Live coverage: Sept. 8 primaries in New Hampshire & Rhode Island

by Daily Kos Elections for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff Emeritus

Tuesday, Sep. 08, 2020 Tuesday, Sep. 08, 2020 at 4:00:07pm PDT

Primaries conclude tonight in New Hampshire and Rhode Island, and we’re liveblogging the results below.

Results: New Hampshire | Rhode Island

Tuesday, Sep 8, 2020 · 11:07:55 PM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

Most polls have now closed in New Hampshire, where both parties have a competitive statewide primary in races that are on the outer edge of interest in November. For the GOP, it is the primary to determine who will be the Republican challenger to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. For the Democrats, it will be the primary to determine the opponent for second-term GOP Gov. Chris Sununu.

Tuesday, Sep 8, 2020 · 11:16:43 PM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-Gov (R): Though the outcome of this primary is a foregone conclusion (Gov. Chris Sununu is a lock to win), one has to love that one of his primary rivals is, quite literally, Nobody. His birth name is Rich Paul, and his politics seem more Libertarian than Republican, but no one can say he lacks for a sense of humor. He ran for mayor of Keene, received a vote share in the low single digits, and proclaimed that “clearly the good citizens of Keene would prefer I be governor.”

Tuesday, Sep 8, 2020 · 11:46:04 PM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

We’re not to the threshold in any of our races this evening. I have not forgotten this live coverage exists, nor have I been distracted by a sudden need to clean my garage. This is your 7:45 PM (ET) update.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 12:15:03 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

New Hampshire: We still haven’t reached the requisite threshold in any race, but that has not stopped a few calls being made. So far, a trio of incumbents have won their primaries: Gov. Chris Sununu (ah, Nobody, we hardly knew ye) has been renominated, along with Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, and Democratic Rep. Ann Kuster.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 12:20:07 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

In a development that is gently amusing, there is a nonzero chance we will get a result past the threshold in Rhode Island (which closed 19 minutes ago) before we get one in New Hampshire (the bulk of which closed 79 minutes ago).

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 12:26:22 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

RI-02 (D): And Rhode Island wins the prize. Just blew past the threshold in the 2nd district, where veteran Rep. Jim Langevin was being primaried to his left by Dylan Conley. With just over 10,000 votes tallied, Langevin has a very solid (but not crushing) lead (66-34).

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 12:30:35 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-Gov (D): Freaking FINALLY. Just hit the 10,000 vote mark in the Granite State, and it’s actually a fairly close contest between state senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes and state executive Councillor (one of five) Andru Volinsky. Feltes has the early 54-46 advantage, driven by a solid margin out of Concord, which has (mostly) reported.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 12:36:18 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-Sen (R): When the story of Donald Trump is written, let a small part of it denote that he had the chance to endorse a former Army Brigadier General for the US Senate, and instead picked a lawyer named Corky. As it happens, it might’ve been shrewd politics, because Corky (Messner) outraised the General (Don Bolduc) by about a 5-to-1 margin. And, at present, he has the lead in the Republican primary to take on Jeanne Shaheen. With nearly 8500 votes tallied, Messner leads Bolduc by a 53-40 margin.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 12:42:22 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

Rhode Island: The big story here tonight, assuming Langevin gets re-nominated with ease (which appears to be happening), is the effort to reduce the ConservaDem quotient in the heavily Democratic Rhode Island state legislature (you can find an excellent primer to those downballot races here). Right now, state Senate President Dominick Ruggerio is in the race of his life with fellow Democrat Lenny Cioe. After trailing most of the first hour, Ruggerio just took a thin 54-46 lead. Meanwhile, in SD-06, veteran Sen. Harold Metts, who is to the right of the Democratic mainstream on LGBT and choice issues, is getting smoked in early returns by Tiara Mack. Mack currently leads that race 65-35.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 1:01:14 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-Sen (R): Hmmm...business may be picking up here. Trump-endorsed lawyer Corky Messner has seen his lead over retired Army Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc fade noticeably. Messner is now down to just a 49-45 lead over Bolduc. Bolduc has cut the early lead for Messner by more than half.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 1:09:42 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-01 (R): We haven’t discussed this one yet, but that’s forgivable, because it appears to be a blowout. Former NH GOP executive and Trump staffer Matt Mowers leads USAF veteran Matt Mayberry by a 61-27 margin.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 1:29:40 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-01/NH-02 (R): One potential upset, and one expected result, out of the House primaries in the Granite State. The expected result comes out NH-01, where former Trump staffer Matt Mowers has won, having received a concession from Matt Mayberry. In NH-02, we didn’t even think it would require much coverage, given that 2018 nominee Steve Negron was back for a rematch against a lightly funded challenger in former state legislator Lynne Blankenbeker. But with 7000 votes tallied, Negron is actually trailing Blankenbeker 45-42.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 1:56:51 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-02 (R): 2018 nominee Steve Negron moved back into the lead here over Lynne Blankenbeker (46-40), but man, is this a weak sauce effort from Negron, who is seeking to improve on his performance from two years ago, when he lost to Democratic Rep. Ann Kuster by a 56-42 margin.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 2:07:34 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

Rhode Island: In addition to the aforementioned Senate primaries, there were also quite a few leftward primary challenges in the State House, as well (excellent primer of those races can be found here). And, thus far, those challenges are bearing some fruit. At present, five incumbent Democratic legislators are trailing in their primaries. Unfortunately, one of those five is a progressive legislator (Moira Walsh), who was the subject of a notorious incident in 2018 when the state party, despite her status as an incumbent, endorsed her primary opponent (a white dude named Michael Earnheart). Earnheart’s campaign should have, in theory been compromised by the deeply disqualifying fact that said he was an outspoken Trump supporter and alt-rightie. This time around, Walsh is facing a more “normal” Democrat in local educator Nathan Biah, who has a big lead over her in early returns.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 3:08:08 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

New Hampshire: Getting to around two-thirds of the vote tallied, and each of the races left are fairly static, although none of them have been called.

NH-Gov (D): State Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes still holds a 52-48 lead over NH Executive Councillor Andru Volinsky. Volinsky has narrowed the margin very slightly, but Feltes hangs onto a 4500-vote edge with nearly 90,000 votes counted.
NH-Sen (R): After losing a sizable early lead, lawyer and Trump endorsee Corky Messner has now settled in with a stable, if not overwhelming, 50-43 lead over over Don Bolduc.
NH-02 (R): 2018 nominee Steve Negron has also stabilized his lead over Lynne Blankenbeker, whom he also defeated two years ago in the Republican primary. At last check, the margin stood at 47-40.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 3:45:11 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-Sen (R): The AP calls the Republican Senate primary for lawyer Corky Messner. He will go on to face incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in November. A UNH poll released last week gave Shaheen a 54-36 edge.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 4:39:54 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-Gov (D): This primary night simply does not want to end. Up to 83% reporting, and there has been a slight tightening here, with Dan Feltes now up 52-48 over Andru Volinsky.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 4:45:16 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

Rhode Island: We’re going to hold off on any final characterizations of the state legislative story here, because there is an unspecified number of VBMs to count. But it does look like several Democratic incumbent state legislators are in major peril.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 4:59:01 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-02 (R): An AP call for Steve Negron, who struggled but managed to defeat Lynne Blankenbeker to earn a rematch with Democratic Rep. Ann Kuster.

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2020 · 5:44:15 AM +00:00 · Steve Singiser

NH-Gov (D): Wanted to ride this one to a conclusion, but with 86% of the votes counted, we’ve hit a long stall. Dan Feltes still leads Andru Volinsky 51-49, but confidence in a certain conclusion tonight seems remote, at best. So, with that in mind, we’re calling it a night here at Daily Kos Elections. Or, for most of you, we are calling it a morning. Thanks for reading along!