Republican Ron Johnson brushed aside his primary opponent to set up a general election match up with three-term incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.).

Johnson led businessman Dave Westlake by 75 points with 285 of 3601 precincts reporting. The Associated Press declared him the winner.

Johnson had a quick rise from neophyte candidate to GOP Senate nominee. He announced his run less than a week before the Republican Party’s state convention in May and was the surprise winner with 64 percent. Former state Commerce Secretary Dick Leinenkugel, who was considered the favorite, dropped out of the race after the convention and endorsed Johnson.

Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, had been courting former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) to run. But since Thompson announced his decision to remain out of politics, the NRSC has promoted Johnson’s candidacy.

Johnson hopes to capitalize on his business résumé and the country's anti-incumbent mood to unseat Feingold. "People really are looking for somebody with an entirely different perspective here," Johnson told The Hill earlier this year.

Despite having the support of the party establishement, Democrats sought to link Johnson to the other insurgent candidates of the cycle.

"Ron Johnson officially joins the ranks of Christine O'Donnell, Rand Paul, Sharron Angle, Ken Buck, and Joe Miller as extremist U.S Senate candidates who care more about imposing a strict social doctrine than addressing the challenges facing working people," Bob Menendez (N.J.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

"Ron Johnson is open to drilling for oil in Lake Michigan, believes sunspots cause global warming, and has shown an interest in dismantling Social Security. Johnson crusades against government spending even after getting caught using government funds to grow his own business."

Feingold and Johnson have already traded jabs in several TV ads over the issues Menendez mentioned.

Feingold spent some $10 million on his race in 2004, Johnson said, noting he’ll have to spend something similar this year. "It's probably somewhere in that ballpark."

--Updated at 12:19 a.m. Sept. 15

Businesswoman Michele Rollins (R) was supposed to coast to the Republican House nomination after clinching the backing of delegates at the state party's convention.

But this cycle, the establishment's endorsement has marked political careers for death and Delaware has been no exception.

Developer Glen Urquhart (R) remained in the primary race after Rollins got the May endorsement and his tenacity came close to being rewarded with victory on Tuesday.

Only 552 votes separated Urquhart and Rollins, a former Miss USA-turned government attorney, with all 325 precincts reporting. A spokesman for Rollins said the campaign is considering its options, which may include calling for a recount.

Urquhart was leading Rollins by double digits in one of the final polls conducted before the vote. Half the likely Republican primary voters who responded to the Public Policy Polling survey said they'd vote for Urquhart, compared to 38 percent who said they'd vote for Rollins.

Read more...

Liberals celebrated a win Tuesday in the congressional district left vacant by Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.). 


Their candidate, Anne McLane Kuster, defeated Katrina Swett by running from the left.

With 13 percent of the precincts reporting, Kuster won the Democratic primary with 74 percent of the vote.

The race was a narrative that was tailor made for liberals nationwide. Swett is the daughter of the late Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) and the husband of former Rep. Dick Swett (D-N.H.). She was also the co-chairwoman of Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) 2004 presidential campaign.



Kuster raised significant amounts of cash from liberal activists nationwide and her candidacy was propped up by the newly-former Progressive Campaign Change Committee and liberal blogs like Daily Kos.



Swett worked to paint herself as the more electable candidate in a general election ahead of the primary, repeatedly pointing out Kuster's branding of herself as "progressive." It was a line that Kuster used to raise more cash online from liberal activists.



The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a back and forth over the extension of the Bush tax cuts dominated the final days of the primary campaign.


The Republican primary has not been called yet.

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) survived a primary challenger who campaigned on Lynch's vote against healthcare reform.

Christine O’Donnell's win in Delaware Senate primary puts seat in play; endangers GOP chances of taking control in the Senate.

Former Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich won the GOP gubernatorial primary Tuesday to set up a rematch with Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) in November.

Ehrlich crushed investor Brian Murphy by some 60 points. With only 20 precincts reporting, the Associated Press declared him the winner.

He lost to O’Malley in 2006.

Murphy gained notoriety when he was endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But in a bizarre twist, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday endorsed Ehrlich, pitting the 2008 GOP presidential ticket on opposite sides in this primary.

The Maryland governor’s primary was one of the first in which McCain and Palin found themselves supporting opposing candidates. Palin endorsed McCain in his March for reelection. He handily won his August primary contest.

Murphy ran to the right of Ehrlich but wasn't able to gain traction.

NEW YORK -- Tuesday marked the first election in New York to make use of new electronic voting machines and, by most accounts, problems at polling places were widespread.

Voters in Brooklyn and on the West Side of Manhattan faced delays Tuesday morning after voting machine equipment wasn't ready on time and, despite low turnout, lines began to build.

Staffers from several campaigns said that calls came into their offices throughout the day with complaints.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) laid the blame at the doorstep of the board of elections Tuesday afternoon, telling reporters "the board is a remnant of the days when Tammany Hall ran New York."

The state switched from decades old lever voting machines this year after finally coming into compliance with new federal voting requirements under the Help America Vote Act. Read more...

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) declined to run for Senate as a Libertarian on Tuesday, but said she would decide whether or not to launch a write-in bid on Friday.

The incumbent senator, who lost a primary election to Tea Party-backed candidate Joe Miller last month, said she has received an "outpouring of support" from people in her state but is still undecided as to whether she will attempt to keep her Senate seat.

"After meeting with the Libertarian candidate last week and considering that option, I cannot in good conscience seek the Libertarian nomination," she said.

Murkowski accused the Tea Party Express, which poured $500,000 into Miller's campaign, of hijacking the Alaska Republican Party, but said she "is not going to quit my party.

"I will not wrap myself in the flag of another political party for the sake of election at any cost," she said.

Murkowski remained in Alaska through Monday while exploring her options to remain in the race, despite the fact she orignally conceded the race. Her campaign said she returned to Washington on Tuesday.

The Alaska senator said she would decide on carrying out an independent write-in bid by the end of the week even though she has only received tepid support for the idea from her Senate GOP colleagues.

“I recognize that not seeking the Libertarian’s position on the ballot leaves me with the more difficult task of running a write-in campaign should I decide to continue in the race," she said. "I will continue to seek advice from my fellow Alaskans about what is best for the state’s future and announce a decision by Friday."

Tea Party Express spokesman Levi Russell responded that Murkowski "is a sore loser" and that her post-election behavior shows "nothing but contempt for the people of Alaska."

"It's time for her to start doing the right thing by volunteering to help Joe Miller win this election for the Republican Party in November," Russell said.

-- This post was updated at 8:24 p.m.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) on Tuesday dodged a pledge to financially support Delaware conservative Christine O'Donnell if she win's Tuesday's Senate primary against Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.).

Asked if the NRSC would financially back O'Donnell in the general election if she defeats Castle, a popular centrist, in Tuesday's primary, Cornyn said he wouldn't answer until the results are in.

"I am not going to answer that question because it's a hypothetical," Cornyn said with a smile. "I'll talk to you about it tomorrow."

O'Donnell has the backing of some Tea Party leaders as well as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), but critics say she would be a weaker candidate than Castle against Newcastle County Executive Chris Coons, the expected Democratic nominee, in November.