November rivals set in most of state races

The gubernatorial recall vote in Wisconsin highlighted Tuesday’s elections. Five other states held presidential primaries, although Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Obama already have won enough delegates to claim their parties’ nominations. Highlights of the voting:

Montana: For the Senate, Rep. Denny Rehberg won the Republican primary to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. Rehberg faced token primary opposition. Tester was unopposed.

In the governor’s race, Republicans hoping to retake the governor’s mansion after eight years under Democrat Brian Schweitzer were choosing from a large field that includes former Rep. Rick Hill. Democrats nominated Attorney General Steve Bullock. New Jersey: For the Senate, Republicans picked state Sen. Joe Kyrillos to challenge Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez in November. Menendez was unopposed in the party primary.

For the House, in the redrawn Ninth Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell defeated fellow Democrat Steve Rothman. In the 10th Congressional District, Newark City Councilman Donald Payne Jr. won a special election to finish the term of his late father, Rep. Donald Payne, and the primary to be the Democratic nominee in the November election. New Mexico: For the Senate, former Rep. Heather Wilson won the Republican primary to fill the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman. Rep. Martin Heinrich defeated state Auditor Hector Balderas for the Democratic nomination.

For the House, a close race was expected in the Democratic primary for Albuquerque’s First Congressional District, which was being vacated by Heinrich. In a three-way race were former Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez, state Sen. Eric Griego and Bernalillo County Commissioner Michelle Lujan Grisham. The winner will face former Republican state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones. South Dakota: In the Democratic primary for the state’s only House seat, Matt Varilek, former economic development director to Sen. Tim Johnson, defeated Jeff Barth, a retired telephone company technician and county commissioner. Varilek opposes Republican Rep. Kristi Noem in the fall.