Hawaii Democrats released results Saturday for the state's party-run primary. Joe Biden finished first with 63% of the vote, winning 16 of the 24 pledged delegates. Bernie Sanders received 37% of the vote, winning the other 8 delegates. Note that voting in this primary began before Sanders withdrew from the race on April 8.
The primary, originally scheduled for April 4, was changed to be run exclusively by mail in response to the pandemic. Ballots were due back by May 22.
While Biden is the presumptive nominee, he has not yet reached the 1,991 delegates needed to officially clinch the nomination. That could change on June 2, when the first set of primaries after the Memorial Day holiday is held. 7 states, as well as the District of Columbia will hold contests that day, several of them rescheduled from earlier dates.
479 pledged delegates will be available on June 2. Biden needs 425 of them, based on the latest count by NPR and the Associated Press.11AP recently reallocated 40 delegates from candidates dropping out to Biden. We don't have specifics, but these are likely statewide delegates which cannot be retained by candidates who leave the race, per party rules. The delegate count of Sanders was not affected, as the Biden and Sanders campaigns reached an agreement whereby the Vermont Senator would effectively keep those delegates. That may be a reach, with Bernie Sanders still seeing enough support in some locations to add to his delegate count.
On Friday, Inside Elections updated its House ratings for the November elections, shifting 15 races. Changes were made to eight competitive races, with seven more moving to safe, taking them out of play - per this forecaster - for November.
The main takeaway from the full report (subscription required): "Even after losing 40 seats in 2018, there’s no guarantee Republicans won’t lose more in November. With less than six months to go before Election Day, not only is the House majority not at risk, Democrats could gain seats. Right now, the most likely outcome is close to the status quo and fall into a range of a GOP gain of five seats to a Democratic gain of five seats."
Three seats moved to safe Democratic: CA-10, CA-45, NY-19. Four more moved to safe GOP: NC-9, OH-12, TX-2, TX-31. In terms of competitive races, CA-25 starts at Tilt Democratic after the Republican victory in this month's special election. The other seven changes moved one category each in favor of Democrats. NY-22 and UT-4 now sit at Tilt D, with IL-14 and NJ-3 moving to Lean D. NV-3 is now Likely D. The final two seats are GOP-held, with MT-AL now at Likely R and TX-21 at Leans R.
In response to many requests, we've created a map that will track the electoral vote based exclusively on polling averages. While good as a benchmark, keep in mind that polling this far from the election may ultimately prove to be of limited predictive value.
If the difference between Biden and Trump is less than 5%, these will display as toss-ups. States are shown as leaning toward a candidate if the margin is 5 to 9.99%. Likely is 10 to 14.99%, with states shown as safe where the margin is 15% or more.
Where polling is not yet available, we are using the actual margin between Clinton and Trump in 2016.
Oregon holds its regularly-scheduled primary elections Tuesday. With a long history of mail-in voting, the state was not forced to change the date due to the pandemic. Ballots can be returned by mail or dropped off at official drop boxes across the state. In either case, ballots must be received by 8:00 PM local time.11The entire state, except for a portion of Malheur County in the southeast corner of the state, is in the Pacific Time Zone. Live results will appear below after 11:00 PM Eastern Time.
President (Democratic): Firmly entrenched as the presumptive nominee, Joe Biden won all 29 delegates in last week's Nebraska primary. Notable in that it was the first time this year it has happened. Heading into Tuesday, Biden has 1,464 of the 1,991 delegates needed to win the nomination. 61 additional delegates are available in Oregon.
Looking ahead, Hawaii (24 pledged delegates) results are expected on Saturday. After that the next contests are June 2, which, due to schedule changes, has become one of the busiest dates on the Democratic primary calendar. 479 delegates, across 7 states and the District of Columbia are available. It is mathematically possible that Biden could cross the 1,991 threshold on that date, although he'd have to win almost every available pledged delegate starting from today.
Congressional: There is a contested GOP primary for U.S. Senate, as well as for both parties in each of the state's five congressional districts. However, there isn't expected to be all that much to see here in the fall. Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley should cruise to a 3rd term in November, and Democratic incumbents in the state's 1st, 3rd and 5th districts are also seen as safe.
In the 4th district, 17-term incumbent Democrat Peter DeFazio is seen as safe by most analysts, although Cook and Politico rate the district as 'Likely Democratic'. This district is more evenly split politically, with Hillary Clinton winning here by just 0.1% over Donald Trump in 2016.
In the state's lone GOP-held district - the 2nd - incumbent Greg Walden is retiring after 11 terms. There are competitive primaries in both parties to succeed him, although the seat is seen as safely Republican come November. The mostly rural district covers the eastern 2/3 of the state. In terms of land area, it is the 6th largest congressional district in the United States, trailing only the 2nd district in New Mexico among states that have multiple districts.22The four largest are the at-large districts in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.
The Road to 270 is a weekly column leading up to the presidential election. Each installment is dedicated to understanding one state’s political landscape and how that might influence which party will win its electoral votes in 2020. We’ll do these roughly in order of expected competitiveness, moving toward the most intensely contested battlegrounds as election day nears.
The Road to 270 will be published every Monday. The column is written by Drew Savicki, a 270toWin elections and politics contributor. Contact Drew via email or on Twitter @SenhorRaposa.
Straddling the Mason-Dixon line, Delaware is quite a curiosity. With just three counties, it is the second smallest state by area in the United States. Home to affluent whites and a sizable African-American population, there's no state quite like the First State. Delaware gets to know its politicians and expects to see them. Voters get to know their representatives and, in Congress, that means they pretty much stay there as long as they want.
2000: A legend falls
In 2000, longtime Senator Bill Roth (R) faced a spirited challenge from Governor Tom Carper (D). This was a watershed election. Roth had never faced a competitive reelection bid as Senator but with Delaware's shift to the Democratic Party, he was viewed as being on shaky ground. A two term Governor, Carper was by 2000 a fixture of Delaware politics. Having served six years as State Treasurer, 12 years as Delaware's Congressman, and then eight years as Governor, Carper was the ultimate Democratic candidate to take on Bill Roth.
Roth, 79 at the time, was a political legend in Delaware. A two term Congressman before he entered the Senate in 1971, he was known for his expertise on taxes and other financial issues. Per the Almanac of American Politics, Carper had been mentioned as a candidate against Roth in the 1988 and 1994 cycles. Carper opted to run for reelection in 1988 and then successfully ran for Governor in 1992. Bill Roth was not in the best of shape by 2000, having collapsed twice during the campaign including during an interview. Carper won by 12 points and has easily won reelection ever since, having garnered at least 60% of vote in his three races since then.
Carper's performance was about 1% worse than Al Gore's that year. Looking beneath the surface, Carper was weaker than Gore in the Wilmington suburbs and around the state capital of Dover. Tom Carper really showed much stronger appeal with rural voters than Al Gore did.
Geography
Delaware's geography is relatively simple. The state has three counties, each of them unique in their own way.
New Castle County: Home to Wilmington, New Castle County comprises about 60% of the state's population and is the heart of Democratic support in the state. The once Republican suburbs are now almost all blue.
Kent County: A mixture of suburban and rural areas, Kent is home to Delaware's capital - Dover. Kent is the only swingy county in the state, frequently alternating between Democrats and Republicans.
Sussex County: Southern Delaware is the most rural part of the state and home to a number of poultry plants. Dominated by Republicans at all levels of government, Sussex last voted Democratic for President in 1996.
Congressional politics
During his long tenure in the Senate, Joe Biden participated in a number of significant events. By 1987, Biden had risen through the ranks to chair the Senate's powerful Judiciary Committee. Biden faced enormous pressure from outside liberal groups to derail the nomination of Robert Bork to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. President Reagan had nominated Bork in July 1987, a month after Biden declared his intention to run for President in 1988. According to the Almanac of American Politics, Biden helped sway wavering Senators Howell Heflin (D-AL), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), and Arlen Specter (R-PA) from breaking ranks and advancing Bork's nomination to the full Senate.
Joe Biden's 1988 bid for President ultimately fell apart after plagiarism allegations surfaced. Biden would try again 20 years to no avail, though it did result in him becoming Barack Obama's running mate that year. After eight years as Vice President, Joe Biden considered running for President again in 2016 but ultimately decided against it - following the death of his son Beau. Biden would make his third bid for the Presidency in 2020 and after a long slog, ended up rather easily defeating his main rival, Senator Bernie Sanders.
In his three presidential bids, Joe Biden's biggest opponent has always been himself. Known for his off the cuff speaking style, Biden has demonstrated an ability to connect with voters of all stripes. Frequently gaffe prone, Biden has a habit of sticking his foot in his mouth - having on a number of occasions over the years told people not to vote for him.
Since November 2010, Delaware's junior Senator has been Chris Coons. A moderate Democrat, Coons was elected in a 2010 special election against Republican nominee Christine O'Donnell. In response to a resurfaced 1999 clip of her on Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect which featured her admitting to having dabbled in witchcraft, O'Donnell produced an iconic video where she addressed her comments by saying "I'm not a witch". In a stunning upset, O'Donnell had defeated Rep. Mike Castle in the Republican primary earlier that year. Castle, a moderate Republican was enormously popular in the state, had won reelection in 2008 with 61% of the vote -- in fact, before that 2010 primary defeat, he had never lost an election.
Castle would have been the clear favorite to win the Senate seat amidst the national Republican wave of 2010. Despite the national environment, Democrats flipped Castle’s open House seat with former Lt. Governor John Carney – it was one of just three seats that flipped from red to blue that year. Democrats have held the seat since. Castle also remains the last Republican elected Governor of Delaware, with his reelection in 1988.
Coons often rankles the left, drawing a primary challenger this cycle just as his senior colleague did in 2018. According to Morning Consult's most recent poll from Quarter 4 of last year, Coons had a net approval of +56 among Democrats so he should be in little trouble. The general election is not expected to be much of a race either with it rated as 'Safe Democratic' by the three major political forecasters.
Serving as Delaware's sole representative in the House is Lisa Blunt Rochester (D). A former staffer to Tom Carper during his governorship, Blunt Rochester is well versed in Delaware politics. A member of the center to center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Blunt Rochester is the most liberal member of Delaware's congressional delegation. Her committee assignments - Agriculture and Education - reflect her state's priorities well. A prominent African-American female politician in the state, Blunt Rochester is often mentioned as a successor to Tom Carper should he retire in 2024. To date, only two black women have been elected to the U.S. Senate11The first, Carol Moseley Braun (Illinois) was elected in 1992, serving one term. Kamala Harris (California) is serving her first term after being elected in 2016. and should Blunt Rochester run, she would be heavily favored to win in this solidly Democratic state.
State level politics
At the state level, Delaware is increasingly dominated by Democrats. The party has controlled the Governorship since 1993 and maintained a trifecta since 2009. 2018 marked a turning point for Republicans in the state. Two members of GOP leadership were defeated for reelection. Senate Minority Whip Greg Lavelle and House Minority Deborah Watson were defeated in upsets. Treasurer Ken Simpler, a moderate Republican was defeated and State Auditor Tom Wagner retired, resulting in the office flipping to Democrats.
At the gubernatorial level, Democrats have won six of the last seven races by double digits. Governor John Carney was elected in 2016, defeating State Senator Colin Bonini (R). Carney was elected Congressman in 2010 when Rep. Mike Castle (R) ran for the Senate seat vacated by then Vice President Joe Biden. Prior to his three terms in the House, Carney served as Lieutenant Governor of Delaware - under Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D). As Governor, Carney has generally posted high approval ratings (even pre-pandemic) and none of the major elections forecasters consider the race competitive. Republicans are likely to nominate a replacement level candidate against him.
Joe Biden's son Beau, a former National Guardsman and Attorney served two terms as Delaware's Attorney General. Beau Biden was a popular figure in the state, facing no Republican opponent for his second term in 2010. Biden declined to run for a third term in 2014 and instead announced a bid for Governor to succeed term limited Governor Jack Markell. Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn ran for the open Attorney General's office and won. After several years of battling brain cancer, Beau sadly died in 2015. Attorney General Matthew Denn surprisingly announced his retirement in August 2017, after twelve years of holding statewide office.
In the 2016 elections, Republicans gained one seat in the Delaware Senate. In addition, Senator Bethany Hall-Long (D) resigned to become Lieutenant Governor, meaning the chamber was deadlocked. In Delaware, the Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the Senate and Hall-Long broke the tie in favor of her party, thus giving them the control of the chamber. Democrats successfully defended Hall-Long's district in a special election in 2017, giving them 11 seats to Republicans 10. The party picked up an additional seat in 2018, giving them the current 12-9 majority.
Presidential outlook
Hillary Clinton only carried the First State by 11% in 2016 but with Joe Biden likely atop the ticket, Delaware's three electoral votes are solidly in the Democratic corner this year. Its been a long time since Joe Biden was on the ballot in his home state. A lot has changed in the intervening years and Delaware's urban/rural divide has only grown stronger. However given the former Vice President's popularity in his home state, it stands to reason there will be a number of voters who cast their ballots for Trump in 2016 but will vote for their former Senator this time around.
After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate.
Amash, who left the Republican Party last summer to become an independent, announced in late April that he was forming an exploratory committee to seek the presidency. He officially joined the Libertarian Party, becoming its first U.S. House member. He was expected to seek the party's nomination at its convention later this month.
As Michigan law precludes running for both president and congress, Amash said at the time he would not seek reelection to his House seat. It is not clear if his position on that will shift with today's announcement.
Cook Political updated its 2020 Senate ratings Friday, moving Georgia - the seat held by David Perdue (R) - from Likely to Leans Republican. This aligns it with the special election being held for Georgia's other Senate seat, as well as the forecaster's rating for Georgia in the Electoral College.
Republican Mike Garcia has won the special election in California's 25th congressional district. His opponent, Democrat Christy Smith conceded Wednesday afternoon, citing Garcia's lead in the vote counted thus far.
The current vote tally:
Garcia's victory is welcome news for California Republicans after the party lost seven congressional seats (including this one) in the 2018 midterms. Once seated, Garcia will complete the term of former Rep. Katie Hill, who resigned last fall. Smith and Garcia will face off again on November 3, this time vying for a full two-year term in the 117th congress.
As expected, most of Tuesday's elections were decided pretty quickly. Among the more notable races:
Republican Tom Tiffany prevailed in the Wisconsin 7th district special election; keeping that seat in GOP hands
Kara Eastman easily won the Democratic nomination in Nebraska's 2nd district; setting up a rematch of 2018 against incumbent Republican Don Bacon
Joe Biden received over 77% of the vote in Nebraska's Democratic presidential primary, winning at least 27 of the 29 available delegates
California District 25 Special Election
The one race that remains undecided is the special election to fill the vacancy in California's 25th district. Republican Mike Garcia has a lead of 56%-44% in the votes that have been counted thus far. While Garcia seems more likely to win here than not, no winner has yet been declared. The vast majority of ballots in this race were cast by mail, and many remain to be processed.
If Garcia does win, it will be the first GOP pickup of a Democratic-held U.S. House seat in the state since 1998.
Regardless of the outcome, Garcia and Democrat Christy Smith will meet again in the November general election, as the seat - along with all others in the U.S. House - is up for a regular two-year term. Given the dynamics of a presidential election year, Tuesday's results may not be predictive of how the rematch will play out.
Two congressional vacancies will be filled via special election Tuesday. In addition, Nebraska is holding its scheduled primary election. Follow live results below, beginning at 9:00 PM Eastern Time, after polls close in Nebraska and Wisconsin.
California District 25
The more competitive of today's two special elections will be for this Los Angeles-area seat that has been vacant since former Rep. Katie Hill (D) resigned last year. Hill had been serving in her first term, after defeating incumbent Republican Steve Knight in the 2018 midterms. It was one of seven GOP-held seats in the state that Democrats flipped that year on their way to taking control of the House.
Knight's attempt at regaining the seat he held for two terms was unsuccessful as he finished third in the top two primary.11If a candidate had received a majority of the vote in the primary, that person would have been elected. Democrat Christy Smith, a member of the State Assembly, finished first with 36% of the vote. Republican Mike Garcia, a former Navy fighter pilot, was second with 24%. Across the large 12-person field, however, the vote was pretty evenly split between the two parties. Most analysts see the race as a toss-up.
Regardless of the outcome of today's election, both Smith and Garcia will be on the ballot again in November, vying for a full two-year term. Turnout may be the ultimate driver in both cases. A standalone special election often yields lower turnout, in which case the most reliable voters - older, white Republicans - may make the difference. However, in November, a much higher Democratic turnout associated with the presidential election is expected. Of course, nobody really knows how this will play out in an election conducted during the pandemic. The vast majority of ballots are expected to be cast by mail, with some in-person polling places open.
The first results are expected after 11:00 PM Eastern Time. However, as is often the case in close California elections, we may not know the winner for many days. If Garcia wins, it would be the first GOP pick up of a Democratic-held House seat in the state since 1998.
Wisconsin District 7
Tuesday's other special election takes place in Wisconsin's largest congressional district by area. The 7th district covers much of the northern part of the state and has been vacant since former Rep. Sean Duffy (R) resigned his seat in September. The special election pits Republican state Senator Tom Tiffany against the Democratic nominee, Tricia Zunker, the president of the Wausau School Board.
This is a conservative district; Duffy won reelection in 2018 by 22 points. As such, Tiffany is expected to prevail, keeping the seat in GOP control. Polls close at 9:00 PM Eastern Time.
Nebraska Primaries
The Cornhusker State holds its presidential and congressional primaries Tuesday. The most closely-watched race will be for the Democratic nomination in U.S. House District 2. The winner will meet the incumbent Republican, Rep. Don Bacon in November. Bacon will be seeking a third term; both his prior wins were by two points or less in this highly-competitive Omaha-area district. District 2 is also likely to get a lot of attention in the presidential race, as its electoral vote is seen as a toss up.
Polls close at 9:00 PM Eastern.
In the Democratic presidential primary, Joe Biden is expected to get most of the state's 29 pledged delegates. He is currently about 550 delegates short of the 1,991 needed to clinch the nomination.
There are other contested primaries for congressional races; none are associated with a race expected to be competitive in November. There is also a GOP primary for president; Donald Trump long ago clinched renomination.
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