It looks like Chafee is going to win at this point, pulling off a fairly comfortable
5- to 8-point victory. Club for Growth has been taken down by the combined might of the Republican establishment. CfG had the money, but NRSC had more plus they put serious boots on the ground.
All that will be for naught, however, as all the NRSC did was delay the inevitable. Sheldon Whitehouse will finish Chafee off in November.
Bowers on turnout:
RI-Sen: I should mention that turnout in the Democratic Senate primary does appear to be about 28% higher than turnout in the Republican primary, even though there was basically nothing at stake. In other words, it is not as though we are doomed in this race because Chafee won. Whitehouse should beat Chafee and Laffey combined in total votes tonight. Whitehouse could still even walk to a huge victory if Laffey voters stay at home. We will have to see how things develop over the next couple of weeks.
MD-Sen: Mfume 40%, Cardin 39%, with 10% reporting. Expect wild swings like this all night since our still all-too segregated society will result in lots of landslide precincts for both candidates. Few precincts will be close. Also, turnout looks friggin' huge in Maryland. I have to think that this means Steele is finished.
Maryland Democratic Senate primary
980 precincts out of 1,793 -- 54.66%
Votes %
Cardin 118,423 45.60
Mfume 95,591 36.81
MD-04 Dem primary
85 precincts out of 171 -- 49.71
Votes %
Wynn 13,562 52.32
Edwards 11,408 44.01
Update: Spitzer will win the gubernatorial nomination in NY 81-19 (ha!) and Clinton was at 83-17 over Tasini with about a third of the vote counted.