September 12, 2012

By Ballotpedia’s Congressional and State legislative teams

The primary season continued yesterday with elections in Delaware, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Here’s what happened in Delaware.

Congress

U.S. Senate

United States Senate elections in Delaware, 2012

Incumbent Tom Carper defeated challenger Keith Robert Spanarelli in the Democratic primary for Delaware’s U.S. Senate seat. Carper will face Republican Kevin Wade, who had no primary challenger, in the general election. Green Party candidate Andrew Richard Groff and Independent Alexander Pires will also compete in November.

U.S. House

United States House of Representatives elections in Delaware, 2012

Delaware has one congressional seat on the ballot in 2012. A total of 4 candidates filed to run, made up of 2 Republican challengers, 1 incumbent, and 1 Libertarian. A total of 429 U.S. House seats have held primaries. Thus far, 55.01% of possible primaries have been contested. Delaware’s contested figure of 50% (1 out of 2 possible party primaries) is slightly less competitive than the national average.

In Delaware’s at large congressional district, Democratic incumbent John Carney ran unopposed in the primary. On the other side of the aisle, Tom Kovach defeated Rose Izzo for the Republican nomination.

State legislature

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

There are 62 total legislative seats with elections in 2012 – 41 Senate seats and 21 House seats.

There were 14 (22.58%) contested Democratic primaries and 6 (9.68%) contested Republican primaries. Thus, there were 20 (16.13%) races Tuesday with at least two candidates on the ballot. The 16.13% figure of total contested primaries in Delaware is lower than the current national contested average of 18.40% for states that have had filing deadlines.

Senate

Heading into the election, the Democratic Party holds the majority in the Delaware State Senate.

 District 1: Incumbent Harris McDowell , who first assumed office in 1976, defeated two challengers David D. Brady and James Martin in the Democratic primary. He will face Libertarian Partycandidate Bryan Lintz and Independent candidate Robert Clark in the general election.

 District 3: Incumbent Robert Marshall  first assumed office in 1978 and defeated two challengers, Eric M. Anderson and Timothy J. Meades, Sr. in the Democratic primary. He will face no major party competition in the general election, and is all but guaranteed the winner of the district seat.

 District 6: Incumbent Liane Sorenson (R) did not seek re-election. The open seat drew competition from both parties. Democratic candidate Andrew W. Staton  defeated Robert G. Frederick and Micheal C. Miller, Sr. for the nomination. On the Republican ticket, Ernesto B. Lopez  defeated Glen Urquhart for the Republican nomination. Staton and Lopez will face Libertarian Party candidate Gwendolyn M. Jones in the general election.

 District 18: Incumbent Gary Simpson , who first assumed office in 1999, defeated challenger Matthew A. Opaliski in the Republican primary. He will take on Democratic candidate Gary Downes in the general election.

 District 19: Challenger Eric R. Bodenweiser  defeated incumbent Joseph Booth, who first assumed office in 2009. He will face Democrat Jane E. Hovington in the general election.

House

Heading into the election, the Democratic Party holds the majority in the Delaware House of Representatives.

 District 1: Incumbent Dennis P. Williams (D) did not seek re-election. Democratic candidate Charles Potter, Jr.  defeated Victoria A. Kent and Rourke A. Moore to claim the seat. No major party competition filed to run, so Potter is all but guaranteed the district seat.

 District 2: Incumbent Stephanie Bolden  first assumed office in 2011. She defeated challenger Arthur Scott in the Democratic primary and will face no major party competition in the general election.

 District 10: Incumbent Dennis E. Williams , who first assumed office in 2009, defeated challenger Sean Matthews in the Democratic primary. He will face Republican nominee Robert M. Rhodunda in the general election.

 District 11: Incumbent Gregory Lavelle (R) did not seek re-election, and will instead run for Delaware State Senate. Lynne Newlin defeated David Brown, Jr. for the Democratic nomination. She will face Republican nominee Jeffrey Spiegelman and Libertarian Party candidate Margaret McKeown in the general election.

 District 15: Incumbent Valerie Longhurst , who first assumed office in 2005, survived a primary challenge from James D. Burton in the Democratic primary. She will face Libertarian Partycandidate Amy Merlino in the general election.

 District 19: Incumbent Robert Gilligan (D) did not seek re-election. Kimberly Williams  defeated William H. Dunn for the Democratic nomination, and the opportunity to take on Republicannominee Dennis C. Cini to decide the open seat.

 District 20: Democratic candidate Marie M. Mayor  defeated Thomas D. Jones, Sr. and Lynn J. Rogersfor nomination. She will take on Republican nominee Stephen T. Smyk and Libertarian Party candidate Valerie V. Valeska in the general election.

 District 22: Incumbents Nick T. Manolakos, who first assumed office in District 20 in 2007, and Joseph Miro , who first assumed office District 22 in 1999, faced off for the Republicannomination, with Miro claiming victory. He will take on Democratic candidate David E. Ellis in the general election.

 District 23: Incumbent Teresa Schooley (D) did not seek re-election in 2012. Democratic candidate Paul S. Baumbach  defeated Claudia B. Bock and Gerald J. Grant, Jr. to win the nomination. Republican nominee Mark Doughty will face Baumbach in the general election to decide the open seat.

 District 32: Incumbent E. Bradford Bennett (D) did not seek re-election in 2012. Both parties have contested primaries. Democratic candidate Andria L. Bennett  defeated William P. McGlumphy for the nomination. On the Republican ticket candidate Ellis B. Parrott  defeated William R. McVay to win the nomination. Bennett and Parrott will face each other in the general election.

 District 39: Incumbent Daniel Short , who first assumed office in 2003, defeated challenger Patrick J. Murray not just for the Republican nomination. He will face no general election competition, and will be all but guaranteed the district seat.

 District 40: Incumbent Clifford Lee (R) did not seek re-election. Democratic candidate Benjamin D. Lowe  defeated Raymond C. Adkins to decide the nomination. He will face Republicannominee Timothy D. Dukes in the general election.

August 29, 2012

By Ballotpedia’s Congressional and State legislative teams

The primary season continued yesterday with elections in Alaska, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Vermont.

Here’s what happened in Alaska.^[1]

Congress

U.S. House

United States House of Representatives elections in Alaska, 2012

Alaska has a single congressional seat on the ballot in 2012. A total of 10 candidates filed to run, made up of 5 Democratic challengers, 2 Republican challengers, 1 incumbent, and 2 third-party candidates. A total of 415 U.S. House seats have held primaries. Thus far, 54.94% of possible primaries have been contested. Alaska’s contested figure of 100% (2 out of 2 possible party primaries) is more competitive than the national average.

In Alaska’s lone congressional district, 39-year incumbent Don Young defeated challengers John R. Cox and Terre Gales in the Republican primary. On the other side of the aisle, Sharon Cissnadefeated Debra Chesnut, Matt Moore, Doug Urquidi, Jim McDermott, and Frank Vondersaar in the Democratic primary.

State legislature

See also Alaska State Senate elections, 2012 and Alaska House of Representatives elections, 2012

In Alaska, there are 59 total legislative seats with elections in 2012. There were 8 (13.6%) contested Democratic primaries and 25 (42.4%) contested Republican primaries. Thus, there were 33 (28.0%) races yesterday with at least two candidates on the ballot. The 28% figure of contested primaries in Alaska is higher than the current national contested average of 18.4% for states that have had filing deadlines.

Of the 59 incumbents up for election in 2012, 53 (89.8%) of them are running for re-election. A total of 17 (32.1) of those incumbents faced primary opposition — 4 Democrats and 13 Republicans.

Senate

District 4 (D): Incumbent Linda Menard was defeated by Mike Dunleavy  in the primary. Dunleavy will be unchallenged in the general election.
District 11 (K): Incumbent Republican Lesil McGuire  defeated challenger Jeff Landfield in the primary. McGuire will be challenged by Roselynn Cacy (D) in the general election.
District 13 (M): Incumbent Bettye Davis  defeated challenger Harry Crawford, Jr. in the Democratic primary. Davis will go on to be opposed by incumbent Republican Anna Fairclough in the general election.
District 15 (O): Incumbent Thomas Wagoner was defeated by challenger Peter Micciche . Micciche will be unopposed in the general election.

House

District 1: Republicans Lynette Bergh, Paul Brown, Doug Isaacson , and David Gardner faced off in an open seat. Isaacson will be challenged by Democratic challenger Janice Golub in the general election.
District 25: Incumbent Pete Petersen  defeated challenger Lynette Moreno Hinz in the Democratic primary. The winner will go on to face incumbent Republican Lance Pruitt in the general election.
District 33: Incumbent Republican Peggy Wilson  defeated challengers Agnes Moran and Patricia Mackey in the primary election. Wilson will be challenged by incumbent Kyle Johansen (I) and challenger Matt Olsen (D).
District 40: Democratic challengers Robert Nelson, Adeline Hopson, Benjamin Nageak , and Greta Schuerch face off in an open seat. The winner will go on to be unchallenged in the general election.

August 22, 2012

By Ballotpedia’s Congressional and State legislative teams

The primary season continued with elections in Wyoming and Georgia yesterday.

Here’s a recap of what happened in Wyoming:

Congress

U.S. Senate

United States Senate elections in Wyoming, 2012

Six candidates ran for Wyoming’s U.S. Senate seat yesterday – 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats. Incumbent John Barrasso defeated Emmett Mavy and Thomas Bleming in the Republican primary, receiving 90% of the vote. On the other side of the aisle Tim Chesnut won the Democratic primary, defeating Al Hamburg and William Bryk by a large margin.

U.S. House

United States House of Representatives elections in Wyoming, 2012

Wyoming has a single seat on the ballot in 2012. A total of 3 candidates have filed to run, made up of 1 Democratic challenger, 1 incumbent, and 1 Libertarian candidate. Including Wyoming, a total of 404 U.S. House seats have held primaries. Thus far, 54.33% of possible primaries have been contested. Wyoming’s contested figure of 0% (0 out of 2 possible party primaries) is significantly less competitive than the national average.

All candidates for Wyoming’s U.S. House seat were unopposed in their respective primaries. Incumbent Republican Cynthia Lummis will face Democratic challenger Chris Henrichsen and LibertarianRichard Brubaker in the November 6, 2012, general election.

State legislature

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

There are 75 total legislative seats with elections in 2012 – 15 Senate seats and 60 House seats.

There were 2 (2.7%) contested Democratic primaries and 31 (41.3%) contested Republican primaries. Thus, there were 28 (22.0%) races yesterday with at least two candidates on the ballot. The 22.0% figure of total contested primaries in Wyoming is higher than the current national contested average of 19.38% for states that have had filing deadlines.

There are 60 incumbents, 14 Senators and 46 Representatives, running for re-election in 2012. Of those incumbents, 21 (35.0%) faced primary opposition — 18 of which advanced to the general election. Incumbent Republicans Kit Jennings, Clarence Vranish, and Pat Childers were unable to advance to the general election.

Senate

There were 7 Senate primaries yesterday, all of which were Republican primaries where the incumbent is seeking re-election.

Those primaries are:
District 6: Incumbent Wayne Johnson  defeated Anthony Bouchard.
District 10: Incumbent Phil Nicholas  defeated Anne Alexander.
District 14: Incumbent Stan Cooper  defeated Lyle Williams.
District 18: Incumbent Henry Coe  defeated Robert Berry.
District 22: Incumbent John Schiffer  defeated Bob Johnson.
District 28: Incumbent Kit Jennings and Tom Radosevich were defeated by James Anderson .
District 30: Incumbent Charles Scott  defeated Bob Brechtel.

House

There were a total of 26 House primaries being held yesterday — 2 Democratic primaries and 24 Republican primaries, with 14 Republican incumbents facing primary opposition.

Some notable primaries:
District 4: Republicans Dan Kirkbride , Kerry Powers, and Larry Cundall faced off in an open seat. Kirkbride will be unchallenged in the general election.
District 19: Incumbent Allen Jaggi  was challenged by David Evins and Tim Hamblin, with Jaggi going on to be unchallenged in the general election.
District 25: Republican challengers Billy Greaham, Dave Blevins , David Kellett, Steve Walker face off in an open seat.
District 35: Incumbent Kendell Kroeker  dispatched primary challengers Jess Ollila and Patrick Bishop.
District 42: Republican challengers Bob Fecht, David Wilms, Jeff Jacoby, Lynn Hutchings , and William Edwards face off in an open seat. Hutchings will go on to face Democratic challenger Gary Datus in the general election.
District 50: Incumbent Clarence Vranish was defeated by challenger Garry Piiparinen . Piiparinen will be unchallenged in the general election.
District 50: Incumbent Pat Childers faced challengers Charles Cloud, David Northrup , and T.D. Ball. Northrup will be unchallenged in the general election.

Edited by Greg Janetka
This week’s tracker features a look at a new Ballotpedia study on incumbents who have been defeated in primaries.

Note: This  is an abridged version of the Tracker, for the full report click here.

Weekly highlight

Incumbent study

On July 26, 2012, Ballotpedia released a preliminary study, Primary Change: Anti-Incumbency Voting Patterns in State Legislative Primaries, which looked at the results of primaries through the first few months of 2012 elections. The study concluded that with nearly 50 percent of primaries completed, the rate of success for challengers against incumbents in contested primaries was nearly double that of 2010. Through July 26, 76 incumbents had fallen to challengers in 513 contested races — a rate of 14.8 percent.

There will be 6,015 state legislative seats up for election in 2012. Thus far, a total of 2,930 seats have held primaries, which accounts for 48.7 percent of the seats that will be up for election this presidential year.

Of the 76 incumbents that have lost a primary in 2012, 22 are Democratic incumbents and 54 are Republican incumbents.

The 14.8 percent of incumbents who have lost a primary in 2012 is 76.7 percent higher than the 8.38 percent in 2010. Twelve of the 76 incumbents defeated this year lost to a fellow incumbent in districts whose boundaries were changed through redistricting. Even subtracting these incumbents, the rate of defeats in 2012 is higher than in 2010.

See the full study here

Indiana Dems change leaders

After weeks of rumors, the Indiana House Democratic Caucus named Linda Lawson to be the newMinority Leader. Lawson, who was serving as Minority Floor Leader, replaces B. Patrick Bauer.^[1]

Bauer had served in the post since 2002 and did not attend the vote. He first learned of the news from Twitter posts by reporters who were outside of the meeting. He stated, “I didn’t like the way they went about this process. I thought it was pretty ugly. But they came out with a good person to move on, somebody I felt would be a good floor leader. So they emulated my choice for a leader.”^[2]

Sessions

This week 2 out of 50 state legislatures - Ohio and Massachusetts - are meeting in regular session. As of May 16, all states had convened their 2012 sessions. No states are projected to adjourn this week.

Thirty-eight states have adjourned for the year, while four states - Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas - will not hold regular sessions in 2012.

Click here to see a chart of each state’s 2012 session information.

Special sessions

In 2011, special sessions were a widespread occurrence in state legislatures. This was largely due to states’ having to complete theredistricting process for legislative and congressional districts. Overall in 2011, there were 45 special sessions in 28 states.

Since the beginning of 2012, there have been 16 special sessions in 13 states. There is one special session currently ongoing in New Jersey.

New Jersey

The New Jersey General Assembly is meeting in special session today in order to attempt to bypass a recent ruling of the state Supreme Court. In a 3-2 decision on July 24, the Court ruled that judges and justices, unlike other state employees, do not have to make additional contributions for pension and health benefits as the state Constitution does not allow their pay to be cut.^[6]

In reaction, the Legislature is taking up a resolution that would ask voters to change the constitution in order to give lawmakers the power to reduce judicial salaries.^[7]

2012 Legislative Elections

See also: State legislative elections, 2012 and State legislative elections results, 2012

A total of 86 of the 99 chambers will hold state legislative elections on November 6, 2012.

1,301 (65.97%) of the country’s 1,972 state senate seats are up for election in November 2012, and 4,714 (87.12%) of the country’s 5,411 state house seats are up for election. Altogether, 6,015 (81.47%) of the country’s 7,383 state legislative seats will be up for election during the presidential election year.

• 43 of the 50 state senates are holding elections.
• 43 of the 49 state houses are holding elections.

The 6,015 seats up for election is 110 fewer than the 6,125 that were contested in 2010.

Filing deadlines

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 state government elections and 2012 Elections preview: Comparing state legislative filing deadlines

As of July 12, all signature filing deadlines have passed.

Primaries

See also: 2012 election dates

There are state legislative primaries taking place this week in Georgia and Tennessee, with primary runoffs in Texas.

So far, primaries have taken place in 24 states.

Special Elections

See also: State legislative special elections, 2012

So far in 2012 there have been 28 special elections in 12 states.

There are no special election scheduled to take place this week.

By Ballotpedia’s Congressional, State Legislative, State Executive and Ballot Measure teams

The May 8 primary elections are now over, capping one of the busiest election days of the 2012 season. Here at Ballotpedia, we’ve got you covered in all aspects of the ballot. That includes filling you in on the overall occurrences of Tuesday’s events.

Here you fill find stories giving recaps on what happened during the primary elections held in the states below. Additionally, you will find links to the pages about the recalls that happened in Wisconsin. More recap articles are coming soon, so check back here for more updates!

Here are a few notable developments from the May 8 elections:

• North Carolina Amendment 1 was approved with 61.05% of voters casting “yes” votes. The measure intends to define marriage as between one man and one woman in the state constitution.
• Incumbent Richard Lugar, Republican U.S Senator from Indiana, lost to challenger Richard Mourdock. Lugar had been in office since 1977.
• Six state House incumbents lost on May 8 in North Carolina – five Republicans and one Democrat - bringing the number of defeated incumbents in state legislatures across the country to 18.
• Earl Ray Tomblin, the only West Virginia state executive incumbent seeking re-election who faced a primary challenger, easily defeated Arne Moltis in the Democratic gubernatorial election

Indiana

The bullets below contain a recap of what happened during the May 8 primary election in Indiana. No recap article was posted for state executives due to only one candidate running for governor from each party. The governor’s race was the only state executive office on the ballot in the primary election:

• State Executive Official Primaries
• Congressional and Legislative Primaries recap

North Carolina

The bullets below contain a recap of what happened during the May 8 primary election in North Carolina.

• Amendment 1 recap
• State Executive Official Primaries recap
• Congressional and Legislative Primaries recap

West Virginia

The bullets below contain a recap of what happened during the May 8 primary election in West Virginia.

• State Executive Official Primaries recap
• Congressional and Legislative Primaries recap

Wisconsin

Primary elections were held in the recall campaigns for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. See below for election results:

• Scott Walker recall, Wisconsin (2012)
• Rebecca Kleefisch recall, Wisconsin (2012)

By Jennifer Springer

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]

By David Godow and Lauren Rodgers

JACKSON, Mississippi: Mississippi will be holding state legislative runoff elections tomorrow. Voters will head to the polls in 6 State Senate and 4 State House districts to determine which candidate will advance to the general election on November 8, 2011.

Senate

All six runoffs in the Senate are between Republican candidates. In five of the races, the incumbent did not file for re-election, and in two of the races the winner of this primary runoff will face no Democratic opponent in the general election.

• District 20

Josh Harkins vs. Knox Ross

Incumbent Republican Lee Yancey did not file for re-election, leaving his seat vacant. There were no Democratic candidates who filed for the office, so the winner of this primary runoff election will be the only major party name on the ballot, almost guaranteeing a victory in the November general election.

Ross and Harkins finished first and second, respectively, in a four-way partisan primary, defeating Tony Bahou, a former sportscaster, and Steve Gaines, a retired special agent with the Office of Inspector General. Each candidate claimed 41% of the primary vote, with Ross edging Harkins out by just 70 votes.

• District 25

Charles Barbour vs. William Longwitz

Incumbent Republican Walter Michel did not file for re-election. Democratic candidate Cecilia Sampayo ran unopposed in her party’s primary and will face the runoff winner in the November general election.

Longowitz nearly avoided a runoff, but fell 63 votes shy of earning the requisite 50% of the votes plus one. He captured 7,129 votes to Barbour’s 6,771. Third-place finisher Sean Corcoran earned 420 votes in the primary.

• District 39

Bill Boerner vs. Sally Doty

Incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith did not file for re-election. W.L. Rayburn defeated Michael Smith in the Democratic primary. Doty and Boerner finished first and second, respectively, easily defeating Monticello Mayor David Nichols, II, who earned 1,002 votes (19%).

• District 40

Sidney Albritton is one of 6 Republican incumbents who faced a challenger in the primaries, and the only one in a primary runoff.

Sidney Albritton vs. Angela Hill

The District 40 Republican ticket was one of Mississippi’s most competitive primary races. Incumbent Albritton won 43% of the vote, Hill captured 33%, and third-place finisher Mike Griffith earned 24%. There were no Democratic candidates who filed for the office, so the winner of this primary runoff election will be the only name on the ballot, almost guaranteeing a victory in the November general election (barring any wildly successful write-in campaigns).

Albritton is one of six Republican incumbents whose seats were contested in the primary. Three fell to challengers in the primary, and Albritton is the only incumbent Republican facing a runoff election.

• District 43

Phillip Gandy vs. Connie Wilkerson

Incumbent Democrat George Dickerson did not file for re-election. In the Democratic primary, James Walley defeated Dennis Cochran with 54% of the vote. He will join Independent candidate James Snyder in November, along with the winner of this runoff.

In the Republican primary, Gandy captured 41% of the popular vote, earning 1,352, and Wilkerson came in second with 941 votes (28%). Roun McNeal and Robert Hendry earned 616 and 403 votes, respectively.

• District 46

Mickey Lagasse vs. Philip Moran

Incumbent Democrat David Baria did not file for re-election. Joe Bye ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, and will meet Constitution Party candidate James Overstreet and the winner of this primary runoff in the general election in November.

House

Meanwhile, in the House, three runoff races will determine the nominee for the general election on the Democratic ticket (Districts 4, 13, and 119) while District 118 will select a Republican nominee. In 118 and 119, the nominee will be essentially guaranteed to go on to win an uncontested November 8 general election.

• District 4

James Nunnally vs. Jody Steverson.

Nunnally, a former state representative with 16 years of experience, has faced a tough challenge from Steverson, a Ripley business development professional.^[1] Nunnally’s campaign has relied heavily on his promise that his significant experience will translate into useful seniority if he is elected, allowing him to garner a position on a major committee and “direct resources” to District 4.^[2] By contrast, Steverson’s pitch to voters has relied on classic conservative standbys like keeping taxes low and making the district a “business-friendly” place.^[3] The winner will go on to face Republican contractor James “Jimmy” Benefield in the general election.

• District 13

Don Randolph vs. Billy Gray.

Randolph and Gray were the top two in a five-man field, with the former receiving 28% of the vote and the later 20%. The winning candidate will face Republican coach and educator Steve Massengill, who cruised through his August 2 primary unopposed. District 13’s 10-term Democratic representative, Jack Gadd, elected not to run for re-election this year.

• District 118

Roger Ishee vs. Greg Haney.

District 118 features the only Republican runoff contest in the state House this season. Political newcomer Haney actually edged out Ishee, a seven-term incumbent, by a total of 44% to 38% in the August 2 primary. Dark horse candidate John McCay, though ultimately defeated, won enough votes to force another round of voting. Haney, a Gulf Coast real estate developer, has run a vigorous campaign on Facebook, and seems certain to offer his beleaguered incumbent opponent a tough challenge tomorrow. The winner will lounge through an uncontested general election on November 8.

• District 119

Sonya Williams-Barnes vs. Richard Marsh.

Williams-Barnes and March are the only two candidates left standing out of a five-person field in the District 119 Democratic primary on August 2. Williams-Barnes made a strong push to replace outgoing Democratic incumbent Frances Fredericks, claiming 44% of the primary vote, compared with Marsh’s 24%. Turnout was quite low, however, with only 2,174 votes cast; this is perhaps not surprising in a district where no Republican registered to run and which has steadily sent its retiring incumbent back to Jackson for almost 20 years. Still, the strength of Williams-Barnes’s initial effort in the primary, which saw her ahead of Marsh by almost 400 votes, suggests she is likely to pull through.

By Geoff Pallay and Tyler King

RICHMOND, Virginia: The 2011 Virginia state legislative primaries take place tomorrow with very few contested races. Overall, with 7.1% of possible primaries having multiple candidates, Virginia has the lowest percent of contested primaries of the three states that will have held primaries thus far in 2011 (New Jersey and Mississippi held primaries earlier this year).

There are a total of 140 districts (40 senate and 100 house) that are up for election in 2011, meaning there are possibility of 280 primaries. Of the 280 possible primary elections, only 16 (9 senate and 7 house) are contested. These numbers keep in line with the 2009 and 2007 elections.

Thomas Norment, a Republican from Senate District 3, and Algie Howell, a Democrat from House District 9, are the only two incumbents facing primary opposition.

Voters will have the opportunity to choose between multiple candidates tomorrow in the following districts.

Other method of nomination

One reason for the lack of contested primary elections is the method of nomination in some districts. Many districts use primaries to chose which candidates move on to the general election while others use party nomination, caucuses, or meetings, thereby eliminating the need for a primary.

The following district/party combinations do not use a primary in the State Senate.

Democrats: Districts 7, 12, 13, 15, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 38, 39

Republicans: Districts 6, 17, 25, 29, 38, 40

The following district/party combinations do not use a primary in the House of Delegates.

Democrats: Districts 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 25, 31, 32, 33, 50, 51, 56, 57, 59, 67, 72, 73, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 98

Republicans: Districts 1, 3, 15, 26, 47, 59, 64, 75, 88

Thus, a total of 56 of the 280 possible primaries in Virginia do not use primaries.

Given that there are 56 district party’s that do not use a primary to select the nominee, there are therefore 224 possible primaries where multiple candidates could have declared to seek election. Out of the 224 districts that use a primary to select the candidate, voters more than option in only 7.1% of those races.

In the other two states that held primary elections this year, there were more overall contested primaries. In New Jersey, 15% of the primaries were contested while in Mississippi, 22.1% of the primaries had multiple candidates.

By: Geoff Pallay

TRENTON, New Jersey: Next Tuesday, New Jersey’s Democratic and Republican candidates face party primaries in order to qualify for the November 8 general election. Each district holds two parallel primaries to select major party nominees. However, in the majority of districts, voters might as well stay home, given the lack of contested primaries.

New Jersey has 40 legislative districts, leaving 80 possible primaries in each chamber — 40 Democratic and 40 Republican. In the Senate, a primary is “contested” when at least two candidates are competing for their respective party’s nomination. In the General Assembly, a contested primary will feature at least 3 candidates since the top-2 vote getters advance to the general election.

There are only 9 contested primaries out of the 80 primaries in the Senate. In the General Assembly, only 15 of the 80 primaries are contested. All told, only 24 out of the 160 primaries on June 7 (15%) will require voters to choose between multiple candidates. In the remaining 136 primaries (85%), the candidate (or candidates in the New Jersey General Assembly) automatically advance to the general election.

Previous elections and primaries

How does this coming primary compare to prior years’ levels of competition? The table below compares the 2007, 2009 and 2011 primary candidate lists according to the following factors:

1. Was there an incumbent in the primary? If not, this was considered “Open”
2. Was the primary “contested,” as described above, meaning at least one candidate would ultimately “lose” the primary

The table breaks down the variables by political party as well.

Major findings:

• Total contested primaries have increased from 18 in 2007 to 24 in 2011
• While the number of incumbents contested has increased from 10 in 2007 to 12 in 2011, the number of uncontested incumbents has grown even more. In 2007, 53 incumbents were uncontested but 63 will advance straight to the general election in 2011 due to a decrease in open seats.
• The total number of uncontested primaries has stayed largely the same — 135 in 2007 and 132 in 2011.
• When combining all 400 primaries over the past 3 elections, 322 — or 80.5% — of all primaries have been uncontested.

Note: In 2009, only the General Assembly held elections. Senators are elected to four-year terms (except in the year after redistricting, like 2011, when they receive two-year terms).

2011 breakdown

• Senate Incumbents

• Of the senate’s 40 incumbents, 36 are running for re-election. Of these 36 incumbents, 31 will not face a primary opponent. The remaining five incumbents will face a primary challenger. Of these incumbents three are Democrats and two are Republicans.

• Assembly Incumbents

• There are 64 total incumbents running in the 2011 General Assembly elections. Of the state’s 80 multi-member assembly primaries, an incumbent is running in 39 of them. Of these 39 primaries, only seven are contested. Five are Democratic and two are Republican.

• Senate Open Primaries

• An open primary occurs whenever an incumbent is not running. This can result from the incumbent’s retiring or being a member of another political party. There are 44 open primaries in the State Senate, 27 are Republican, 17 are Democratic.

Of the 27 open Republican primaries, only 4 are contested. Of the 17 open Democratic primaries, none are contested.

• Assembly Open Primaries

• Of the 80 assembly primaries, 41 had no incumbent running. Of these 41, 24 are Republican and 17 are Democratic. Of the 24 open Republican primaries, only 6 are contested. Of the 17 open Democratic primaries, only 2 are contested.

According to a Ballotpedia study earlier this year, 19 candidates either withdrew or were disqualified after initially declaring for Tuesday’s primary. Had these candidates stayed in the race, then the number of candidates facing primary challengers would be higher.

The 24 contested primaries are:

Comparison to prior elections

Compared to the two most recent elections in New Jersey (2007 and 2009) the list of candidates this year is only marginally different with respect to competitiveness. While there are two more contested primaries overall, there are 9 more incumbents who are uncontested in this year’s primary than there were in 2007.

Comparison to other states

Last year, we conducted a competitiveness analysis of all 46 states that held state legislative elections.

Here is how the 2011 New Jersey elections would have stacked up to the 46 states measured in the 2010 index.

• Open seats: With 17.50% of seats open, New Jersey would have been the 19th most competitive state in this variable, just above Georgia and below Oklahoma.

• Primaries: With 82.83% of incumbents running unopposed in primaries, New Jersey would have been the 26th most competitive state in this variable, just above Indiana and below Illinois.

• Major Party Candidates with no Major Party Opposition: With 5.83% of seats fielding only one major party candidate, New Jersey would have been the 4th most competitive state in this variable, just above Oregon and below Minnesota.

Therefore, New Jersey would have been tied for 10th with Utah in last year’s overall competitiveness index.

Footnote

The impact of redistricting will also be felt by incumbents who were moved to different districts. There are eight current incumbents who, for this study, are considered challengers because they will be running in a different district from the one they currently represent. Those eight incumbents are:

State Senate Republican

General Assembly Democratic

Republican

Ballotpedia note: Kevin Diana, Justin Haas, Tyler King and Tyler Millhouse contributed to this report.