Recap: June Primaries
July 2, 2024
In the month of June alone, 15 states held congressional primaries. To see the full list, click here.
The results in South Carolina, Virginia, Utah, and New York demonstrated mixed results in a variety of intra-party ideological contests.
- There were wins for establishment Republicans and Democrats, as well as the Right and Left wings of each party.
- Other elections were an exercise in revenge by former President Trump and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with mixed results for each. To read more about Trump’s endorsement record, click here.
South Carolina
- South Carolina First District: Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy had vowed to go after those who ousted him last fall. Rep. Nancy Mace, beat back McCarthy’s handpicked primary challenger, Catherine Templeton. Others in his path will surely be hoping to have similar winning results on election day.
- South Carolina Third District: Former President Trump also endorsed Mark Burns, his spiritual advisor and a pastor. This election was extremely close, and went to a run-off on June 25th, in which Air National Guard lieutenant colonel Sheri Biggs, the establishment candidate, endorsed by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, prevailed.
- South Carolina Fourth District: Trump found success here, having endorsed the incumbent Republican Rep. William Timmons, who beat his primary challenger, Adam Morgan, chair of the state’s Freedom Caucus, but by a margin much closer than many expected.
In Virginia, former President Trump sought to oust incumbent Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), who leads the House Freedom Caucus.
- Rep. Good endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, which gained him a primary challenge from State Senator John McGuire backed by Trump. Good had also voted to remove Speaker McCarthy.
- The race is currently headed to a recount as Rep. Good trails State Sen. John McGuire by ~300 votes. You can read more about the state of the race here.
- If McGuire prevails Trump can claim it as a victory and potentially demonstrate what happens to those who are not loyal to him.
In other states, establishment candidates prevailed on both the Democratic and Republican fronts.
- In Utah, moderates Republicans John Curtis and Gov. Spencer Cox secured victories for U.S. Senate and governor respectively, defeating far-right candidates aligned closely with former President Donald Trump. Both candidates are heavily favored to win in November.
- Despite supporting Trump and his policies, Curtis and Cox have demonstrated independence by diverging on certain issues. Both candidates overturned earlier defeats at the state party convention, where more conservative delegates had favored their opponents.
New York 16th District: Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), a prominent member of the progressive "squad" in the House, lost to a more moderate Democratic candidate, George Latimer, in his Bronx-area district. The election centered largely on their differing views regarding the Israel-Hamas War.
- Bowman, a second-term representative known for criticizing Israel's actions and U.S. aid policies, faced significant opposition from pro-Israel groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which heavily supported Latimer financially.
- The campaign also highlighted Bowman's past controversies, including a fire alarm incident in Congress. This defeat marks a setback for the progressive "squad," though other members like Rep. Summer Lee from Pennsylvania have recently prevailed against similar challenges.
What’s next: July and August feature another 16 primaries all with similar battles scattered throughout.
Contact James Montfort (Jmontfort@crefc.org) with any questions.