Primary Recaps
A large number of Tuesday’s closely watched primaries remain unresolved, and in both Kentucky and New York, we can expect many of them to remain undecided for some time.
In Kentucky, most counties have only released partial results and many have not reported any numbers yet. That includes the two largest, Jefferson and Fayette, both of which have said they will not publish any returns before Tuesday.
Meanwhile, under New York law, officials are barred from counting mail ballots until eight days after Election Day. In the past, this delay has been less of an issue because absentee voting was uncommon, since voters had to provide an excuse. However, the excuse requirement was waived because of the coronavirus pandemic this year, leading to a surge in mail voting.
For the same reason, any statistics in either state regarding the "percentage of precincts reporting" should be ignored entirely as these figures do not account for mail votes. Even in races where sources misleadingly say that 100% of precincts have reported, you can be certain that 100% of votes have not been counted.
With all that said, here’s where things stand in each of Tuesday’s uncalled races:
• KY-Sen: With 62,000 votes tallied in the Democratic primary, former Marine combat pilot Amy McGrath has a 45-36 lead on state Rep. Charles Booker. About 410,000 total votes were cast in the Democrats' primary for Senate in 2016, though officials say they expect turnout this year to set new records. Booker and McGrath are competing for the right to take on Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell in November.
• NY-01: With 14,500 votes tallied in the Democratic primary, wealthy businessman (and 2018 nominee) Perry Gershon leads chemistry professor Nancy Goroff 36-34, with Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming at 28. Democrats are hoping to unseat Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin in this competitive but red-leaning seat.
• NY-02: With 11,000 votes tallied in the Republican primary, Andrew Gabarino leads fellow Assemblyman Mike LiPetri 63-37. The winner will face Babylon Town Councilor Jackie Gordon in the general election for this swingy seat that became open when Republican Rep. Peter King announced his retirement.
• NY-09: With 59,500 votes tallied in the Democratic primary, Rep. Yvette Clarke leads community organizer Adem Bunkeddeko 62-18. This is a safely blue seat.
• NY-10: With 29,000 votes tallied in the Democratic primary, Rep. Jerry Nadler leads former Andrew Cuomo adviser Lindsey Boylan 62-25. This is a safely blue seat.
• NY-12: With 38,000 votes tallied in the Democratic primary, Rep. Carolyn Maloney leads attorney Suraj Patel 42-40. This is a safely blue seat.
• NY-15: With 40,500 votes tallied in the Democratic primary, New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres leads Assemblyman Michael Blake 30-19, with New York City Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. at 15. This is a safely blue seat that became open when Democratic Rep. José Serrano announced his retirement.
• NY-16: With 36,000 votes tallied in the Democratic primary, educator Jamaal Bowman leads Rep. Eliot Engel 61-36. Bowman has declared victory, but Engel has not conceded. This is a safely blue seat.
• NY-17: With 29,500 votes tallied in the Democratic primary, attorney Mondaire Jones leads former prosecutor Adam Schleifer 45-21, with state Sen. David Carlucci at 13. This is a safely blue seat that became open when Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey announced her retirement.
• NY-24: With 16,000 votes tallied in the Democratic primary, public policy professor (and 2018 nominee) Dana Balter leads Navy veteran Francis Conole 64-36. Democrats are hoping to unseat Republican Rep. John Katko, who is one of just three House Republicans defending a seat this fall that Hillary Clinton won in 2016.
You can keep tabs on all of these races by bookmarking our continually updated cheat-sheet.