Boebert wins primary big; Miss. incumbent eliminated
WASHINGTON — Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, one of the most polarizing members of Congress, easily beat back a challenge from a more mainstream Republican to clinch her primary Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Mississippi Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo lost his primary runoff race on Tuesday after an ethics complaint last year found ample evidence he’d misspent campaign funds.
The six-term incumbent’s defeat by Sheriff Mike Ezell came as his Republican House colleague, Congressman Michael Guest, won a runoff race in that state — despite defying former President Donald Trump and voting to create an independent commission to investigate last year’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
In Illinois, Republican Rep. Mary Miller, who called the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade a “historic victory for white life” during a rally with Mr. Trump — her spokesperson said she misspoke — went up against a fellow GOP incumbent.
Six states on Tuesday held congressional primary elections, primary runoffs or special elections. Many of the Republican races are testing Mr. Trump’s national influence, and others could provide hints of how voters are reacting to the high court’s decision on abortion.
Ms. Boebert, a first-term firebrand, saw her GOP-leaning 3rd Congressional District in western Colorado become even more Republican after redistricting. She had little trouble with moderate state Rep. Don Coram, a rancher and hemp farmer, who slammed what he called Ms. Boebert’s extremism.
Also Tuesday, in Colorado’s deeply conservative El Paso County, eight-term Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn faced a challenge from the right from state Rep. Dave Williams for his 5th Congressional District seat. Mr. Williams failed to get the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon,” code for an obscenity against Mr. Biden, added to his name on the ballot.
Mr. Lamborn, who faces an ongoing House ethics investigation over whether he misused official resources for personal purposes, has survived primary challenges in the past as an ardent opponent of abortion and backer of the significant U.S. military presence in Colorado Springs.
Ms. Miller, first elected in Illinois in 2020, is no stranger to controversy. She quoted Adolf Hitler shortly after winning her seat, saying during a rally that “Hitler was right on one thing. He said, ‘Whoever has the youth has the future.’” She later apologized after Democrats in Illinois called for her resignation. She also voted against certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election and is a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.
On Saturday night, she made the “white life” comment as Mr. Trump stood behind her at a rally in Mendon, drawing cheers from the crowd. Ms. Miller has since said she’s not racist.
As polls closed, Ms. Miller faced five-term Republican Rep. Rodney Davis on Tuesday for the GOP nomination for the 15th Congressional District, a sprawling, heavily red district in central Illinois that was redrawn after the state’s shrinking population cost it a congressional seat.
Mr. Davis was a co-chair of Mr. Trump’s 2020 Illinois campaign but voted to certify the 2020 presidential election results. He has the backing of almost all of the district’s 35 county party chairs and has vowed to “reimplement” Trump policies, including walling off the U.S.-Mexico border.
In suburban Chicago, meanwhile, redistricting put Democratic Reps. Sean Casten and Marie Newman running for the state’s 6th Congressional District, a blueleaning seat.
Ms. Newman is a progressive first elected in 2020, when she beat longtime Rep. Dan Lipinski, one of Congress’ last anti-abortion Democrats.