TPMDC

Tonight’s Primaries: The Last Big Election Night Before November

Eric Kleefeld September 14, 2010, 5:58 PM

Tonight marks the last major night of the 2010 primary season. And what a wild and wacky season it’s been — and could still prove to be tonight.

This is the last multi-state primary night this year. After tonight, the only one primary left is Hawaii’s this Saturday.

So let’s take a look at some of tonight’s races. There are Tea Party insurgents against establishment GOP moderates, Dems fighting it out to keep their jobs, and a whole lot of fun throughout.

DE-SEN (R): This is probably the single biggest race of the night. Congressman Mike Castle once seemed like a shoo-in for both the Republican nomination and the general election — but in the home stretch he’s been put on the ropes by right-wing activist Christine O’Donnell, with a recent poll showing her ahead by three points. If O’Donnell were to win, it would seriously increase the chances of an eventual win for the Democratic nominee, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons. The polls will close at 8 p.m. ET.

DC-Mayor (D): In a city where the Democratic primary is tantamount to election, Mayor Adrian Fenty is facing a tough challenge from D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray. Indeed, this is a city where many conservatives register as Democrats just so they can vote in the only election that really matters — a famous example was the late journalist Bob Novak — so the Dem primary will be it for this race. The polls will close at 8 p.m. ET.

MD-GOV (R): Former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, who lost re-election in the Democratic sweep of 2006, is seeking a rematch against incumbent Dem Gov. Martin O’Malley — but first he has to clear a primary challenge from businessman Brian Murphy. Ehrlich really ought to just sweep this primary easily. On the other hand, though, the underdog Murphy was endorsed by Sarah Palin. The polls will close at 8 p.m. ET.

NH-SEN (R): State Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is the Republican establishment favorite in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Judd Gregg. However, the polls have tightened between Ayotte and Tea Party-backed Ovide Lamontagne, with her leading by only 35%-31% in recent survey, with businessmen Jim Bender and Bill Binnie trailing further behind. The polls will close in most of the state at 7 p.m. ET, though some areas will remain open later.

NY-GOV (R): Former Congressman Rick Lazio, who lost the 2000 Senate race to Hillary Clinton, has found himself in a tight race against businessman Carl Paladino, in a race marked by arguments over who is more right-wing and who is more anti-mosque The winner will begin the general election as a serous underdog against state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The polls will close at 9 p.m. ET. The TPM Poll Average for the primary shows Lazio ahead by 45.2%-40.1%, with Paladino quickly closing the gap.

NY-15 House (D): Rep. Charlie Rangel, the dean of New York’s Congressional delegation, is facing a strong challenge from state Rep. Adam Clayton Powell IV, as a result of Rangel’s ethics scandals. The fun part: Way back in 1970, Rangel was elected to Congress when he dethroned Powell’s father, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., as a result of his ethics scandals. The polls will close at 9 p.m. ET.

NY-23 House (R): Remember Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate who was nearly elected to Congress in the wild and wacky special election last year, losing narrowly to Democrat Bill Owens in this historically Republican district? Well, he’s back, and seeking the Republican nomination in the primary — but he must also face businessman Matt Doheny, who has the support of the local party establishment. Hoffman has not ruled out continuing his run as on the Conservative ballot line if he does not win the GOP primary. The polls will close at 9 p.m. ET.

RI-01 (D): This is the strongly Democratic seat held by Patrick Kennedy, who is retiring this year following the death in 2009 of his father, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) — ending a long era of the Kennedy family in Congress. Among the candidates competing in the Dem primary are Providence Mayor David Cicilline — who if elected, would expand the number of openly gay members of Congress, which currently numbers only three — former state Dem chairman Bill Lynch, state Rep. David Segal, and businessman Anthony Gemma. The polls will close at 9 p.m. ET.

WI-GOV (R): This contest is being fought between Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and former Congressman Mark Neumann, who narrowly lost the 1998 Senate race against Democrat Russ Feingold. Walker has been the establishment favorite throughout the race, but the self-financing Neumann has been putting up a pretty strong fight. So strong, in fact, that Walker ran this ad attacking Neumann for having voted with Nancy Pelosi! — on a transportation bill! — back in 1998! The polls will close at 9 p.m. ET.

Eric Kleefeld

Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.