Arizona, Michigan, Missouri, Washington and Kansas primaries

By Elise Hammond, Maureen Chowdhury, Melissa Macaya and Adrienne Vogt, CNN

Updated 8:51 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022
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11:20 p.m. ET, August 2, 2022

CNN Projection: Katie Hobbs will win Democratic nomination for Arizona governor  

From CNN staff

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs speaks to the media before dropping off her primary election ballot in Scottsdale, Arizona, on July 21.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs speaks to the media before dropping off her primary election ballot in Scottsdale, Arizona, on July 21. (Ross D. Franklin/AP/File)

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs will win the Democratic nomination for governor, CNN projects, potentially setting the stage for a November general election focused on the integrity of the state’s largely mail-in election system. 

Hobbs is seeking to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. 

She was heavily favored against Marco Lopez, the former mayor of Nogales who worked as the head of former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano’s commerce department and later, as chief of staff for US Customs and Border Protection during Napolitano’s tenure as Homeland Security secretary. 

Hobbs emerged as a national figure as she defended Arizona’s 2020 election results against a raft of unfounded conspiracy theories advanced by former President Donald Trump and his Republican supporters in the state. 

Republicans in the Arizona Senate commissioned a partisan review of the 2020 results in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix. That review did not change the reality that now-President Biden won in 2020. Cyber Ninjas, the inexperienced company hired to conduct the review, and its subcontractors cast doubt on the veracity of tens of thousands of votes, though elections experts immediately pointed out Cyber Ninjas’ errors. Still, election deniers seized on the partisan review to advance their false claim that Trump was the victim of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. 

Hobbs has signaled she will focus on the issue of election integrity in November. Over the weekend, in an op-ed in The Arizona Republic, the state’s largest newspaper, Hobbs said that lies about election fraud have led to threats against local elections workers and placed a burden on law enforcement officers who she said are now on "high alert.” 

“This is not a partisan issue,” Hobbs wrote. “These attacks are happening because radical conspiracy theorists have spotted the gaps in our voting rights and election laws and are using loopholes like the Civil War-era Electoral Count Act to manipulate our democracy to their will.”

11:06 p.m. ET, August 2, 2022

GOP nominee for Michigan governor takes aim at incumbent Whitmer in victory speech

From CNN's Sara Murray and Jeff Simon in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Tudor Dixon appears at her election night party in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Tuesday.
Tudor Dixon appears at her election night party in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Tuesday. (Paul Sancya/AP)

Tudor Dixon took the stage to deliver her victory speech as the projected Republican nominee for governor in Michigan, and wasted no time taking aim at her Democratic opponent.                                                                    

“The battle lines in this race couldn’t be any clearer. This is gonna be an epic battle between a conservative businesswoman and mother and a far-left birthing parent and career politician,” Dixon said, referring to Democratic incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is seeking a second term. 

“Now we have the opportunity to truly hold Gretchen Whitmer accountable for the pain she has inflicted upon each and every one of us during the past four years,” Dixon said. 

After a prolonged Republican primary, Dixon defeated a crowded field of opponents, including businessman Kevin Rinke, chiropractor Garrett Soldano, real estate broker Ryan Kelley and pastor Ralph Rebrandt. Dixon – who had been panned by opponents as the establishment candidate in the race – picked up an endorsement from former President Donald Trump just days before the primary election and sailed to victory. 

She used her speech Tuesday evening to thank supporters and double down on her core campaign planks. She vowed to improve the state’s education system, make Michigan cities safer and boost job creators in the state. 

“I have watched as our state, our people, have lost their jobs, their life savings and their promised futures. I’ve talked to countless people who feel less safe in their communities and whose kids were locked out of their classrooms,” Dixon said, “It’s unacceptable. And frankly, Michigan, we deserve better.”

She also tied Whitmer to Democratic President Biden, blaming both of them for the signs of economic weakness plaguing the economy. 

As she the first-time politician prepares to take on Whitmer this fall, Dixon aimed to reassure supporters that she’s ready for a tough fight. 

“Our work isn’t finished. My friends, we are just getting started and I hear it’s gonna be a rough ride," Dixon said.

11:01 p.m. ET, August 2, 2022

Polls are closing across Washington

From CNN's Ethan Cohen, Melissa DePalo, Clara Grudberg and Nicholas Anastacio

It's 11 p.m. ET and polls are closing across Washington state.

The state is holding a Senate primary where Democrat Sen. Patty Murray is seeking another term and is expected to face Republican Tiffany Smiley, but the big races will be in 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts where Republicans who voted to impeach Trump face challengers backed by the former president. 

The state uses a "top two" primary system where candidates of all parties appear on the same ballot and the top two finishers advance to the general election. 

Additionally, all Washington voters are mailed a ballot ahead of Election Day. Ballots are mailed starting July 15. Ballots can be counted if they’re postmarked by Election Day and received by Aug. 15. 

Here are more key things to know about the races we are tracking in the state:

  • 3rd Congressional District: Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler is one of the 10 Republicans in the House who voted for former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment, and Trump endorsed Joe Kent in his challenge against her. Kent, an Army veteran whose wife was killed by a suicide bomber in Syria, says the 2020 election was stolen and has made Herrera Beutler’s vote for impeachment a center point of his campaign. However, due to Washington’s top two primary system, where candidates of all parties appear on the same ballot, Herrera Beutler has made efforts to attract Democratic voters, releasing ads that tout her support for lowering the cost of insulin while not saying she is a Republican. There are several other candidates also on the ballot, including Republican Heidi St. John and Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who could sneak through to the general if Republicans split their vote.
  • 4th Congressional District: Like Rep. Herrera Beutler, impeachment voter Rep. Dan Newhouse is facing a Trump-endorsed candidate. Loren Culp, the former president’s pick, is a former police chief who was the GOP nominee for governor in 2020. He joined the race shortly after Newhouse’s vote for impeachment and has used the vote as a common attack. Despite Trump’s backing and name recognition from that bid for governor, Culp has raised less than a quarter of what Newhouse has. Another Republican candidate, Jerrod Sessler, and Democratic contender Doug White have both raised more than Culp.

Read more about today's races here.

11:00 p.m. ET, August 2, 2022

CNN Projection: Incumbent Rashida Tlaib will win Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 12th District 

From CNN staff

US Rep. Rashida Tlaib speaks in Washington, DC, last month.
US Rep. Rashida Tlaib speaks in Washington, DC, last month. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Take Back the Court Action Fund)

Incumbent Rep. Rashida Tlaib will win the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, CNN projects.

Tlaib, a member of the "squad" of House progressives, faced a number of primary challengers, including Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, Lathrup Village Mayor Kelly Garrett and former state Rep. Shanelle Jackson.

Tlaib was first elected in 2018 and is the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress. She and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar were also the first two Muslim women elected to Congress.

12:04 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

CNN Projection: Right to abortion maintained in Kansas state constitution

From CNN's Dan Merica and Veronica Stracqualursi

People rally in front of the Statehouse in Topeka, Kansas, in June.
People rally in front of the Statehouse in Topeka, Kansas, in June. (Evert Nelson/The Topeka Capital-Journal/AP/File)

Kansas voters have decided to maintain the right to an abortion in their state’s constitution by voting “no” on a proposed constitutional amendment, CNN projects.

It was the first popular vote on abortion since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

The vote comes after a 2019 state Supreme Court ruling found the state constitution does protect the right to an abortion. A “yes” vote on the amendment would have removed the right to abortion from the state constitution, while a “no” vote maintains it.

The proposed amendment stated: “Because Kansans value both women and children, the Constitution of the state of Kansas does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion.”  

Abortion is currently legal up to 22 weeks in Kansas, making the state as haven for women seeking the procedure in nearby states that have rolled back abortion rights. In response, anti-abortion and Republican groups pushed to change the state’s constitution to specify that the state does not guarantee the right to the procedure and open the door to similar strict laws in Kansas.

Pro-choice organizations responded with a widespread get-out-the-vote effort, viewing the fight as a test for abortion politics in a post-Roe era. And the victory on Tuesday represents a significant moment in the ever-changing fight over abortion rights, offering these groups a victory just weeks after they were dealt a crushing defeat by the Supreme Court.

“Kansas values have always exemplified freedom, and tonight, Kansas continued that legacy,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes. “This historic victory was the result of a groundswell of grassroots support and a broad coalition of reasonable, thoughtful Kansans across the state who put health care over politics.”

Planned Parenthood in a statement said the "victory is a result of a long campaign to motivate voters to protect bodily autonomy at the ballot box."

"Kansas is one of the only states in the region that safeguards access to legal abortion and following today’s vote will remain a critical access point," it said in the statement.

Polls have consistently shown that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is broadly unpopular. A CNN poll released in late July found nearly two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the Supreme Court decision, with even 55% of self-identified moderate or liberal Republicans saying they disapproved of the decision. But the results on Tuesday, the first electoral test of abortion rights after the Supreme Court decision, put an even finer point on that sentiment.

“This is further proof of what poll after poll has told us: Americans support abortion rights,” said Christina Reynolds, a top operative for Emily’s List, an organization that looks to elect pro-choice women. “They believe we should be able to make our own health care decisions, and they will vote accordingly, even in the face of misleading campaigns."

The “no” victory leaves the state constitution unchanged. While lawmakers in the state can still try to pass restrictive abortion laws, courts in Kansas have recognized a right to abortion under the state constitution. Lawmakers had passed a restrictive abortion law in 2015, but it was permanently blocked by the courts.

The "yes" vote would have amended the state’s constitution to say Kansas “does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion.” The vote would not have banned abortion outright, but it would have opened the door to the procedure being banned, especially considering Republicans control both chambers of the state’s legislature and almost every top office except for governor, which is held by Democrat Laura Kelly.

Kelly, who planned to vote no on the measure, warned that a "yes" vote would mean “the Legislature would immediately come back with some very severe restrictions on a woman’s ability to control her own fate.”

In addition to the win, Democrats have been enthused by the significant turnout.

The issue was placed on the primary ballot, rather than the general election, which abortion rights advocates believe was intended to limit turnout. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in the state by more than 350,000, according to the latest figures from the Kansas Secretary of State's office.

But the victory — along with the increased turnout — is yet another signal that abortion can be a motivating factor for voters in a red state, a critical question as Democrats heads into what could be a trying midterm election.

10:49 p.m. ET, August 2, 2022

CNN Projection: Rep. Haley Stevens will win Democratic nomination in Michigan’s 11th District 

From CNN staff

US Rep. Haley Stevens speaks at an election night party in Birmingham, Michigan, on Tuesday.
US Rep. Haley Stevens speaks at an election night party in Birmingham, Michigan, on Tuesday. (Carlos Osorio/AP)

Rep. Haley Stevens will win the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, CNN projects. 

Redistricting led to an incumbent vs. incumbent all-Democratic face-off in the district between Stevens and Rep. Andy Levin. Both lawmakers were first elected in 2018.

Levin was generally considered the more progressive candidate in the race, but the Stevens campaign had tried to downplay the ideological differences between the two.  

Still, the race became one of the key battlegrounds in the Democratic Party's evolving rift over Israel and overlapping debates about Democrats' broader ideological direction. 

Stevens, who is not Jewish, benefited from spending by the United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the more hawkish American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, while Levin, who is Jewish, had the backing of the campaign arm of J-Street, a moderate "pro-Israel, pro-peace" group.

High-profile Democrats weighed in on the race, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsing Stevens and Levin securing the support of Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. 

Stevens will be heavily favored in the fall against Republican nominee Mark Ambrose in a district that would have backed Biden by 20 points.

10:35 p.m. ET, August 2, 2022

Democrats are looking to abortion test in Kansas as midterms near, CNN's John King says

Democrats will be watching closely how voters decide on a proposed abortion amendment in Kansas as the party heads into the midterm elections, CNN's John King said.

Kansas is a historically Republican state — President Biden won five counties in 2020. King said the party is looking for issues that galvanize voters to cast their ballot for them in November. One of those issues could be abortion, he said during CNN's coverage of the primaries.

A majority vote for "yes" for the measure would result in the state constitution being amended to say that it "does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion." While such a vote would not ban abortion in the state, it would be up to the GOP-controlled state legislature to pass laws regarding the procedure, including bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy without exceptions for rape and incest.

Kansas is the first state in the nation to let voters weigh in on abortion since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

"The Democrats are looking for something to help them turn out voters and to peel back the suburban Republicans who revolted against Donald Trump, to peel back independents who might say 'I don't like inflation, I don't think Biden's delivered,'" he said in his analysis.

"Democrats believe the abortion issue could be a turnout mechanism and a vote changing mechanism. Kansas is part of that test," King added.

Read more about Kansas' vote on the abortion amendment here.

10:21 p.m. ET, August 2, 2022

CNN Projection: Incumbent Mark Kelly will win the Democratic nomination for Arizona's Senate seat

From CNN staff

US Sen. Mark Kelly leaves after a Democratic caucus luncheon at the US Capitol in May.
US Sen. Mark Kelly leaves after a Democratic caucus luncheon at the US Capitol in May. (Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Incumbent Mark Kelly will win the Democratic nomination for Arizona's Senate seat, CNN projects.

Kelly ran unopposed in the primary and is seeking his first full term.

10:06 p.m. ET, August 2, 2022

Final polls are closing across Arizona

From CNN's Ethan Cohen, Melissa DePalo, Clara Grudberg and Nicholas Anastacio

A sign guides voters to a polling station in Tucson, Arizona, on Tuesday.
A sign guides voters to a polling station in Tucson, Arizona, on Tuesday. (Rebecca Noble/Reuters)

It's 10 p.m. ET and the final polls are closing across Arizona. The state doesn’t report any votes until an hour after polls close, so results aren't expected until 11 p.m. ET. 

Voters are casting ballots on these key races:

  • GOP Senate: Arizona Republicans are competing to take on Sen. Mark Kelly in what is expected to be a competitive general election contest. Trump has backed venture capitalist Blake Masters, who worked closely with billionaire Peter Thiel, who backed Masters’ bid financially. Masters has spread lies about the results of the 2020 election and accused Democrats of trying to “change the demographics” of the country. Facing off against Masters are businessman Jim Lamon and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Lamon founded a solar energy company, which he sold before his Senate campaign. Lamon has accused Masters of being beholden to big tech and has ties to election denialism as well. Brnovich, who has served as the state’s attorney general since 2015, was seen as a frontrunner earlier in the campaign but has been barraged by attacks from Trump over his handling of the 2020 election. Lawyers for Trump sent the Brnovich campaign a cease-and-desist letter for using Trump’s image in “misleading” ways in advertisements.
  • GOP governor: The rift between Trump and other GOP leaders is on display in the Arizona GOP gubernatorial primary, with endorsements splitting the field. Kari Lake, a former television anchor, received Trump’s endorsement. Lake has denied the results of the 2020 election and spread lies about voter fraud. Her main competitor is Karrin Taylor Robson, a former member of the Arizona Board of Regents, who was endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey. While Taylor Robson has said that the 2020 election “was absolutely not fair”, at a recent debate, she was the only candidate who unequivocally said they would accept the results of the primary. The GOP split was highlighted by dueling rallies held by Trump and Pence in Arizona, where the former Vice President emphasized that relitigating the results of the 2020 election was not beneficial for the Republican party’s future. The winner will likely face Arizona Democratic secretary of State Katie Hobbs in November.
  • GOP secretary of state: The Arizona Secretary of State race is shaping up like the governor’s race, with Trump-endorsed election denier Mark Finchem facing more moderate businessman Beau Lane, who has been endorsed by Gov. Doug Ducey, as well as former Arizona Govs. Jan Brewer and Fyfe Symington. Finchem attended the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally and has peddled the QAnon conspiracy theory. Lane is an advertising executive and his campaign emphasizes the need to “restore confidence” in elections with Arizona voters, but he rejects conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Two other candidates join them on the ballot: state Rep. Shawnna Bolick, who has said the election was “rigged” and state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who sponsored a bill that weakened the state’s permanent mail voting list.

Read more about today's races here.