SALEM, OR: There are four statewide offices on the ballot in the Beaver state this year - attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and labor commissioner. Three incumbents are seeking re-election, with the fourth, attorney general John Kroger, retiring to become president of Reed College. The only two primary contests awaiting settlement tomorrow are the Democratic nominations for attorney general and secretary of state.

Besides the nonpartisan race for labor commissioner, which voters will not address at the polls until November due to a new election law,^[1] the state executive primary races are all partisan and thus subject to this year’s open Republican primaries. Oregon’s Republican party, which has struggled over the last decade to elect a single candidate to state row, decided to extend a special invitation to the state’s over 420,000 unaffiliated voters to participate in its primaries for attorney general, secretary of state, and treasurer.^[2] The gesture meant to attract these voters, which compose 21% of the state’s electorate, to GOP candidates early in the election season and to build goodwill for the floundering party.

Ultimately, the gesture was an empty one; Republican presence has dwindled so much in recent past that it took considerable effort by the party to recruit one candidate -Knute Buehler for secretary of state- between the three races, let alone produce enough candidates to stage a Republican primary contest. ^[3]

Owing to the forgone presidential primary contests, Secretary of State Kate Brown predicted that voter turnout in Tuesday’s primary will be in the “low 40s,” which would be the lowest voter participationfor the state’s presidential primary in modern history.^[4]

RALEIGH, North Carolina: After months of campaigning from both support and opposition, voters ultimately spoke out in favor of North Carolina Amendment 1 on May 8.

With all 100 counties reporting, unofficial results of the only ballot measure on the May 8 primary ballot shows that the measure has been approved with 61.05% voters voting “yes” and 38.95% voting “no”.

The measure will add to the state constitution that the definition of marriage is between one man and one woman, according to the measure’s text. Also, the measure will ban any other type of “domestic legal union” such as civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Official elections results will be posted when the North Carolina State Board of Elections website completes those numbers.

To view ballot measure election results, click here.

The results

To see detailed election results, click on the measure link or click here.

May 8:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Marriage	Would define marriage in the state as between one man and one woman

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Edited by Al Ortiz

It is a busy time in the ballot measure world. The first ballot measure election of 2012 in North Carolina will take place today, where the highly-scrutinized Amendment 1 will be decided by voters. In addition, there were two ballot-certifications and two petition drive deadlines this past week.

The total ballot measure count across the country is 92 statewide questions in 31 states.

The first certification that occurred this week came in Arizona where the state legislature voted in favor of a state sovereignty amendment, paving the way for the proposal’s ballot access. The measure would declare state sovereignty over the state’s natural resources based on the argument of “equal footing.” Natural resources would include land, air, water, minerals and wildlife.

This now leaves Arizona with four measures on the statewide ballot. Citizens can also place statewide measures on the ballot in Arizona, and have until the July 5 petition drive deadline to submit the required amount of signatures needed for their proposal to obtain a spot in the general election.

Illinois joined in on the list of states with ballot measures this week, sending a public pension measure to the ballot. If passed, the measure would require a three-fifths approval by the General Assembly, city councils, and school districts that wish to increase the pension benefits of their employees.

The legislatively-referred constitutional amendment locked a spot on the ballot on May 3 when the Illinois Senate approved it with a 51-2 vote. The State House had previously given its approval.

Ballot measure news out of Illinois wasn’t just limited to the state legislature. On May 7, the state’s petition drive deadline arrived, signaling the end of the petition circulation process.

There were no known active attempts to place a citizen initiative on the ballot this year. However, groups opposing a 2011 law allowing same-sex civil unions have been gathering signatures for an advisory question regarding a referendum on the law. If this question is placed on the ballot it would need to be approved by voters, then approved by the legislature, before finally being sent to voters again as a referendum. No information has been posted on the Illinois Secretary of State‘s website indicating if this effort turned in signatures. Stay tuned for more updates!

Meanwhile, in Missouri, the complicated initiative process situation didn’t discourage supporters from submitting signatures by the May 6 deadline. In all, signatures were submitted for four proposals days before the deadline.

Initiative efforts that turned in signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State‘s office included a measure to raise the state’s minimum wage to $8.25 an hour; an initiative to limit the annual rate of interest, fees, and finance charges for payday loans; a proposal to impose an additional $1 tax on each package of twenty cigarettes for cessation programs; and a constitutional amendment to require that all municipal police forces or departments be controlled by the local governing body.

To qualify for the ballot, each initiated state statute effort is required to get signatures from registered voters equal to 5% of the total votes cast in the 2008 governor’s election. This amounts to 91,818 signatures. Constitutional amendments require 146,907 signatures to be placed on the ballot.

The petition drive deadline won’t be the last hurdle for initiative organizers in the state. Read more about this here.

On the west coast, the California initiative process could be just as confusing as Missouri’s. Petition drive deadline laws in the state may raise some questions about ballot access for 2012 initiatives.

Four major proposed statewide initiatives filed their signatures between May 1 and May 4, with the assumption that they had filed in time to qualify for the November 6 ballot.

However, in advance of every even-numbered year, the California Secretary of State publishes a “suggested initiative deadlines” document. The document works backward from the state’s final deadline through the various steps in the qualification process to produce a list of suggested deadlines for the various steps required.

The document is prefaced with a disclaimer, “The following suggested deadlines are not substitutes for California election laws, regulations, or policy. Other factors, such as amending the initiative measure before circulation or the length of time for circulation, will affect the time it takes to complete the process.”

If the set of suggested 2012 deadlines is accurate, then April 20 was the last day by which petition sponsors could submit signatures with the hope of qualifying for the November 6, 2012 ballot.

But how set-in-stone are these “suggested deadlines”? Read more about this here.

North Carolina election day

North Carolina Amendment 1 will be decided by state residents today during the May 8 primary election, where eligible voters will chime in on whether or not marriage should be defined as one man and one woman in the North Carolina Constitution. The proposal would also ban any other type of “domestic legal union” such as civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Same-sex marriage is already illegal in the state of North Carolina. The proposed measure, however, would add the ban to the state constitution.

Election results will be posted when polls close at 7:30 p.m. EST as precincts begin to report their totals. Live election results will be posted here, as well as on Amendment 1′s ballot measure page, and on Ballotpedia’s North Carolina election page under the “Ballot measures” tab. Live tweets on Ballotpedia’s Twitter page can also be followed.

Read Ballotpedia’s election preview of Amendment 1 here.

Quick hits

• Petitions for Oregon casino initiatives subject of criticism: According to the Oregon Secretary of State six people have called the office complaining of the tactics used by petitioners to collect signatures. Fairview City Council member Lisa Barton-Mullins has allegedly been asked twice to sign the petition and neither time did the petitioner use the word “casino.” However, according to the petition company hired by the casino campaign, canvassers must follow a script that does include the word. The measures in question are Initiatives 36 and 38.^[1]

• North Dakota Legislative Assembly backs figures on Measure 2: On Tuesday, May 1, the Legislative Management Committee accepted and approved the $812 million figure submitted by the Tax Department as the amount of money that the state Legislature would need to set aside for local governments if Measure 2 passes. The figure represents the amount of revenue local governments in the state would lose if property tax was abolished by the measure. The measure does stipulate that the state must use state tax revenues to “fully and properly fund the legally imposed obligations of the counties, cities, township and other political subdivisions.”^[2]

• Final poll shows support for North Carolina Amendment 1: The poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling on April 27-29, shows that 55%, of the 982 polled, support the amendment while 41% do not. This is a 1% increase on both sides since previous week’s poll. The margin of error was +/-3.1%.^[3]

SPOTLIGHT:Oregon local election next week, wide variety of measures up for vote
Next week, May 15, 2012, Oregon residents in 19 counties will head to the polls to decide on 68 local measures throughout the state, and only a slim number of 7 deal with school bond and tax issues.

The vast majority of measures which will be voted on deal with other issues. Some notable measures include two Jackson Countycharter amendment measures which seek to allow the county to disregard state rules on land use and development. Strong opposition has surfaced around these measures which many deem would be illegal if they do get approved and would end up putting the county in court, costing residents more money. Also notable, in Clatsop County residents led a successful petition drive to get a measure on the ballot which would ban exotic animals in the unincorporated areas of the county, a measure aimed at circuses. The residents who are in favor noted animal abuses and cruel treatment by circus members as the main reason behind the measure. If approved, a fine of up to $500 would be established in the county.

Also, today May 8, Michigan residents will have 123 measures to vote on throughout the state, 93 of those deal with either school bond or tax measures. Six counties in California will also go to the polls today with 8 measures to be decided.

North Carolina Amendment 1, to be voted on in the May 8 state primary, would do what if enacted?Click here to find out!

BALLOT LAW UPDATE

Colorado kills amendment restriction: A proposed legislatively-referred constitutional amendment has been killed in theColorado Legislature. The amendment would have asked voters to impose a 60% supermajority requirement to pass constitutional amendments. However, it would have allowed voters to repeal amendments passed before 2013 with a simple majority. The bill’s demise came after a co-sponsor of the bill accused a committee member of “hijacking” the legislation. 80 Colorado amendments have been approved in the past 45 years.^[4]

A new update was last released on April 25, 2012. Click here for past Ballot Law Update reports!

The fast-moving primary season of May and June begins tomorrow with elections in Indiana, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Both Indiana and West Virginia have a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2012. All three states will elect representatives to the U.S. House. On the state level, both state Senate and state House seats are on the ballot in all three states.

In North Carolina, voters will also select party nominees for president and state governor, as well as take up a proposed amendment to the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Turnout is expected to be high.^[1]

In contrast, early voting numbers predict low turnout in West Virginia.^[2] Indiana officials do not expect unusually high turnout for their primary.^[3]

Ballotpedia will be previewing the elections in all three states. Here’s what to watch in North Carolina tomorrow, where polls will be open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM EST.^[4]

Congress

United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina, 2012

North Carolina has a total of 13 seats on the ballot in 2012. A total of 74 candidates have filed to run, made up of 19 Democratic challengers, 45 Republican challengers, and 10 incumbents. Including the three states with primaries tomorrow, a total of 96 U.S. House seats have held primaries. Thus far, 57.29% of possible primaries have been contested. North Carolina‘s contested figure of 69.23% (18 of 26 possible party primaries) is more competitive than the national average.

In the 13 congressional districts, there are 7 Democratic races contested, with two or more candidates running, and 10 Republican contested races. The Democratic races with a single candidate running unopposed are the 3rd district, 6th district, 7th district, and the 9th district.

On the Republican side there are 3 unopposed races in the primary. Incumbents Virginia Foxx from the 5th district, and challengers Pete DiLauro from the 1st district and Jack Brosch from the 12th district are all running unopposed in their primary election bids.

Open seats in the 9th district, 11th district and 13th district have led to a primary battles on both the Democratic and Republican tickets.

The seat in 9th district is open in 2012 for the first time in 18 years, and only the fifth time in 60 years. When incumbent Sue Myrick (R) announced her retirement, a barrage of Republican contenders filed to run for the seat. As a result, a total of 10 Republican candidates are on the primary ballot, making it the state’s most crowded primary. The 9th district has also been among the nation’s most expensive primary races this cycle. Former state senator Robert Pittenger invested $1.1 million of his own money in the race.^[5] Only two other candidates in the country invested more of their personal funds. Charlotte councilman Dan Barry also spent $500,000 on TV ads alone.^[6] Myrick attempted to appoint a successor by endorsing former sheriff Jim Pendergraph. Last week, however, Pendergraphstirred controversy by making some “birther” comments at a campaign event that resulted in the Charlotte Observer rescinding its endorsement.^[7] Whoever wins the primary is also favored to win the general election in November.

The 11th district also has crowded primary fields, after Democratic incumbent Heath Shuler announced his intention not to run for re-election earlier this year.^[8] Shuler’s district was re-drawn during theredistricting process to favor Republicans. As a result, Shuler, who is widely considered to be a moderate Democrat, became another casualty within the Blue Dog Coalition.^[9]. One noteworthy Democratrunning to replace Shuler is the congressman’s former chief of staff, Hayden Rogers. Rogers – if he wins the primary — will face a very tough race against whoever emerges from the Republican primary field and its eight contenders.

Another Republican primary of note is in 13th district, where Democratic incumbent Brad Miller decided not to run for re-election.^[10] In that race, former U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding loaned his campaign more than a quarter-million dollars.^[11] A friendly Super PAC spent an additional $500,000 on TV ads supporting his candidacy.^[11] Challenger Paul Coble has spent two decades in local politics and started the race more well-known. However, Coble has trailed far behind in the monetary battle. The heated contest drew some controversy when both Holding and Coble attempted to use the political coattails of former Republican Representative Jesse Helms. Coble is Helms’ nephew, while Holding twice worked under the late congressman. ^[12]

State legislature

North Carolina State Senate elections, 2012 and North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2012

In North Carolina, there are 170 total legislative seats with elections in 2012. There are 35 (20.59%) contested Democratic primaries and 55 (32.35%) contested Republican primaries. Thus, there will be 90 races tomorrow with at least two candidates on the ballot. The 26.47% figure of contested primaries in North Carolina is higher than the current national contested average of 23.42% for states that have had filing deadlines.

Some of the state house races of note:

• In the District 2 Democratic primary, two incumbents square off with District 55 incumbent W.A. Wilkins facing District 32 incumbent Jim Crawford. A third challenger – Jason Jenkins – is also vying for the Democratic nomination.
• In the District 4 GOP primary Republican incumbents Jimmy Dixon and Efton M. Sager have been thrust into one district.
• Two rematches will pit old incumbents against current incumbents who ousted them in 2010. In 2010, Marcus Brandon defeated incumbent Earl Jones in the Democratic primary. In 2012, Jones is seeking a rematch. There are no Republican candidates that have filed in the race. In 2010, Kelly Hastings defeated Pearl Burris Floyd in the Democratic primary. Floyd is seeking a rematch.
• GOP incumbents Mark Hollo and Darrell McCormick will face one another in the District 73 primary.

The fast-moving primary season of May and June begins tomorrow with elections in Indiana, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Both Indiana and West Virginia have a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2012. All three states will elect representatives to the U.S. House. On the state level, both state Senate and state House seats are on the ballot in all three states.

In North Carolina, voters will also select party nominees for president and state governor, as well as take up a proposed amendment to the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Turnout is expected to be high.^[1]

In contrast, early voting numbers predict low turnout in West Virginia.^[2] Indiana officials do not expect unusually high turnout for their primary.^[3]

Ballotpedia will be previewing the elections in all three states. Here’s what to watch in Indiana tomorrow, where polls will be open from 6am-6pm EST.

Congress

United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana, 2012

Indiana has a total of 9 seats on the ballot in 2012. A total of 61 candidates have filed to run, made up of 28 Democratic challengers, 27 Republican challengers, and 6 incumbents. Including the three states with primaries tomorrow, a total of 96 U.S. House seats have held primaries. Thus far, 57.29% of possible primaries have been contested. Thus, Indiana’s contested figure of 77.78% is above the national average.

In the 9 congressional districts, there are 8 Democratic races contested, with two or more candidates running, and 6 Republican contested races. The only Democratic race with a single candidate running unopposed is the 1st district where incumbent Peter Visclosky is running for re-election uncontested in the primary.

On the Republican side there are 3 unopposed races in the primary. Incumbents Marlin Stutzman from the 3rd district, Todd Rokita from the 4th district and Todd Young from the 9th district are all running unopposed in their primary election bids for re-election.

Open seats in the 5th and 6th districts have triggered primary battles on both the Democratic and Republican tickets. In the 5th district the announcement by Republican incumbent Dan Burton that he would not seek re-election in 2012 has led to a political frenzy among Republicans seeking the open seat and the lack of incumbent challenge it brings with it. In 2010, Burton narrowly won the Republican primary. This year, he was targeted by the Campaign for Primary Accountability in what was likely to be another close race. Burton withdrew, which has even further increased the number of candidates fighting for the seat. Eight candidates filed to run on the Republican ticket: Susan Brooks, Jack Lugar, John McGoff, David McIntosh, Jason Anderson, Bill Salin, Matthew Mount, and Wayne Seybold. On the Democratic ticket candidates Scott Reske and Tony Long are facing off for the opportunity to face the winner from the Republican primary in the general election in November.

In April 2012, Republican candidate David McIntosh faced his own residency challenges when lawyer Jon Sturgill asked the Indiana Secretary of State and other election officials to consider voter fraud and perjury allegations against McIntosh for using his previous address in Muncie, Indiana to vote until 2008 when he sold the property, even though he allegedly was living in Virginia at the time, and had received a Virginia driver’s license.^[4] On April 19, 2012 the Indiana Secretary of State‘s office announced it would investigate claims made against McIntosh’s residency and voting records.^[4]

In the 6th district the open seat created by Mike Pence‘s announcement that he would run for Governor of Indiana in 2012 led to a number of candidates on both sides filing for the opportunity to fill the open seat. On the Democratic ticket 5 candidates filed for the primary, including Dan Bolling, Brad Bookout, Susan Hall Heitzman, Jim Crone, and George Holland. On the Republican ticket, almost a dozen candidates initially expressed an intent to run in 2012, but only 6 will run in the primary tomorrow. Candidates Don Bates, Jr., Bill Frazier, Travis Hankins, Luke Messer, Joseph Van Wye, and Joe Sizemore will be running in the Republican primary.

Senate

United States Senate elections in Indiana, 2012

In the Senate elections, Republican incumbent Richard Lugar faces significant competition from challenger and current Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock in the Republican primary. Representative fromIndiana’s 2nd congressional district Joe Donnelly is running unopposed on the Democratic ticket.

Lugar faced his own political battles apart from the campaign, with residency challenges coming up in March when two voters filed challenges against Lugar with the Indiana Elections Commission. According to hearings with the commission, Lugar sold his residence in 1977, but cites letters from the Indiana Attorney General stating that he could continue voting in Indiana without an actual residence in the state.^[5] According to constitutional law, a Senator must be an “inhabitant” of their state. The Indiana Secretary of State ruled the residency issue would not prove sufficient to remove Lugar from the ballot.^[5]

Lugar’s challenger Indiana Treasurer Mourdock also came under scrutiny in April 2012 after allegations that his state campaign used funds to aid his federal U.S. Senate campaign, a violation of federal election law.^[6]

Both candidates have received a number of key endorsements from key political figures and PACs, which could indicate a close race at the polls tomorrow. Recent polls have indicated Mourdock is in the lead and could even be heading for an easy victory.^[7]

State legislature

Indiana State Senate elections, 2012 and Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2012

There are 125 total legislative seats with elections in 2012 – 25 Senate seats and 100 House seats.

There are 16 (12.80%) contested Democratic primaries and 35 (28.00%) contested Republican primaries. Thus, there will be 51 races tomorrow with at least two candidates on the ballot. The 20.40% figure of contested primaries in Indiana is lower than the current national contested average of 23.42% for states that have had filing deadlines.

In four primaries, young challengers are looking to unseat incumbents with a combined 112 years in the state legislature.^[8]

• Ricardo Garcia is challenging Democratic incumbent Earl Harris, who has served the state house since 1982.^[8]
• Tony Walker is challenging Democratic incumbent Charlie Brown, who has served the state house since 1982.^[8]
• Sherman Carson is challenging Democratic incumbent Vernon Smith, who has served the state house since 1990.^[8]
• David Vinzant is challenging Democratic incumbent Earline Rogers, who has served the state senate since 1990.^[8]

Republicans have large majorities in both chambers of the Indiana State Legislature.

Today, May 1 marks the 2012 petition drive deadline for supporters of potential ballot measures to submit collected signatures to the Idaho Secretary of State‘s office.

Currently there are three measures that are circulation for the ballot. Those measures are:

• A measure to legalize medical marijuana in the state.

• A proposal to animal cruelty a felony.

• An initiative to cut the sales tax in the state from 6 to 5 percent.

Ballotpedia will track initiative filings throughout the day. Stay tuned for more updates!

The next election in Washington will be held on August 7.

Oddly, this is the second time the amendment has cleared the state Legislature. This is because this newly passed amendment is actually a “compromise” version of the bill. Though labelled a compromise by the all-Republican conference committee that drafted it, the Minnesota Secretary of State called it “worse” than the original measures that moved through the Legislature.^[1][2]

Supporters focused on the aspect of the measure that would end the state’s so-called “vouching system” which allows for one registered voter to vouch for the eligibility of another voter when registering on election day. According to state Senator Scott Newman, the sponsor of the bill in the Senate, “It is our intent to eliminate the vouching system in Minnesota. Which I believe is ready-made for voter fraud.” Opponents, however, believe that the effects of the amendment are much more reaching that the ballot summary lets on. Senator Linda Higginscommented on this very issue saying, “I think this question is a sham. If voters knew what the other changes to be made were … this would be soundly defeated.” Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause, expects the measure to be challenged in court on the basis of a discrepancy between the ballot language and the actual changes to be made to the state constitution.^[1]

Recently, a court in Missouri ruled on a similar case and struck the ballot question from the Missouri Voter ID Amendment after the judge determined that the question’s language was unfair and insufficient.

In late March, a candidate running for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries in the upcoming election sued secretary of state Kate Brown for neglecting to notify either of the race’s candidates that the election date had been moved from May to November. The candidate who initiated the suit, Republican Bruce Starr, theorized a conspiracy was at play, led by the democratic secretary, to give Starr’s opponent, Democratic incumbent Brad Avakian, a better chance of winning re-election. Others speculated that Brown, though a lawyer, is not immune to misinterpreting complex legalese, and simply made a careless error. Both campaigns were forced to recalibrate their strategies and expectations in light of the six-month postponement.

Marion County Circuit Court Judge Steven Price ruled swiftly on the matter, in apparent agreement with Brown, ordering for the election to proceed in November. The secretary of state’s office wasted no time in issuing a press release to inform Oregonians whom it may concern of Secretary Brown’s redemption. Weeks later, however, the questions surrounding the issue’s snap-settlement persist.

On the office’s website, Brown said she was satisfied “with the timely judicial review and am pleased that it ultimately showed that our Elections Division acted in accordance with the law and in the best interest of Oregon’s voters.”^[1] Starr’s counsel has revealed to press sources that what actually occurred is not so clear-cut. Judge Price based his ruling on the fact that “Starr could not prove that irreparable harm would result” from moving the election to a different date and could not achieve the outcome he desired with the May election date looming so near. ^[2]The ruling was not necessarily in support of the statute, which, according to Brown, the court upheld in her favor. Furthermore, the parties could have agreed to an expedited hearing on the merits of the case so the judge could truly resolve the matter in time for the ballots to be printed in May, except Brown blocked their opportunity to make such an agreement.

Brown has defended herself against rumors of foul-play since the story broke, repeatedly stating that “This is an issue of election law, not politics.”^[3]

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland: Tomorrow voters in Maryland head to the polls to cast their ballot for congressional candidates in eight U.S. House districts. There are no state legislative primaries tomorrow, as members of the state legislature were elected to four-year terms in 2010.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ballotpedia will carry results as they become available.

The congressional district that has attracted the most national attention is in the 6th congressional district, currently served by Roscoe Bartlett.

Due to redistricting Bartlett’s once “safe Republican” 6th district may be up for grabs after being targeted in the redistricting process by Democrats. ^[1] Bartlett faces quite a few challengers on the Republican ticket. David Brinkley, Robert Coblentz, Robin Ficker, Joseph Krysztoforski, Brandon Rippeon, Kathy Afzali, and Peter James are all challenging Bartlett in the primary.

On the Democratic ticket, candidates Robert Garagiola, Milad Pooran, John Delaney, Charles Bailey, and Ron Little are battling for the nomination. Delaney has received endorsements from former President Bill Clinton, The Washington Post, and representative from the 4th district Donna Edwards.^[2] Garagiola was endorsed by the SEIU on December 21, 2011.^[3] The organizations Greater Greater Washington, ^[4] The League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, MoveOn.org and numerous labor unions have also endorsed Garagiola in the Democratic primary.^[5] Pooran has been endorsed by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean.^[6]

Meanwhile, Maryland is one of 33 states where an incumbent |U.S. Senator will be up for re-election.

Two-time incumbent Ben Cardin faces several opponents in the Democratic primary. They include Raymond Blagmon, J.P. Cusick, Christopher Garner, Ralph Jaffe, Blaine Taylor, Ed Tinus, Lih Young, and state senator C. Anthony Muse.

In the Republican primary, candidates Dan Bongino, William Capps, Joseph Alexander, Robert Broadus, Richard Douglas, David Jones, John Kimble, Brian Vaeth, and Corrogan Vaughn will compete for the nomination.

Incumbent U.S. Senator Ben Cardin will face eight opponents in the April 3 primary.

The greatest competition for Cardin in the Democratic primary seems to be state senator C. Anthony Muse. ^[7] Cardin has been endorsed by the organization Progressive Maryland in the race for the incumbent’s Senate seat. ^[8]

Republican candidate Dan Bongino has been endorsed by U.S. Senator from Utah, Mike Lee,^[9] representative from Illinois’ 8th congressional district Joe Walsh,^[10] Harford County Executive David R. Craig,^[11] and Blaine Young, President of the Frederick County Commissioners.^[12] Candidate Richard Douglas has obtained support from former Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. ^[13] and John Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations.^[14]

Here’s a breakdown of the other U.S. House districts holding primaries tomorrow:

District 1

See also: Maryland’s 1st congressional district elections, 2012

Freshman incumbent Andy Harris is running unopposed in the [[Maryland's 1st congressional district elections, 2012|Republican primary. Harris is expected to have little difficulty winning in the general election, partly as a result of the redistricting process, which left the 1st district, which includes the eastern shore and suburban Baltimore, more solidly Republican than any other in the state.^[15]

Candidates Wendy Rosen, John LaFerla, and Kim Letke are facing off in the Democratic primary to determine who will face Harris in the general election.

District 2

See also: Maryland’s 2nd congressional district elections, 2012

Incumbent Dutch Ruppersberger, who was first elected in 2002, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Ruppersberger, who won with a 30 point margin in 2010,^[15] is expected to have little problem winning again in the general election.^[15]

Leading candidates in the Republican primary include state senator Nancy Jacobs, former aide to Andy Harris Larry Smith, and House of Delegates member Rick Impallaria. Others candidates include Ray Bly, Vladmir Degen, and Howard Orton.

District 3

See also: Maryland’s 3rd congressional district elections, 2012

Three time incumbent John Sarbanes is being challenged in the Democratic primary by candidate David Lockwood.

In the Republican primary candidates Eric Delano Knowles, Thomas Harris, Draper Phelps, and Armand Girard are battling for the Republican nomination.

According to the Baltimore Sun, “Despite its meandering boundaries, the district appears to be solidly within the hands of incumbent John Sarbanes.”^[15]

District 4

“See also: Maryland’s 4th congressional district elections, 2012“

Two time incumbent Donna Edwards was thought to have the most opposition from candidate Glenn Ivey, who announced he was planning to run only to withdraw from the race at the end of 2011, stating that he had not raised enough money to be competitive.^{[15] [16]} Edwards now faces competition from candidates Ian Garner and George McDermott in the Democratic primary.

On the Republican ticket, Charles Shepher, Randy Gearhart, Greg Holmes, and Faith Loudon are running for the nomination. Loudon has gained the backing of many of Maryland‘s Republican leaders, including 1st district incumbent Andy Harris and former Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.^[15]

District 5

“See also: Maryland’s 5th congressional district elections, 2012“

Veteran incumbent and minority whip in the House Steny Hoyer faces opposition from challenger Cathy Johnson Pendleton in the [[Maryland's 5th congressional district elections, 2012|Democratic primary. Hoyer won re-election in 2010 by 30 percentage points,^[17] with the district itself expected to become more Democratic leaning with time,^[17] making it more of a challenge for the winner of the Republican primary in the general election in November.

On the Republican ticket, candidates David Hill, Glenn Troy Morton and Anthony O’Donnell, the current minority leader of the Maryland House of Delegates, will face off in the primary for the nomination to advance to the general election.

District 7

See also: Maryland’s 7th congressional district elections, 2012

Incumbent state representative Elijah Cummings will face two opponents in the April 3 primary.

Nine term incumbent Elijah Cummings faces opposition in the Democratic primary from candidates Ty Busch and Charles Smith.

On the Republican ticket candidates Frank Mirabile, Jr. and M. Justin Kinsey will face off for the nomination in the primary.

According to the Baltimore Sun Cumming’s opponents in the Democratic primary “lack financial resources and political organization”^[18] and predict that “with nearly 8 in 10 voters in the new district having backed Barack Obama for president in 2008, the winner of the Democratic primary will have a significant upper hand heading into November’s general election.”^[18]

Kinsey won less than 5 percent of the vote as a Libertarian candidate for the House of Delegates in 2010.^[18] Mirabile challenged Cummings in 2010 and received only 23 percent of the vote.^[18]

District 8

See also: Maryland’s 8th congressional district elections, 2012

Incumbent Chris Van Hollen, first elected in 2002, faces opposition from a candidate George English who has run several unsuccessful campaigns in the past.^[19]

On the Republican ticket candidates Dave Wallace, Shelly Skolnick, Gus Alzona, and Ken Timmerman will face off for the nomination in the primary.

Ken Timmerman has been endorsed by Representative Roscoe Bartlett from Maryland’s 6th district.^[19]