Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont, and Connecticut primaries

Tim Michels greets supporters with his family at an election night rally on August 9 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

Donald Trump on Tuesday once again showcased his control over the GOP’s open primaries, as the former President’s chosen candidate won Wisconsin’s Republican primary for governor over a rival backed by former Vice President Mike Pence and much of the party’s establishment in the battleground state.

In Minnesota, meanwhile, Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive “squad,” survived a surprisingly close contest for her Minneapolis-based House seat.

In Vermont, state Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint is on a path to become the first woman to represent the state in Congress.

And in Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont and Sen. Richard Blumenthal got their GOP challengers in reelection races they’re expected to win in November.

Here are some of the big takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries:

Trump triumphs as Wisconsin’s GOP establishment falls

Former President Donald Trump again demonstrated his influence over the Republican Party on Tuesday, as the Trump-backed construction company owner Tim Michels defeated former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary.

Michels’ win is the end of an era in Wisconsin: Kleefisch was backed by former Gov. Scott Walker, who built the political machine that won three governor’s races, including a recall election.

She was also endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence, who has attempted in recent months to steer the GOP away from Trump’s election denialism.

The race was a replay of gubernatorial primaries with similar dynamics in recent weeks. In Arizona, a Trump-endorsed candidate who has parroted his lies about election fraud defeated a Pence-backed establishment favorite last week. And in Georgia, the Pence-backed Gov. Brian Kemp, who had rejected Trump’s lies about fraud in the 2020 election, fended off a Trump-aligned challenger.

Vermont Democrats choose Balint for House seat

State Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint’s win in the Democratic primary for Vermont’s lone House seat, according to a CNN projection, puts her on a path to become the first woman to represent the state in Congress.

Balint, who was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, defeated Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, a more moderate candidate backed by retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy.

The House seat opened up as a result of Leahy’s retirement. Rep. Peter Welch, who has held the seat since 2007, won the Democratic Senate primary for Leahy’s seat, CNN projected. Balint will enter the November general election as the overwhelming favorite to win in November.

A former schoolteacher, Balint had the support of other leading progressive groups and politicians. Gray attracted support from more moderate state leaders, including Leahy, who stopped short of issuing a formal endorsement but said he voted for her. Former Vermont Govs. Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin also backed Gray.

Wisconsin Senate race is set

The general election for Wisconsin Senate has been subtly going on for weeks. But on Tuesday night, it began in earnest. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson easily won his primary for reelection, while Democratic Senate candidate and Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes won his bid to try and unseat the Republican.

The race began unofficially two weeks ago when the three top Democrats running against Barnes dropped out of the race and endorsed the lieutenant governor.

The Johnson vs. Barnes race will likely be one of the closest watched campaigns of the 2022 cycle. It pits a Republican who has drawn the ire of Democrats for his ties to former President Donald Trump and his adoption of a string of conspiracy theories against a Democrat who holds several progressive positions that Republicans believe make him out of step with most Wisconsin voters.

Omar survives a surprising nail-biter

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar survived a primary challenge Tuesday, CNN projected — but barely, and the narrow result could encourage critics of the progressive “squad” member to try again in two years.

Omar, who is running for a third term in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, held off a primary challenge from former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels and three other Democratic primary candidates.

Samuels had run as a pro-police critic of Omar’s calls to “defund the police.” Samuels and his wife successfully sued the city of Minneapolis to force it to increase police staffing levels to the 741 officers required by the city’s charter.

Momentum behind what had been widely seen as a long-shot challenge built after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey endorsed Samuels last week. He was also backed by building trades unions, several suburban mayors and more moderate DFL leaders. His close call could inspire another effort to oust Omar in 2024.

Read more here.

Republican Brad Finstad will win the special election in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, holding the seat for the GOP, CNN projects.

Voters in the current version of southern Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District were voting on a replacement to fill the seat of the late Rep. Jim Hagedorn, a Republican who died in February. The seat has been vacant since then.

The special election in the GOP-friendly district featured Finstad and Democrat Jeffrey Ettinger. Finstad will almost immediately head to Capitol Hill to serve out Hagedorn’s term.

Both candidates were also on the regular primary ballots as they vied for their respective parties’ nominations in a new version the district, which was redrawn ahead of the midterms. Finstad, a former state lawmaker and USDA official in the Trump administration, will win the GOP nomination, CNN projects. Ettinger, the former Hormel Foods chief executive, is expected to easily win on the Democratic side.

Tim Michels speaks to the press after casting his vote in the primary election on August 9 in Hartland, Wisconsin.

Tim Michels will win the Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial primary, CNN projects, defeating opponent Rebecca Kleefisch.

The race was another proxy battle between former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. Trump had endorsed Michels while former Vice President Mike Pence had endorsed challenger Rebecca Kleefisch, who conceded the race.

Michels will take on incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is seeking a second term, in what’s expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive gubernatorial contests this fall.

Citing his business background, construction experience and military service, Michels thanked his supporters on Tuesday night.

“As governor, my number one priority will be taking care of the hard-working people of Wisconsin,” Michels said, while pledging to make Gov. Evers a “nonessential worker” in November.

He also acknowledged Trump’s endorsement. “It was a tremendous validation of our meteoric rise in this campaign. He knows we need new leadership in Madison,” Michels said to chants of “drain the swamp.”

Michels entered the race fueled by millions of dollars of his own wealth and Trump’s key endorsement. At a recent rally Trump said Kleefisch is “the handpicked candidate of the failed establishment, the RINOs.”

Both candidates embraced Trump’s lies about fraud in the 2020 election. Kleefisch called the 2020 election “rigged,” but said she would not attempt to decertify its results because it is not legally possible to do so. Michels, however, said in a debate that “everything is on the table,” indicating he would entertain measures that would seek to decertify President Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin.

Kleefisch, the former lieutenant governor, was also backed by former Gov. Scott Walker, for who she was the state’s No. 2 for eight years. 

CNN’s Eric Bradner, Dan Merica, Gregory Krieg and Brian Rokus contributed reporting to this post.

Rep. Peter Welch walks up the steps of the Capitol on April 28.

Rep. Peter Welch will win Vermont’s Democratic Senate primary, CNN projects, and will face Republican nominee Gerald Malloy in the general election in November.

Both candidates defeated two other challengers in each of their primaries on Tuesday.

The candidates are running to fill retiring Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy’s seat.

Welch, who has held the state’s at-large congressional seat since 2006, announced his run for Senate last year after Leahy said he would be retiring at the end of the term. 

Welch is a chief deputy whip of the House Democratic Caucus and has pushed for energy reform.

Rep. Ilhan Omar waves during a voter engagement event on the corner of Broadway and Central Avenues in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Tuesday, August 9.

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar survived a primary challenge Tuesday, CNN projects — but barely, and the narrow result could encourage critics of the progressive “squad” member to try again in two years.

Omar, who is running for a third term in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, overcame a primary challenge from former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels and three other Democratic primary candidates, CNN projects.

Democrats currently control four out of the state’s eight US House seats to three for the Republicans and one vacancy.

Samuels had run as a pro-police critic of Omar’s calls to “defund the police.” Samuels and his wife successfully sued the city of Minneapolis to force it to increase police staffing levels to the 741 officers required by the city’s charter.

Momentum behind what had been widely seen as a long-shot challenge built after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey endorsed Samuels last week. He was also backed by building trades unions, several suburban mayors and more moderate DFL leaders. His close call could inspire another effort to oust Omar in 2024.

Omar’s victory comes the week after after two other liberal members of the “squad,” Missouri Rep. Cori Bush and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, also beat back primary challenges.

Tim Rogers will win the Republican nomination in Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District, CNN projects, and face incumbent Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore in November. Moore is seeking a 10th term.

Rogers defeated GOP challenger Travis Clark and Moore ran unopposed. Republicans currently control five of the state’s eight US House seats. 

Incumbent Keith Ellison will win the Democratic nomination for Minnesota attorney general, CNN projects, and face Republican nominee Jim Schultz in November.

Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas on August 6.

As another round of primaries unfolds in key states tonight, former President Donald Trump told a group of House Republicans during a dinner at his Bedminster golf club this evening that he’s “made up his mind” about launching a 2024 presidential bid, it’s just a matter of “when” he announces it, according to Rep. Jim Banks, who attended the gathering.

The group of 12 Republicans, all members of the conservative Republican Study Committee, encouraged Trump to run “sooner than later,” Banks said, who described Trump as being “upbeat,” “fired up,” and “not fazed at all” by the recent FBI search on his Florida property.

CNN reported earlier this evening how Trump’s allies have been urging him to speed up his presidential bid, including some who had previously advised him to wait until after the midterms.

During the dinner, which had been planned weeks ago, they also discussed their oversight and investigation plans into the Department of Justice if Republicans win the majority. They specifically talked about what Rep. Jim Jordan, who is in line to chair the House Judiciary Committee, could do on “day one” to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland “accountable” and “demand answers about what happened last night at Mar-a-Lago,” Banks said.

“It has emboldened Republicans. It has unified Republicans,” Banks said, who also noted the FBI’s seizure of GOP Rep. Scott Perry’s cell phone. 

Trump also touted some of his recent victories taking down the House Republicans who voted to impeach him, and told lawmakers he is looking forward to Tuesday, when Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming will face off against a Trump-backed challenger in a primary, according to Banks.

Sara Rodriguez will win Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, CNN projects, and will face Republican Roger Roth in November.

Roth beat out a crowded field of GOP primary challengers.

Scott Jensen speaks at a news conference outside the state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 9.

Scott Jensen will win Minnesota’s GOP gubernatorial primary, CNN projects, and face incumbent Democratic Gov. Tim Walz in November.

The doctor and former state senator was facing off against Joyce Lynne Lacey and Bob “Again” Carney Jr.

Jensen is a fierce critic of Walz’s initial Covid-19 response and, at a recent forum, called the incumbent’s mitigation measures at the beginning of the pandemic an “abomination of government overreach.”

Jensen’s past remarks downplaying Covid, including a past assertion that hospitals were inflating the number of cases to collect more stimulus money, was cited in PolitiFact’s post on its 2020 “Lie of the Year.” He also touted his unvaccinated status over the past year as he rose to greater political prominence, sowing doubts over the safety and efficacy of the shots.

Jensen has also been an outspoken critic of abortion, an issue that is certain to be at the forefront of Democratic efforts to define him as too extreme after abortion rights supporters scored a notable victory in Kansas earlier this month. Jensen appeared to soften his position on abortion in late July, saying in a taped video that he supports allowing abortions for victims of rape or incest or if the life of the mother is threatened. He told Minnesota Public Radio in March that he would “try to ban abortion” as governor.

Walz has been attacking Jensen’s abortion stance for weeks, framing the general election as a referendum on the issue. “This isn’t a nuanced position between myself and my opponent,” Walz said in June. “This is far as the Grand Canyon could be in how we view women and how we view health care.”