Democrats appear to have gotten the Republican challengers they wanted in two competitive New Hampshire races on Tuesday, while the Republican winner of a third race was opposed by GOP super PACs.
Retired Army Brigadier General Don Bolduc, who argues Donald Trump won the 2020 election, is the apparent winner of a close Republican primary to face Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. The race had not been called by The Associated Press, but other news outlets did call it and chief rival Chuck Morse, the state Senate president endorsed by Gov. Chris Sununu last week, said in a tweet thanking supporters early Wednesday that “we’ve come up short.”
Rhode Island Democrats also chose Seth Magaziner as their nominee for an open House seat on Tuesday.
In GOP New Hampshire primaries, 25-year-old former White House aide Karoline Leavitt won the nomination in the 1st District and county treasurer Robert Burns won in the 2nd District to face Democratic Reps. Chris Pappas and Ann McLane Kuster, respectively.
Democratic groups spent money in the campaign indirectly to boost the GOP winners of the Senate and 2nd District races. And in Leavitt’s case, a super PAC aligned with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., spent millions to boost one of her opponents, 2020 nominee Matt Mowers.
Leavitt was about 9 percentage points ahead of Mowers at 3:45 a.m., according to The Associated Press. Running third in the field of 10 candidates was Gail Huff Brown, the wife of 2014 Senate nominee Scott P. Brown. Scott Brown had served three years in the Senate representing Massachusetts after winning a special election following the death of liberal lion Edward M. Kennedy.
The AP called Leavitt’s win at 11:48 p.m., but hours later the state’s other House district and Senate race remained uncalled. Several news outlets did declare winners, however, and opponents were conceding.
Bolduc led Morse by about 1 point, with an estimated 85 percent of the vote counted as of 3:30 a.m., according to the AP. In the 2nd District, Burns, a former Hillsborough County treasurer, was less than 2 points ahead of Keene Mayor George Hansel, with an estimated 74 percent of the vote counted. Hansel conceded in an emailed statement at 6:32 a.m.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott of Florida said in a statement shortly after 8 a.m. the NRSC was “proud to stand with Don Bolduc.”
“Don ran a great race and earned the right to take on one of the most vulnerable members of the U.S. Senate, Maggie Hassan,” Scott said. “Inflation, a border crisis, rising crime and a sputtering economy is the direct result of Hassan and [President Joe] Biden’s failed leadership.”
Bolduc’s campaign was low on cash in the campaign’s final days, when Senate Majority PAC, which is aligned with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, ran ads calling Morse a “sleazy politician” and tying his campaign to lobbyists. Likewise, a group called Democrats Serve spent $562,000 airing attacks on Burns. Both efforts had the effect of boosting the candidates’ conservative credentials to Republican primary voters.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, which is aligned with McCarthy, poured $2.3 million into the 2nd District race to boost Mowers and attack Pappas.Defending Main Street Super PAC, another group that backs establishment Republicans, spent at least $1.3 million opposing Leavitt. Democratic groups also spent money to influence the GOP vote, effectively to help Bolduc and Burns.
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the Senate race and the 1st District House race as Tilt Democratic, and the 2nd District race as Likely Democratic.
Magaziner to face Fung
There was far less drama in Rhode Island, where Democrats were picking a nominee in the 2nd District.
Magaziner, the state treasurer general, easily won the nomination and will face Republican Allan Fung, who was unopposed Tuesday.
Magaziner had 53 percent of the vote in the six-candidate field when The AP called the race at 8:30 p.m.
Incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin is retiring, and national Republicans are optimistic that Fung, the former mayor of Cranston, can make this a competitive race. The NRCC named him to its “Young Guns” program for promising candidates who meet certain benchmarks. The Congressional Leadership Fund spent $50,000 supporting his campaign.
The environmental group LCV Victory Fund spent $399,000 supporting Magaziner’s campaign.
Inside Elections rates the race Lean Democratic.
