Four states counted primary ballots on Aug. 11, and the results settle the previews this desk ran the same morning. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Alabama picked nominees, and South Carolina began, but did not finish, choosing a replacement for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. The clearest through-line is what happened to President Trump's endorsements at the top of the ticket: one won, one lost, and a third is headed to a runoff.
In Minnesota's Republican primary for governor, House Speaker Lisa Demuth beat MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, who carried Trump's endorsement. With about 71 percent of the vote counted, Demuth led with 44.9 percent to Lindell's 31.1 percent, and businessman Kendall Qualls trailed at 21.4 percent [2]. Lindell said he would not concede until every vote is counted [2]. Demuth advances to face Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who took the DFL nomination with 89.7 percent [1].
The open Senate seat delivered the result our election-day preview framed as a referendum on the federal immigration crackdown running through the Twin Cities. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the DFL primary with 59.0 percent, defeating Rep. Angie Craig [1]. Michele Tafoya took the Republican Senate primary with 52.1 percent [1]. Minnesota set a turnout record along the way, more than 1,103,000 ballots, the first time the state has topped a million in a primary [1]. Flanagan faces Tafoya in November.
Wisconsin's open governor's race ran past midnight. The Associated Press called the Democratic primary for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, roughly two and a half hours after polls closed [3]. His margin over state Rep. Francesca Hong was under one percentage point, close enough that the trailing candidate may request a recount, and Hong did not concede, telling supporters they were "ready to keep fighting" [3]. A reporting delay drove the long night: the Milwaukee Election Commission said human error left roughly 28,000 absentee ballots uploaded as audit logs rather than results [3]. On the Republican side, Rep. Tom Tiffany, endorsed by Trump, won the nomination [3].
That is the endorsement ledger at the top of the ticket. Trump's pick won in Wisconsin through Tiffany and lost in Minnesota through Lindell, a one-for-two night before a single general-election ballot is cast.
Alabama held special primaries in four districts on the 2023 state-drawn congressional map the Supreme Court restored in June, the map this desk detailed yesterday. There is no runoff, so a plurality is a nomination, and the winners go straight to the Nov. 3 general. Republican Jerry Carl took the 1st District with 75 percent, Rhett Marques won the 2nd with 50 percent, Gary Palmer carried the 6th with 87 percent, and Ammie Akin won the 7th with 73 percent; on the Democratic side, Maurice Mercer won the 6th District nomination with 64 percent [4]. Statewide turnout was about 5 percent, with all 40 counties reporting [4]. That is the number to hold onto: four congressional nominations decided by roughly one in twenty registered voters.
South Carolina did not finish. In the Republican special primary for Graham's seat, the ten-candidate field this desk's colleague laid out on Monday produced no majority, so the top two advance to an Aug. 25 runoff [5]. Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to her late brother's seat and endorsed by Trump, led with 109,582 votes, or 32.7 percent [5]. Rep. Ralph Norman was second with 82,523 votes, 24.6 percent [5]. Rep. Russell Fry finished third at 19.6 percent, and former Gov. Mark Sanford was fourth with 50,001 votes, 14.9 percent, out of the running [5]. The runoff winner faces Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews on Nov. 3 [5].
The seat South Carolina is filling is one of a hundred, and it holds no elected replacement until the runoff resolves it. Everything decided overnight was a nomination, not an office. What the general elections do with these nominees, the count in November will report.
