Many Colorado Republicans were horrified at the prospect of Tina Peters, the accused Mesa County secretary who has repeated Trump’s falsehoods about election fraud, taking over the state’s electoral machinery. On Tuesday, those GOP voters rejected Peters’ offer to take on Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold. Instead, they named Pam Anderson, a former county secretary who has championed the integrity of Colorado’s mail-in voting system.
It was one of several races in which Colorado Republicans opted for more moderate candidates than those who have accepted Trump’s electoral lies and starred in conservative positions on social issues.
In the primaries to face Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, businessman Joe O’Dea, who supports abortion rights aside from late abortions, defeated state Rep. Ron Hanks, who opposes the abortion in all cases. Hanks was at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, but told CNN he did not enter and has repeated false conspiracy theories about voting machines and widespread election fraud.
And in the gubernatorial primaries, to face Democratic Gov. Jared Polis in November, Heidi Ganahl, a member of the University of Colorado Board of Governors, defeated Greg Lopez, Parker’s former mayor who falsely claimed that the 2020 elections were stolen. of Trump.
But Illinois embraced Trump’s candidates
It was a very different story in Illinois, another Democratic-leaning state where Republicans expect economic and historical factors to lean in their favor this year will bring them surprises in November.
Darren Bailey, a Conservative state senator who was backed by Trump and backed by Republican donor billionaire Dick Uihlein, won the gubernatorial primaries.
“Darren is the man to take on and defeat one of America’s worst governors,” the former president said at a rally over the weekend.
Bailey, in a debate, called Chicago a “hell full of crimes, corrupt and dysfunctional,” though he seeks to become governor of the state of which Chicago is the economic center. In the 2019 state legislature, he sponsored a resolution that would separate Chicago from the rest of Illinois; as a candidate for governor, he has backed down in that position.
Meanwhile, in the 15th District of Congress, where current Representatives Mary Miller and Rodney Davis were drawn to the same district last year, Miller prevailed.
Miller, a controversial first-term legislator, voted in favor of the 2020 Electoral College results in Pennsylvania and Arizona and received Trump’s endorsement despite his rejection of the House GOP leadership.
Miller, in a speech alongside the former president over the weekend, declared Roe’s dismissal of Wade by the Supreme Court a “victory for white life.” (A spokesman said he had spoken badly and meant “right to life”).
Casten defeats Newman in the title against Newman. titular Illinois primary
Elsewhere in Illinois, Democratic Rep. Sean Casten will win his party’s nomination for the 6th District of Congress, defeating another member of the Democratic House, MP Marie Newman, in another contest between incumbents and incumbents. last year’s district redistribution process.
Newman was in his first term, but is facing an investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations he may have promised federal work to a major rival in exchange for his political support. Newman has denied the allegations and said the complaints had political motivations.
A pro-Israel group had announced against Newman, criticizing it for voting against $ 1 billion to fund Israel’s Iron Dome rocket defense shield last year.
A member of the Mississippi Republican House involved in an ethics investigation loses the primary return
Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo lost his seat in a second round in Mississippi on Tuesday, falling to Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell.
Palazzo, like Newman, entered the campaign facing a number of ethical issues. These include alleged misuse of campaign and Congressional funds and criticism of their use of delegation voting. Still, he ended up at the head of a seven-candidate field earlier this month, but with only 31% of the vote. The opposition consolidated in the second round, probably sending Ezell to Congress from the very Republican Gulf Coast district.
Palazzo, a military veteran, was first elected during the wave of the 2010 tea party. But a report last year from the Congressional Ethics Office found “substantial” evidence using funds campaign and Congress for personal use, sent staff to personal orders. and tried to exercise his official power to help his brother rejoin the Navy.
The report was collected for review by the House Ethics Committee. He has denied any crime.
The congressman has also been criticized for his use of delegation voting despite having previously denounced the practice, which led critics to baptize it as “unpresented Palazzo”.
Palazzo did not help his position in the district when he canceled an appearance at a candidate forum in May, citing “meetings dealing with national security.” Later that night, he posted online photos of him and his son eating at a local restaurant during the event.
Illinois Rep. Danny Davis defeats a more difficult challenge
Two years ago, Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis easily defeated a progressive rival, community organizer Kina Collins. Collins, 31, tried again to oust the 80-year-old starter this year, but Davis triumphed again, although the race was much closer than in 2020. This time, Collins had the support of ‘a progressive infrastructure. including the Democrats of justice. But the race in the Chicago District 7 also underscored the frustration of some voters with the aging of the Democratic leadership, in a party where the first three members of the House are 80 or older and President Joe Biden has 79.
Edward Solan, a 75-year-old retiree in Oak Park, said he voted in favor of Collins because Davis “has been too long and it’s time to change.”
“Danny Davis is older than me. I knew when it was time to retire, and I think it’s time he did,” Solan said. “It’s not that he has a big disagreement with his record, but it’s time to move on.”
CNN’s Gregory Krieg contributed to this story.