, with the redrawn district including a majority of racial minority residents, a demographic makeup that favored Clay, who is black, from the start. Though Carnahan, who is white, made a push for black voters, the demographic disadvantage was difficult for the congressman to overcome, with the most recent poll giving Clay a solid 81 percent support among black voters compared to Carnahan's 12 percent.
Clay is expected to coast to an easy win in the general election come November, in a solidly Democratic district.
With 97 percent of percents reporting, Clay took 62 percent to Carnahan's 35 percent. The results reflect most of the polling throughout the race, which showed Clay ahead of Carnahan by a wide margin at most points, most recently by 21 percent.
Redistricting threw the former colleagues together in a bitter battle marked by escalating attacks, as each candidate tried to frame himself as the most liberal lawmaker to represent the St. Louis-area district. Carnahan charged Clay with championing predatory lenders as a member of the Financial Affairs Committee, while Clay hit Carnahan for his support of the 2008 bank bailout.
"Republicans clearly from day one wanted to merge the two Democratic districts in St. Louis into one," Carnahan said during a radio debate, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Unfortunately, my friend Congressman Clay supported them in doing that."
The competition in the 1st district was also marked by racial undertones, with the redrawn district including a majority of racial minority residents, a demographic makeup that favored Clay, who is black, from the start. Though Carnahan, who is white, made a push for black voters, the demographic disadvantage was difficult for the congressman to overcome, with the most recent poll giving Clay a solid 81 percent support among black voters compared to Carnahan's 12 percent.
Clay is expected to coast to an easy win in the general election come November, in a solidly Democratic district.
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