5 Thoughts On Last Night's Primaries

Six states voted last night on a series of primaries that could have a significant impact on the November elections.  Below are five thoughts that are running through my head as the morning starts.

Former Rep. Marjorie Margolies

The Clintons Need to Step Up Their Game

Hillary Clinton has been out promoting her book, and as a result has been rarely out on the campaign trail.  One of the few exceptions she made was in Pennsylvania, where former Rep. Marjorie Margolies (who happens to be Chelsea Clinton's mother-in-law) was running for a political comeback.  Despite campaigning from both Hillary and Bill, Margolies got trounced by State Rep. Brendan Boyle.  Considering that one of the more appealing aspects of the Clintons is that they could supposedly have coattails in 2016, they need to start campaigning a bit harder to cross the finish line for their preferred candidates.

The Tea Party is Dead...Really Dead

A few weeks ago when Thom Tillis won the North Carolina primary without a runoff, I questioned whether the Tea Party was over.  This morning, it seems that it has continued its march into obscurity.  Just a week after Ben Sasse got the movement a win in Nebraska (perhaps its only significant win of the cycle?), the Georgia Senate runoff advanced with neither Paul Broun nor Phil Gingrey, Rep. Mike Simpson easily dispatched Bryan Smith in a challenge from the right in Idaho, and Mitch McConnell emerged victorious in his primary challenge from Matt Bevin.  All-in-all, there were really no wins for the movement last night, and with only a few races in Kansas, New Jersey, and Mississippi left this year for them to score in, it's looking like the movement has suffered a severe hit to its credibility just a few months before the 2016 presidential elections begin in earnest.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

The Oregon Republican establishment got the candidate they were hoping for in Dr. Monica Wehby, who gained a bit of press in political circles for her heartfelt first commercial in the race featuring a former patient.  Because of Oregon's mail-only voting, though, most voters in the state had already cast their ballots before Wehby's recent domestic issues started to arise.  Wehby has been accused of stalking both an ex-boyfriend and an ex-husband, as well as performing surgeries that are now under scrutiny in a trial.  In a race that was always a longshot for the Republicans, if these stories continue to have legs, Wehby could well turn into this year's Christine O'Donnell, and be a blessing to the Democrats as they start counting to 50 in the Senate.

Elisabeth Jensen

A Mixed Night for Emily's List

Emily's List, one of the largest and most powerful Democratic PAC's in the country, had a fairly mixed night last night, leaning toward the disappointing.  Two of their higher profile endorsements in Pennsylvania (former Rep. Margolies and Rep. Allyson Schwartz, who was running for governor) got trounced last night.  Indeed, it's hard to tell how Margolies and Schwartz both did SO badly (losing well into the double digits, and in Margolies' case, to a candidate to her right in the primary).  However, Emily's List (which only endorses pro-choice women) did get strong showings for both Michelle Nunn and Alison Lundergan Grimes (arguably the organization's two biggest candidates this year), and former Disney executive Elisabeth Jensen easily won her Kentucky House primary to try and take back Ben Chandler's seat.  However, with tough primaries ahead in California, Hawaii, and Rhode Island, these were not the sorts of results they were hoping for last night.

I'm Making a Comeback!

While Marjorie Margolies won't be returning to the House, there were several former members of Congress that had strong showings last night.  Former Reps. Asa Hutchinson (who embarrassingly forgot his ID when he went to the polls, despite him campaigning on Voter ID laws) and Richard Stallings both easily soared through their primaries, but it was Rep. Bob Barr who stands out to me.  Barr, one of the most colorful members of the GOP (he was the Libertarian Party presidential nominee in 2008, was deeply critical of the Bush administration, and is oddly progressive on social issues including gay marriage and medical marijuana, despite having one of the most conservative records in Congress when he was actually in the House), advanced in the Republican primary to succeed Rep. Phil Gingrey.  Barr likely goes into the runoff as an underdog to State Sen. Barry Loudermilk, but it will definitely be worth watching.  Barr is one of several former members of Congress (including Stallings) trying to rejoin after an absence.

Those are my thoughts this morning on the primaries-what are yours?  Share in the comments!