Smart Politics

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary by the Numbers

2026-08-12T21:47:25Z

Crowley’s narrow win was the third closest primary out of 96 major party contests for the office since 1912

It was a late night in Wisconsin before its competitive Democratic gubernatorial primary race was called with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley (pictured) edging out State Assemblywoman Francesca Hong by less than a percentage point.

With just an estimated few thousand votes left to count, Crowley holds a 0.48-point advantage over Hong – good for the third most narrowly decided primary for governor out of eight-dozen held over the last 110+ years.

Since the first contest in 1912, there have been 96 gubernatorial primaries for the Democratic, Republican, and Progressive (1934-1944) parties.

Crowley’s win was the closest in 86 years, when former Kaukauna Mayor and dentist William Sullivan defeated state Democratic Chairman Gustav Keller of Appleton by 0.32 points with just 24.3 percent in the six-candidate 1942 field.

The biggest nail-biter in Wisconsin gubernatorial primary history came on the Republican side in 1918. Two-term Governor Emanuel Philipp edged State Senator Roy Wilcox of Eau Claire by 0.23 points with 38.1 percent of the primary vote.

From 1912 through 2026 a total of 16 of 96 primaries for governor have been decided by single digits.

Seven on the Democratic side:

1914 (7.0 points): Milwaukee County Judge John Karel (53.5 percent) over U.S. District Attorney John Aylward of Madison (46.5 percent)
1922 (9.2 points): La Crosse Mayor Arthur Bentley (54.6 percent) over former paper manufacturer executive Karl Mathie (45.4 percent)
1940 (6.6 points): Former GOP Governor Francis McGovern (38.9 percent) over former Milwaukee city purchasing agent William Callahan (32.3 percent)
1942 (0.3 points): Kaukauna Mayor and dentist William Sullivan (24.3 percent) over state Democratic Chairman Gustav Keller of Appleton (24.0 percent)
1982 (3.9 points): Former State Assemblyman Tony Earl (45.9 percent) over former Governor Martin Schrieber (42.0 percent)
2002 (3.9 points): Attorney General Jim Doyle (38.4 percent) over U.S. Representative Tom Barrett (34.5 percent)
2026 (0.5 points): Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley (39.8 percent) over State Assemblywoman Francesca Hong (39.3 percent)

Seven on the Republican side:

1918 (0.2 points): Governor Emanuel Philipp (38.0 percent) over State Senator Roy Wilcox of Eau Claire (37.8 percent)
1920 (2.9 points): Attorney General John Blaine (29.9 percent) over Wilcox (27.0 percent)
1926 (8.1 points): Secretary of State Fred Zimmerman (46.8 percent) over Attorney General Herman Ekern (38.7 percent)
1928 (4.1 points): Plumbing manufacturer executive Walter Kohler, Sr. (43.7 percent) over U.S. Representative Joseph Beck (39.6 percent)
1936 (3.6 points): Former Chippewa County Attorney Alexander Wiley (51.8 percent) over newspaper Ashland editor John Chapple (48.2 percent)
1946 (3.4 points): Governor Walter Goodland (42.5 percent) over state Adjutant General Ralph Immell (39.1 percent)
2022 (5.1 points): Business executive Tim Michels (47.1 percent) over former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch (42.0 percent)

And two for the Progressives:

1940 (6.2 points): Former state Attorney General Orland Loomis (33.1 percent) over Chippewa Falls attorney Harold Stafford (26.9 percent)
1944 (0.8 points): Aid Association for Lutherans president Alexander Benz (33.1 percent) of Appleton over Kenosha attorney Leo Vaudreuil (32.3 percent)

In Tuesday’s Republican primary, U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany easily won nomination with 95.3 percent of the vote. It was the most support received by a non-incumbent in a contested GOP primary for governor in state history, besting Lieutenant Governor Jack Olson’s mark of 91.4 percent in 1970.

The average primary victory margin across all 96 races has been 53.0 points including 30 gubernatorial nominations that went uncontested.

The seven-candidate Democratic field this cycle was the second-largest in a gubernatorial primary in state history.

Follow Smart Politics on X.

The post Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary by the Numbers appeared first on Smart Politics.

Michigan US Senate Primary Results by the Numbers

2026-08-05T21:19:33Z

The hotly contested Democratic primary is within a whisker of becoming the most narrowly decided U.S. Senate primary in state history

With more than 98 percent of the expected vote counted, Abdul El-Sayed has defeated U.S. Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan’s open seat U.S. Senate race.

While official results will tell the tale of the tape, as of Wednesday afternoon, El-Sayed (48.49 percent) holds a 0.98-point lead over Stevens (47.51 percent).

If that stands, the 2026 Democratic battle will go down as the second narrowest victory margin in a U.S. Senate primary in Michigan history.

That mark is currently held by the six-candidate 1994 Democratic race that saw six-term U.S. Representative Bob Carr (24.01 percent) edge out State Senator Anna Pollock (23.06 percent) by 0.95 points.

Only one other Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary has been decided by less than 15 points. In 1936, two-term U.S. Representative Prentiss Brown was nominated by 2.1 points with 36.3 percent of the vote over Louis Ward of Pontiac, a former business representative of radio priest Charles Coughlin.

Smart Politics previously reported how unusual it is for Michigan Democrats to host competitive races for U.S. Senator with 27 of the 40 nominees prior to El-Sayed winning uncontested.

El-Sayed’s ~48.5 percent will go down as the sixth plurality Democratic primary victory for the office.

In addition to the aforementioned Carr and Brown, the remaining three plurality winners were State Liquor Control Commission Chair Frank Picard in 1934 (42.9 percent), five-term U.S. Representative Donald Riegle in 1976 (44.3 percent) and former Detroit City Councilor Carl Levin in 1978 (38.9 percent).

On the Republican side of the ballot, former seven-term U.S. Representative Mike Rogers was nominated without opposition – the 16th time Michigan Republicans have nominated a candidate for U.S. Senator in such fashion.

Smart Politics recently documented how Rogers (the GOP’s 2024 nominee for the office) is looking to buck history in the state: failed Michigan U.S. Senate candidates have subsequently run for the office 12 additional times during the primary era – losing all 12 bids.

Follow Smart Politics on X.

The post Michigan US Senate Primary Results by the Numbers appeared first on Smart Politics.

A Brief History of US Senate Elections without Democrats on the Ballot

2026-08-05T15:00:50Z

Democrats have already tied a party record without nominees in three states this cycle

Heading into the final weeks of primary season, voters in at least three states will not see the name of a Democrat on the ballot in their U.S. Senate contest.

On Tuesday, South Dakota Democrat Julian Beaudion backtracked on recent statements to become the latest Democratic nominee in a deep red state to exit the race in deference to party pressure and consolidate support behind independent candidate Brian Bengs to take on incumbent Mike Rounds.

Last week, Idaho realtor and Democratic primary winner David Roth withdrew so the party could coalesce around independent candidate (and former Democratic state legislator) Todd Achilles.

Achilles will face three-term (and 83 year-old) GOP incumbent Jim Risch in a state that has elected Republicans to the office for 16 consecutive direct elections since 1978. That is the fourth largest current GOP winning streak (behind Kansas at 33, Wyoming at 19, and Utah at 18) and tied for the fifth largest in party history with Maine. [Vermont ranks #2 all-time at 25 straight wins from 1914 to 1972].

Idaho’s news came on the heels of Nebraska, where Democrat Cindy Burbank followed up on her pre-primary pledge that she would drop out of the race for anti-Pete Ricketts voters to unify behind the campaign of independent and 2024 candidate Dan Osborn.

The clock is still ticking for Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead of Montana to cave to the pressure and pave the way for establishment-backed (and better funded) independent candidate Seth Bodnar in his open seat race against Republican Kurt Alme.

At least one major party has failed (strategically or otherwise) to land a candidate on the general election ballot for each of the last 14 cycles since 2000.

During this quarter-century span, Democrats have not appeared on the U.S. Senate ballot in 20 elections, compared to just four times for the GOP.

By contrast, from 1914 through 1998, there were 115 U.S. Senate elections without a Republican on the ballot (overwhelmingly in the South), compared to just 17 without a Democrat.

As was reported by Smart Politics last year, Nebraska is now the first state without a Democrat on the ballot in a U.S. Senate contest in back-to-back cycles.

In Idaho, Democrats also failed to produce a nominee in 2004 when Senator Mike Crapo won over 99 percent of the vote (with a write-in candidacy by Democrat Scott McClure garnering 0.8 percent).

Meanwhile, South Dakota Democrats will also now head into the general election without a U.S. Senate nominee for the second time – previously doing so in 2010 when John Thune ran unopposed for a second term in the chamber.

Idaho, Nebraska, and South Dakota are three of 20 states in which Democrats do not have a perfect track record in putting a candidate’s name before the voters on Election Day since 1914.

Vermont leads the way with effectively no Democrat on the ballot in five elections. In 1968, GOP U.S. Senator George Aiken won the contested Republican primary and, with no Democrat running for that party’s nomination, also claimed the Democratic nod by receiving 1,534 write-in votes.

Democrats were in a slightly different position in four other election cycles won by independent Bernie Sanders. Sanders won the Democratic primaries of 2006, 2012, 2018, and 2024 but declined the nomination and then ran as an independent in each of the general elections.

The only other states that have hosted more than two elections without Democratic options for voters are California and Minnesota.

In California:

1934: Incumbent Senator Hiram Johnson cross-filed to win both the GOP and Democratic primaries and then ran as a Republican in the general election with only a Socialist nominee on the ballot as opposition
1940: Johnson used the same maneuver to win the GOP, Democratic, and Progressive primaries six years later and then only faced Prohibition and Communist nominees in the general
1946 (special): After Johnson’s death, appointed Republican U.S. Senator William Knowland won the general election as well as the special for the remaining two months of the term – but no candidates from any party appeared on the ballot of the latter (only write-in votes were cast)
1952: Knowland cross-filed to win the GOP and Democratic nominations and ran as a Republican to win the general against only the Progressive Party nominee

In Minnesota:

1918: Long-serving U.S. Senator Knute Nelson won the GOP primary and was endorsed by the state Democratic Party. [A splinter faction of the Democrats later attempted to land a candidate on the ballot (Minneapolis real estate dealer Alfred Davis) but failed. Nelson faced only National (Prohibitionist) Party nominee Willis Calderwood in the general].
1928: Democratic nominee George Cashman withdrew from the race in late September under pressure from the state party as Democrats and Farmer-Laborites attempted to unify forces to elect Farmer-Laborite Henrik Shipstead for U.S. Senate (successfully) and see New York Governor Al Smith carry the state for president (unsuccessfully)
1936: Democratic primary winner Patrick Delaney withdrew from the race in early October to coalesce support behind Farmer-Laborite Ernest Lundeen (who had replaced the recently deceased Farmer-Laborite primary winner, Governor Floyd Olson)
1936 (special): No Democrat filed for the short-term election to serve the remaining two months of Republican Thomas Schall’s term. Schall died in December 1935 and Farmer-Laborite Elmer Benson was appointed to the seat.

The remaining 14 states which have lacked a Democratic U.S. Senate nominee in one or two contests are Alabama (2014), Alaska (2020), Arizona (2000), Arkansas (2020), Indiana (2006), Iowa (1926), Kansas (2002, 2014), Mississippi (1990, 2002), North Dakota (1926 special), Oregon (1918 special), Pennsylvania (1922 special), Utah (2022), Virginia (1990, 2002), and Wisconsin (1925 special, 1928).

If Bankhead withdraws in Montana by early next week, Democrats will set a party record of not fielding a candidate on the ballot in four states.

The party failed to run U.S. Senate nominees in three states during the 2002 cycle: Kansas, Mississippi, and Virginia. Democrats were without nominees in two states in nine previous cycles: 1918, 1926, 1928, 1936, 1990, 2006, 2014, 2020, and 2024.

Follow Smart Politics on X.

The post A Brief History of US Senate Elections without Democrats on the Ballot appeared first on Smart Politics.

A Brief Look at the Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary

2026-08-12T17:47:28Z

The seven-candidate Democratic field is second largest in state history and includes four of the 12 major party candidacies for the office by women

Wisconsin’s Democratic primary to vie for the seat of retiring Governor Tony Evers has entertained political observers with enough twists and turns worthy of a soap opera.

In the end, seven candidates will appear on the August 11th primary ballot – including two who suspended their campaigns (Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO Melissa Hughes) and a third formerly withdrawn candidate who only recently jumped back into the race (Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley).

The 2026 Democratic primary field goes down in the history books as the second largest of the more than 140 gubernatorial party primaries in Wisconsin history since 1912.

The largest gubernatorial primary field for any political party in Wisconsin history is 10 candidates – set by the Democrats just eight years ago in 2018 when Evers easily defeated nine other opponents en route to unseating Governor Scott Walker.

Democrats have placed more than four candidates on the primary ballot in just two other cycles across the 45 held since the first such contest in 1912:

1942: Kaukauna dentist William Sullivan emerged victorious from a six-candidate field by the narrowest victory margin for the office in party history (0.3 points) with a record low 24.3 percent plurality
2012: Milwaukee Mayor and former U.S. Representative Tom Barrett cruised to a 24-point victory against ex-Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk in a five-candidate field

The Republican Party, which has consolidated support behind U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany in a two-candidate race this cycle, peaked at six gubernatorial candidates twice and five candidates in four other cycles:

1914: Milwaukee Police Commissioner Emanuel Philipp won a six-candidate primary with a plurality of 35.1 percent
1920: Attorney General John Blaine was nominated from six candidates with 29.9 percent of the vote – the lowest support ever received by a GOP gubernatorial nominee
1944: Ascended Governor Walter Goodland easily held off four challengers with a 47.2 percent plurality victory
1946: Governor Goodland was renominated with 42.5 percent – edging Wisconsin Adjutant General Ralph Immell by 3.4 points in a five-candidate field
1986: State Assembly Minority Leader Tommy Thompson cruised to a 29.8-point victory against four challengers in the first of his four nomination victories
2022: Businessman Tim Michels was nominated with a 47.1 percent plurality in a five-candidate field

The Progressive Party also fielded five candidates once during the six cycles in which they held primaries for governor from 1934 to 1944: in 1940, former Attorney General and state legislator Orland Loomis was nominated with 33.1 percent – 6.2 points ahead of Chippewa Falls attorney Harold Stafford. [Other third parties to appear on a gubernatorial primary ballot over the last century-plus include the Socialists (15 times), Prohibitionists (11), Libertarians (five), Wisconsin Greens (four), People’s Progressives (twice), American (twice), Conservatives (twice), Labor-Farmers (twice), U.S. Taxpayers (twice), and Social Democrats (once)].

In 2018, Evers was victorious by 25.5 points, but with a plurality of 41.8 percent. This cycle’s winner is likewise expected to fall well short of breaking the tape with a majority.

Only six other Democrats have been nominated for governor with a plurality of the vote across the previous 44 cycles:

1932: Madison Mayor Albert Schmedeman (44.0 percent) in a three-candidate field
1940: Former GOP Governor Francis McGovern (38.9 percent) in a four-candidate field
1942: Former Kaukauna Mayor and dentist William Sullivan (24.3 percent) in a six-candidate field
1966: Lieutenant Governor Patrick Lucey (45.2 percent) in a four-candidate field
1982: Former Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Tony Earl (45.9 percent) in a three-candidate field
2002: Attorney General Jim Doyle (38.4 percent) in a three-candidate field

The 2026 Democratic primary is also noteworthy with four women appearing on the ballot: Assemblywoman Francesca Hong, State Senator Kelda Roys, and the aforementioned Rodriguez and Hughes who suspended their campaigns.

Only once has a woman been nominated for governor by a major party in Wisconsin – Madison School Board member Mary Burke in 2014 secured the Democratic nod. That occurred 12 years after the first woman to ever appear on a major party primary ballot for governor in the Badger State: Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk in 2002. Falk placed third in a competitive contest with 27.2 percent of the vote behind AG Doyle and U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett.

Other women to run in the Democratic primary are Falk again during the 2012 recall election, State Senator Kathleen Vinehout in 2012, Republican-recruited protest candidate Gladys Huber in 2012, and the aforementioned Roys and Vinehout in 2018.

Republican primary voters have had the opportunity to nominate a woman for governor only once: in 2022, former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch fell five points short in a five-candidate race won by businessman Tim Michels.

Follow Smart Politics on X.

The post A Brief Look at the Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary appeared first on Smart Politics.

Arizona’s Gubernatorial Primary by the Numbers

2026-07-27T02:06:02Z

Andy Biggs sets a GOP record for a non-incumbent in his blowout victory

July has largely been summer break for state primaries, although Arizona voters had their chance to weigh in on their candidate preferences on Tuesday.

At the top of the ticket, Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs ran unopposed for her party’s nomination.

That marked just the third time a Democratic governor did not face any opposition in his or her quest for another term out of 20 renomination bids dating back to statehood.

Hobbs joins Gov. Ernest McFarland who ran unopposed for a second term in 1956 and Gov. Janet Napolitano who did the same in 2006.

Each of the first 14 times a Democratic governor sought reelection there was at least one opponent on the primary ballot. Ten were victorious:

George Hunt in 1914, 1916, 1924, 1926, and 1928
Benjamin Moeur in 1934
Sidney Osborn in 1942, 1944, and 1946
Dan Garvey in 1948

Four others lost renomination:

1932: Gov. George Hunt lost to Tempe Normal School Board member Benjamin Moeur by 6.2 points
1936: Gov. Moeur was defeated by former Maricopa County Judge Rawghlie Stanford by 12.0 points
1940: Gov. Robert Jones came up 4.5 points short to former Arizona Secretary of State Sidney Osborn
1950: Gov. Dan Garvey lost to State Auditor Ana Frohmiller by 6.6 points

Other Democratic governors winning renomination in contested primaries were Sam Goddard in 1966 and Bruce Babbitt in 1978 and 1982.

By contrast, Republican governors have run unopposed in eight of 12 attempts:

Tom Campbell in 1922
John Phillips in 1930
John Howard Pyle in 1952 and 1954
Paul Fannin in 1960 and 1962
Jack Williams in 1968 and 1970

The remaining four gubernatorial incumbents were also nominated in their bids for another term for a perfect 12-for-12: Fife Symington (1994), Jane Dee Hull (1998), Jan Brewer (2010), and Doug Ducey (2018).

In Tuesday’s Republican race, with nearly 85 percent of the vote counted, U.S. Representative Andy Biggs pummeled his three opponents with a ~59-point victory over fellow U.S. House delegation member David Schweikert. Biggs is poised to carry at least 70 percent of the vote in each of the state’s 15 counties.

Biggs’ victory margin will easily go down as the largest in a GOP primary by a non-incumbent – besting Phoenix accountant Jerrie Lee’s 42.6-point win in 1944 against Arizona Citrus Growers’ Association president Harry Michael to seal his fourth consecutive Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Follow Smart Politics on X.

The post Arizona’s Gubernatorial Primary by the Numbers appeared first on Smart Politics.

Brett Lindstrom and a Review of Nebraska Independent Gubernatorial Bids

2026-08-12T21:44:14Z

Three independents have won double-digit support in elections for Nebraska governor since statehood

Former State Senator and 2022 GOP candidate for governor Brett Lindstrom announced this week he will make an 11th hour bid to collect enough signatures to qualify for the 2026 gubernatorial election as an independent.

To be nominated by petition, Lindstrom needs to gather 4,000 valid signatures by the soon-approaching August 3rd filing deadline.

Nebraska, which once boasted strong third party showings in gubernatorial elections during the 19th and early 20th Centuries, has been in a long drought since a non-major party candidate had an impact on a race for governor.

Since the first gubernatorial election in 1866, independent candidates have qualified for the general election ballot eight times, but only twice during the last 70 years.

The best showing was turned in by former York County Judge and York Mayor Arthur Wray in 1920.

Wray, who had the backing of the progressive and Farmer-Laborites but ran as an independent, placed third out of four candidates with 23.5 percent of the vote in an election won by incumbent Republican Samuel McKelvie.

Two other independents managed to garner double-digit support in gubernatorial races.

1874: Richardson County farmer Jonathan Gardner won 11.6 percent in a race won by GOP State Representative Silas Garber
1938: Former three-term Democratic Governor and Lincoln Mayor Charles Bryan filed as an independent for his eighth gubernatorial bid and won 15.4 percent as Democratic Governor Robert Cochran notched a plurality victory

Only one other independent candidate for governor has received one percent of the vote. In 1956, former Nebraska Men’s Reformatory superintendent George Morris won 5.6 percent as Republican Governor Victor Anderson cruised to a double-digit victory.

The remaining four independent candidates for governor are:

1934: Omaha druggist Ralph Madison won 0.8 percent
1934: Alliance farmer John Schefcik won 0.6 percent
1936: Peter Mehrens of Omaha (backed by Farmer-Laborites) won 0.96 percent
2006: Omaha businessman Mort Sullivan won 0.6 percent

Third party or independent candidates have appeared on the general election ballot 66 times across the 65 gubernatorial elections conducted since 1866. However, 59 of these candidacies occurred prior to 1940.

That number includes eight by People’s Independent (Populist) nominees from 1890 through 1904. Populists won the governorship three times (Silas Holcomb in 1894 and 1896 and William Poynter in 1898) and placed second in the remaining five and frequently ran on fusion tickets with the Democratic Party.

The Prohibition Party ran 19 nominees over the decades, with 10 for the Socialists, four each for the Greenbacks and Progressives, two each for the Libertarians, Nebraska Party, and Socialist Labor Party, and one candidate each for National Union, Labor, Silver, National Democratic, Midroad-Populist, Social Democratic, and American parties.

Three write-in campaigns have also been launched with State Representative Ernie Chambers winning 5.4 percent during the 1974 cycle.

If Lindstrom qualifies for the November ballot, he will join Republican Governor Jim Pillen, Democrat and former State Senator Lynne Walz, and Legal Marijuana NOW nominee Rick Beard.

Follow Smart Politics on X.

The post Brett Lindstrom and a Review of Nebraska Independent Gubernatorial Bids appeared first on Smart Politics.

Mike Rogers and a Review of Retread Michigan US Senate Candidates

2026-08-05T21:14:42Z

Failed U.S. Senate hopefuls have subsequently run for the office 12 additional times during the primary era – losing all 12 bids

Last weekend Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow ended her bid for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination effectively making the forthcoming August 4th primary a two-candidate race between four-term U.S. Representative Haley Stevens and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed. [McMorrow’s name will remain on the primary ballot].

Former seven-term GOP U.S. Representative and presumptive U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers (pictured) awaits the Stevens vs. El-Sayed winner in what is projected to be the Republican Party’s best pick-up opportunity in a cycle that may result in the chamber’s balance of power being decided by a single seat.

Rogers will represent Republicans on the U.S. Senate ballot in an open seat race for a second consecutive cycle, two years after narrowly losing the 2024 U.S. Senate election to U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin by 19K votes in a state Donald Trump carried by 80K at the top of the ticket.

The former U.S. Representative’s name will also now be added to a long list of Michiganders who returned to the U.S. Senate ballot after suffering a primary or general election loss. However, Rogers is hoping for a different result: all previous candidates – totaling 12 bids – fell short of winning a seat all 12 times.

Prior to Rogers, Michigan Republicans nominated Detroit businessman and former U.S. Army aviation officer John James in both the 2018 and 2020 cycles. James fell 6.5 points short of unseating Debbie Stabenow and then lost a 1.7-point nail-biter two years later to Senator Gary Peters.

Six other Republicans have tallied eight failed attempts at the U.S. Senate in the state over the last 100+ years:

Former Governor Chase Osborn placed a distant third with 19.6 percent in 1918’s four-candidate primary won by former U.S. Navy Secretary Truman Newberry.

Osborn made a second bid in 1930 but lost the GOP primary by 38.6 points to incumbent James Couzens.

State Senator Robert Huber of Troy made his first of four bids for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 1970 – falling 2.6 points shy of nominee Lenore Romney (wife of former Governor George Romney) in a head-to-head matchup.

Huber subsequently won a seat in the U.S. House in 1972 and then placed third in 1976 (17.4 percent) and 1982 (18.7 percent) in four-candidate GOP U.S. Senate primary fields won by U.S. Representative Marvin Esch and former U.S. Rep. Philip Ruppe respectively.

Huber’s final U.S. Senate primary bid came in 1988 when he received 38.9 percent in a head-to-head race against former U.S. Rep. Jim Dunn.

Jim Dunn’s 1988 primary victory – and general election loss to Donald Riegle – followed his 1984 primary defeat by 25.6 points to former Skylab astronaut Jack Lousma.

University of Michigan Regent and commercial and industrial builder Deane Baker made his first U.S. Senate bid in 1976, placing fourth in the primary with 11.0 percent. Baker ran for a second time in 1982 and placed fourth again with 13.1 percent.

Detroit attorney Clark Durant recorded the state’s longest stint between failed U.S. Senate candidacies during the primary era. Durant lost to U.S. Rep. Bill Schuette by 19.4 points with 40.3 percent of the primary vote in 1990. Twenty-two years later, Durant made a second bid for the chamber and placed 20.7 points behind former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra with 33.5 percent of the vote in a four-candidate field.

Lastly, conservative talk show host Ronna Romney fell 3.9 points short of winning the GOP nomination in 1994 against attorney and ex-Michigan Republican Party chair Spencer Abraham. Two years later, Romney was nominated by the GOP but was trounced by nearly 20 points in the general election by incumbent Carl Levin.

On the Democratic side, there have been three retread candidacies – two of these resulting in primary losses during the 1936 and 1940 cycles: attorney Louis Ward of Pontiac and Common Pleas Judge Ralph Liddy of Detroit.

Ward lost to U.S. Representative Prentiss Brown by 2.1 points with 34.2 percent in 1936 while Liddy placed third of four candidates with 20.9 percent. In 1940, Ward (11.2 percent) and Liddy (8.3 percent) placed in distant third and fourth places respectively in a primary won by Detroit attorney Frank Fitzgerald.

The most recent failed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate to suit up and run again was former Senator Blair Moody in 1954. Moody was appointed to the chamber in April 1951 after the death of long-serving Republican Arthur Vandenberg.

Moody was simultaneously nominated for the short term without opposition in 1952 and was easily nominated for the full six-year term with 88.4 percent. That November, Moody lost the special and general elections to Republican U.S. Representative Charles Potter.

Two years later, Moody ran for the Democratic nomination against Detroit School Board member Patrick McNamara but died in July – two weeks before the primary. Moody still won 35.8 percent of the vote.

Rogers and the Republicans are attempting to end a Michigan U.S. Senate electoral drought of 10 consecutive races in 2026 – tied with Washington for the seventh largest active GOP drought in the nation behind Hawaii (20), New Jersey (18), California (15), Maryland (15), New York (12), and Delaware (11).

Follow Smart Politics on X.

The post Mike Rogers and a Review of Retread Michigan US Senate Candidates appeared first on Smart Politics.

Hickenlooper Stumbles Across the Finish Line

2026-07-02T02:58:43Z

John Hickenlooper was renominated by Democrats in Colorado on Tuesday, but with what is currently the second lowest support across the 28 renomination attempts by U.S. Senators in the state over the last 110+ years. Hickenlooper received 53+ percent of the vote – less than eight points ahead of State Representative Julie Gonzales – with nearly 95 percent of the vote counted. That fell below the 54.2 percent won by appointed Senator Michael Bennet in 2010. Only one Colorado U.S. Senator has been defeated in a primary: Republican Rice Means lost to Denver Attorney Charles Waterman by 13.7 points in 1926 with 36.1 percent of the vote. Colorado U.S. Senators have been renominated without opposition in 21 of 28 primaries during the direct election era.

The post Hickenlooper Stumbles Across the Finish Line appeared first on Smart Politics.

Colorado’s Gubernatorial Primary by the Numbers

2026-08-05T14:50:15Z

The state’s GOP race is poised to result in the most closely decided primary for the office in state history

With nearly 90 percent of votes counted, the race for Colorado’s Republican gubernatorial nomination is still too close to call in what will go down as the state’s most narrowly decided gubernatorial primary in history.

State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer is clinging to a 0.3-point lead over former Marine and minister Victor Marx with approximately 85 percent of the vote counted. A third candidate, State Representative Scott Bottoms, has been eliminated after receiving 20 percent of the vote.

Kirkmeyer is just the second woman ever to appear on a Republican primary ballot for governor in Colorado. University of Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl became the first woman to do so during the 2022 cycle when she won the GOP primary en route to a 19-point loss in the general election to Governor Jared Polis.

Kirkmeyer’s narrow lead of less than a half of a percentage point puts the 2026 GOP nomination battle on track to become the most closely decided gubernatorial primary in state history out of more than 80 such major party contests since 1912.

Prior to 2026, only 10 Democratic or Republican primaries for governor had been decided by single digits – including eight on the GOP side.

The closest gubernatorial primary was held in 2010 when businessman Dan Maes edged former six-term U.S. Representative Scott McInnis by just 1.32 points in a head-to-head contest. [Maes famously set a GOP state party low water mark with just 11.1 percent of the vote in the subsequent general election due to former GOP U.S. Representative and Constitution Party nominee Tom Tancredo receiving substantial support from voters of his former party].

The other seven Republican primaries decided by single digits occurred in:

1986 (1.35 points): Former Lieutenant Governor Ted Strickland (35.6 percent) defeated Colorado Springs developer Steve Schuck (34.2 percent) with a third candidate, State Representative Bob Kirscht (30.2 percent), close behind
2014 (3.5 points): Former two-term U.S. Representative Bob Beauprez (30.2 percent) beat former five-term U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo (26.7 percent) in a four-candidate field
1916 (3.8 points): Governor George Carlson (51.9 percent) edged former Leadville Mayor Samuel Nicholson (48.1 percent) in a rematch of the 1914 contest
1914 (4.0 points): Former U.S. Senator George Carlson (39.4 percent) defeated Nicholson (35.4 percent) in a three-candidate field
1924 (4.4 points): Second Judicial District Court Judge Clarence Morley (48.9 percent) beat Lieutenant Governor Robert Rockwell (44.5 percent) in a three-candidate field
1912 (6.2 points): Former Auditor Clifford Parks (53.1 percent) defeated Colorado Springs attorney Philip Stewart (46.9 percent) in a two-candidate race
2022 (7.8 points): University of Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl (53.9 percent) beat former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez (46.1 percent) in a head-to-head matchup

The only two Democratic primaries for governor that were decided by single digits took place more than 80 years ago:

1942 (6.7 points): Treasurer Homer Bedford (40.2 percent) defeated State Representative Moses Smith of Ault (33.5 percent) in a three-candidate race
1934 (9.4 points): Governor Edwin Johnson (54.7 percent) was renominated over Josephine Roche, a mine operator and soon-to-be appointed Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under FDR (45.3 percent)

In yesterday’s Democratic primary, Attorney General Phil Weiser upset U.S. Senator and party establishment favorite Michael Bennet by approximately 14.5 points.

Since 1912, more than half of all Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primary winners – 43 of 82 – have won without opposition in Colorado (24 on the Democratic side and 19 Republicans).

Follow Smart Politics on X.

The post Colorado’s Gubernatorial Primary by the Numbers appeared first on Smart Politics.

Maryland’s Gubernatorial Primary By the Numbers

2026-07-28T18:44:56Z

Dan Cox wins the largest GOP gubernatorial primary in Maryland history to set up the fifth general election rematch during the direct primary era

Maryland’s 2026 gubernatorial election will be a rematch of four years ago, following the results of last night’s primary.

On the Democratic side, with all but a handful of precincts reporting, Governor Wes Moore cruised to renomination with 87.8 percent of the vote in his head-to-head matchup against physician Eric Felber.

That marks the second largest support in a contested Democratic gubernatorial primary in the state dating back to the first primary in 1911. Only Governor Marvin Mandel turned in a more dominating performance when he received 89.1 percent against four opponents during his 1970 campaign.

On the Republican side, former state Delegate and 2022 nominee Dan Cox (pictured) defeated retired banker and indoor soccer franchise (Baltimore Blast) owner Ed Hale by 9.5 points with 45.2 percent of the vote.

Nine candidates were on the GOP Maryland gubernatorial primary ballot – a party record that nearly doubled the previous high of five when Baltimore County Executive Spiro Agnew was nominated with 83.2 percent of the vote in 1966.

Cox’s plurality victory marked just the second time a Maryland Republican was nominated for the office without majority support. [Larry Hogan won 43.0 percent in a four-candidate field in 2014 – some 14 points ahead of Harford County Executive David Craig].

The Cox vs. Moore rematch will be the fifth in the state among major party candidates during the primary era.

Republican Harry Nice vs. Democrat Albert Ritchie (1919 and 1934). Harry Nice, a former Baltimore City Councilor and state’s Attorney, lost to Attorney General Albert Ritchie by just 165 votes in 1919. Ritchie served four terms but fell 6,149 votes shy of a fifth term in a rematch some 15 years later against Nice.

Republican Theodore McKeldin vs. Democrat William Lane (1946 and 1950). Former Attorney General William Lane held the open seat for his party against the backdrop of the disastrous 1946 Democratic midterms with a 9.5-point win against Baltimore Mayor Theodore McKeldin. McKeldin – the GOP nominee for four consecutive cycles from 1942 through 1954 – would handily win the 1950 rematch against Governor Lane by 14.6 points en route to his first of two terms.

Republican Ellen Sauerbrey vs. Democrat Parris Glendening (1994 and 1998). Former Prince George’s County Executive Parris Glendening won the seventh and eighth consecutive gubernatorial elections for his party – both against State Delegate Ellen Sauerbrey. Sauerbrey ended up 0.4 points shy of victory during the 1994 Republican Revolution and lost by 10.3 points in 1998.

Republican Bob Ehrlich vs Democrat Martin O’Malley (2006 and 2010). In 2006, two-term Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley unseated Governor Bob Ehrlich by 6.5 points. Ehrlich was nominated for a third consecutive cycle in 2010 but the Republican wave did not hit Maryland’s coastline with the former governor landing 14.4 points shy of his destination.

Maryland Republicans have now nominated only four different candidates for governor across the last nine election cycles since 1994: Sauerbrey (1994, 1998), Ehrlich (2002, 2006, 2010), Hogan (2014, 2018), and Cox (2022, 2026).

Follow Smart Politics on X.

The post Maryland’s Gubernatorial Primary By the Numbers appeared first on Smart Politics.