Live Results: Rhode Island, Utah Special Congressional Primaries

This Tuesday, there are special primaries for two U.S. House seats, one vacant and one soon to be. There are also two state legislative special primaries.

U.S. House Special Primaries

Both of these seats are safe for the incumbent party, so all the interest in these races is around the relevant primaries.

Rhode Island Congressional District 1

Rep. David Cicilline resigned in May to head up a nonprofit foundation. In 2022, Cicilline was elected to a 7th term by a 64% to 36% margin.  The state's two districts are divided east-west. District 1 includes the eastern part, and is the more safely Democratic of the two.

As a result, the winner of Tuesday's Democratic primary will be the prohibitive favorite in the November 7 general election. A large field of 11 candidates is vying for the nomination.^{1 1}Donald Carlson is the 12th name on the ballot; he suspended his campaign late last month.The nominee is likely to be one of the following:

• Former White House aide Gabriel Amo
• State Sen. Sandra Cano
• Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos
• Former State Rep. Aaron Regunberg

Two are competing for the GOP nomination; Gerry Leonard has been endorsed by the state party.

Polls close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

Utah Congressional District 2

Rep. Chris Stewart is resigning, effective September 15. Stewart was reelected to a 6th term by a 26% margin in 2022. Like all the state's four districts, it is safely Republican.

Stewart endorsed his chief legal counsel, Celeste Maloy, ahead of the party's June convention. She emerged victorious, earning a spot on the primary ballot.

Two other candidates, former State Rep. Becky Edwards and former state party chair Bruch Hough, also qualified for the ballot by gathering the requisite number of signatures.

An August poll from Dan Jones & Associates found Edwards leading. However, nearly half the respondents were undecided, so that may not prove predictive.

Regardless of who emerges, the winner will be a heavy favorite in the November 21 general election. Polls close at 10:00 PM Eastern Time.

State Sen. Kathleen Riebe is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Legislative Special Primaries

Rhode Island State Senate District 1 

Democrats hold an overwhelming 32-5 supermajority over Republicans in the Rhode Island State Senate. There is one vacancy. Members serve two-year terms; the next regular elections are in 2024.

District 1, based in Providence, has been vacant since April, when incumbent Democrat Maryellen Goodwin died. Goodwin had served in the State since 1987. She won her final term in 2022, defeating independent Niyoka Powell by an 81% to 19% margin.

Powell is running as a Republican in this special election; she in unopposed for the party nomination. Four Democrats are on the primary ballot; the winner will be heavily favored in the November 7 general election. 

Polls close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

South Carolina State Senate District 42

Republicans dominate the South Carolina State Senate. They hold 30 of the 46 seats. There are 13 Democrats and one independent, along with vacancies in Districts 19 and 42. Members serve four-year terms; the next regular elections are in 2024.

District 42 includes parts of Charleston and areas mostly to the northwest. Democrat Marlon Kimpson resigned in May to accept a job with the Biden Administration. Kimpson had been in the State Senate since winning a special election in 2013. He was unopposed for reelection in 2016 and 2020.

Rosa Kay was the only Republican qualifier. As a result, there will be no party primary. Three Democrats, all current members of the State House, are seeking the party's nomination; the winner will be heavily favored in the November 7 general election.

Note that this special election will use the boundaries in place prior to redistricting, as the seat was last regularly contested in 2020.

If no candidate gets a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will meet in a September 19 runoff. Polls close at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.

Upcoming Elections

This list is now updated through the November 7 general election.

Looking ahead to 2024? Bookmark the Presidential Election Calendar. 

• September 12
  • Charlotte, North Carolina Mayoral (Primary)
    • Runoff, if needed, October 10
  • New York State Assembly District 27 Special
• September 14
  • Nashville, Tennessee Mayoral (Runoff)
  • Tennessee State House District 51 Special
• September 19
  • New Hampshire State House District Hillsborough 3 Special (Primary)
  • New Hampshire State House District Rockingham 1 Special
  • Pennsylvania State House District 21 Special
• September 26
  • Alabama State House Districts 16 and 55 Special (Primary)
    • Runoff(s), if needed, October 24
• October 3
  • Florida State House District 118 Special (Primary)
• October 5
  • Memphis, Tennessee Mayoral
• October 10
  • Durham, North Carolina Mayoral (Primary)
  • Massachusetts State Senate District Worcester & Hampshire Special (Primary)
  • Oklahoma State Senate District 32 Special (Primary)
• October 14
  • Louisiana Primary
    • Runoffs, as needed, November 18
• November 7
  • Kentucky, Mississippi Governor
  • State Legislature: Mississippi, New Jersey, Virginia
  • Rhode Island Congressional District 1 Special
  • Mayors:  Aurora, CO; Boise, ID; Charlotte, NC; Columbus, OH; Durham NC; Fort Wayne, IN, Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Spokane, WA; Tucson, AZ; Wichita, KS
  • Legislative Special Elections:  FL State House District 35 (Primary); NH State House District Hillsborough 3; MA State Senate District Worcester & Hampshire; RI State Senate District 1, SC State Senate District 42; TX State House District 2