Campaign

Live results: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont, Connecticut hold primaries

by Lisa Hagen and Max Greenwood - 08/14/18 6:03 PM ET

Voters headed to the polls in four states — Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut and Vermont — on Tuesday for another busy day of primaries.

Wisconsin has captured much of the attention because of the heated and expensive GOP primary to take on Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), but a lot of the action will be happening in Minnesota as well.

Follow along as The Hill posts results as they come in throughout the night.

Polls close at 7 p.m. ET in Vermont, 8 p.m. ET in Connecticut, and 9 p.m. ET in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Johnson ends Pawlenty’s comeback bid in Minnesota

11:12 p.m.

Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson (R) defeated former Gov. Tim Pawlenty in the Minnesota GOP gubernatorial race, in a contest that became unexpectedly close in the final weeks.

Pawlenty, who served as Minnesota governor from 2003 to 2011, was attempting a comeback bid for a third term in his first race since a failed presidential run in 2012.

Johnson attacked Pawlenty repeatedly for distancing himself from then-candidate Donald Trump after the Access Hollywood tape came out in October 2016, showcasing how support for the president continues to be a big factor in current Republican primaries.

Vukmir wins GOP Senate primary in Wisconsin

10:43 p.m.

Wisconsin state Sen. Leah Vukmir vanquished Marine Corps veteran Kevin Nicholson in the state’s Republican Senate primary, setting her up to challenge incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) in November.

With 56 percent of precincts reporting, Vukmir carried 54.1 percent of the vote, according to AP.

Vukmir secured the state Republican Party’s endorsement in May. But she faced a tough primary challenge from Nicholson, a former Democrat and businessman. Both candidates had the backing of wealthy donors.

For Nicholson, that was Illinois businessman Richard Uihlein. Vukmir had the support of Wisconsin billionaire Diane Hendricks.

Ellison wins AG primary amid allegations

10:22 p.m.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) trounced the competition in the Democratic primary for Minnesota attorney general. His victory comes amid allegations that he abused an ex-girlfriend, claims that Ellison has denied.

Ellison, who became the first Muslim elected to Congress, decided to vacate his seat in June. He was seen as the front-runner in the AG primary even as the allegations broke over the weekend.

It remains to be seen in the general election how, or if, the allegations affect his campaign. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced on Tuesday that it’s “reviewing” the allegations.

Evers wins Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Wisconsin

10:18 p.m.

Wisconsin state Superintendent Tony Evers has secured the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Gov. Scott Walker in November.

The AP called the race with about 36 percent of precincts reporting. At the time, Evers carried roughly 39 percent of the vote, sitting far ahead of his challengers.

Evers’ win sets up what is likely to be a competitive race for the governor’s mansion. Kyle Kondik, the managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, said Tuesday that the election handicapper would move the race from “leans Republican” to “toss up.”

Crystal Ball is going to be moving WI-GOV from Leans R to Toss-up. Been evident for a while that Walker is in trouble but we wanted to wait until the primary. Tony Evers seems like the most credible Dem, and he will face Walker.

— Kyle Kondik (@kkondik) August 15, 2018

An NBC News/Marist poll last month found a majority Wisconsin voters believing that it was time to give someone else a chance in the governor’s mansion.

“Ironstache” prevails in Wisconsin primary

10:15 p.m.

Ironworker Randy Bryce, also known as “Ironstache,” easily won the Democratic primary for House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) open seat.

Bryce defeated teacher and local school board member Cathy Myers in a primary that turned ugly and personal in the final weeks.

Bryce quickly gained front-runner status in the primary when he launched an emotional campaign announcement video last year. He’s captured most of the attention in the primary and raised more than $6 million.

But Bryce has endured a spate of negative headlines — including past arrests and failure to pay child support — which could become a political headache in the general election.

Bryce will face Republican Bryan Steil, who also easily won the GOP primary. Steil is a business executive and attorney who was endorsed by Ryan.

Ryan’s seat will be a difficult race for Democrats, though it’s one they are heavily targeting. Trump won Wisconsin’s 1st District by 10 points in 2016.

2016 Teacher of the Year wins Conn. primary

9:35 p.m.

2016 Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes has won the Democratic primary in the race to replace Rep. Elizabeth Esty’s (D-Conn.) seat. She defeated former Simsbury First Selectwoman Mary Glassman, who won the backing of the state Democratic party at its May convention.

First-time candidate Hayes entered the race last month at the urging of Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), but she quickly captured national attention and became a top fundraiser.

If elected in November, Hayes would become the first African-American woman to represent Connecticut in Congress.

Esty’s seat opened up when she decided not to run for reelection after facing backlash for how she handled harrassment allegations levied against a senior staffer.

While Clinton won Esty’s district by only 4 points, the seat is expected to stay in Democratic hands, especially in a year when Republicans face tough electoral headwinds. It’s unclear which Republican Hayes will face in November.

Klobuchar easily advances in Minnesota Dem primary

9:34 p.m.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar cruised to victory in Minnesota’s Democratic Senate primary, easily vanquishing four challengers to advance to the general election in November.

With 11 percent of precincts reporting, Klobuchar held roughly 96 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press. Her challengers – Steve Carlson, Stephen Emery, David Groves and Leonard Richards – all ended up with less than 2 percent of the vote.

Klobuchar was widely expected to take the Democratic nomination, and is considered the favorite to win in November. The Cook Political Report rates her seat as “solid Democrat.” She is set to face Minnesota Republican state Rep. Jim Newberger in November.

Vermont makes history in gov race

9:16 p.m.

Democrat Christine Hallquist has won the Democratic nomination, making her the first transgender gubernatorial nominee of a major political party.

Hallquist, a former CEO of the state’s electricity co-op and a political newcomer, will face Republican Gov. Phil Scott in what will likely be an uphill battle for the governor’s mansion in Vermont.

Scott, who’s running for his second term, won 53 percent of the vote in 2016 despite Hillary Clinton winning the state. Scott is a former lieutenant governor and state senator.

Polls close in Minnesota and Wisconsin

9:00 p.m.

The final polls of the night are closed in Minnesota and Wisconsin, with first results expected around 9:15 p.m. in both states.

Keep an eye on Wisconsin’s GOP Senate primary where Republicans Kevin Nicholson and Leah Vukmir are vying to take on Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) in the fall. And Democrats will pick their nominee out of a crowded field in the race to unseat Gov. Scott Walker (R).

Meanwhile, Minnesota has a full slate of primaries on tap, with high-profile races for governor, attorney general, both Senate seats and a number of competitive House races.

Incumbent Welch wins Democratic nomination for Vermont’s only House seat

8:48 p.m.

Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will be the Democratic Party’s nominee for Vermont’s sole House seat.

Welch was carrying nearly 84 percent of the vote at the time AP called the race, overcoming challenges from two other Democrats, Dan Freilich and Ben Mitchell.

Welch succeeded now-Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the House seat in 2007.

Lamont wins Dem nomination for Connecticut gov

8:42 p.m.

Business executive Ned Lamont glided to victory in Connecticut’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim.

The Associated Press called the race with just 15 percent of precincts reporting. At the time, Lamont carried about 85 percent of the vote, compared to Ganim’s 15 percent.

Lamont has been a recurring candidate in Connecticut. But his primary bid saw him tout his credentials as an outsider. He has also sought to distance himself from current Gov. Dannel Malloy (D), who was rated last month as one of the least popular governors in the country, according to a Morning Consult poll.

It’s not yet clear which Republican he will face in the general election.

Sanders coasts to Democratic Senate nomination

8:14 p.m.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) easily secured the Democratic Senate nomination in Vermont, moving him closer to a third term in office.

With only 11 percent of precincts reporting, the AP declared Sanders the winner. He carried about 95 percent of the vote, while his Democratic challenger Folasade Adeluola came in at a little more than 5 percent.

Despite winning the Democratic primary, Sanders is widely expected to reject the party’s nomination – a move that has become standard for the independent senator over the years. He is a self-described democratic socialist, and while he caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate, he has refused to join the party.

He signed on to the Democratic Party briefly in 2016 in order to run in the New Hampshire presidential primary, but quickly withdrew after the contest.

Polls close in Connecticut

8 p.m.

Polls are now closed in Connecticut, with the first results expected around 8:25 p.m.

The big race to watch is the race to replace Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy, the two-term unpopular governor who is not seeking reelection.

On the Democratic side, businessman Ned Lamont, who ran for governor in 2010, faces convicted felon and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim. In the GOP primary, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton is considered the front-runner but faces two rivals who are self-funders.

There’s also the race to replace Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), who decided not to seek reelection after she was accused of mishandling sexual harassment claims against her former chief of staff.

Polls close in Vermont

7:00 p.m.

Polls are closing in Vermont, where Democrat Christine Hallquist is vying to become the first transgender gubernatorial nominee from a major party in U.S. history.

She faces three other Democrats in the primary: James Ehlers, Brenda Siegel and 14-year-old Ethan Sonneborn.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is also competing for a third term in office on the Democratic ballot, though he’s expected to reject the party’s nomination if he wins.

It’s still early, so don’t expect results to start rolling in until around 7:30 p.m. EDT.