Missouri
What to expect in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington primaries – Washington Examiner
Four states will hold primary elections for U.S. Congress on Tuesday, with many races expected to be competitive after longtime lawmakers decided to retire and allow a new generation to take their place.
Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington state are holding several high-profile congressional and state office primary contests. Michigan has an open Senate seat on the ballot, with the race drawing national attention after Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) decided she would not seek reelection.
In Missouri, eyes will be on another “Squad” progressive Democrat to see if she will survive the flood of cash from pro-Israel groups, and the governor’s race, where former President Donald Trump has made several endorsements. Kansas’s lone House Democrat, who represents the state’s only swing seat, will discover her Republican challenger, as well.
Michigan
In Michigan, Stabenow’s decision to retire set off a storm on both sides of the aisle as parties rushed to find a strong candidate in a battleground state.
Democrats have mostly coalesced around Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who represents a swing district that she has won by slim margins since her election to Congress in 2018. In the 2022 midterm elections, she won her current 7th Congressional District seat with just 52% of the vote. Slotkin will face actor Hill Harper in the primary.
On the Republican side, former Rep. Mike Rogers is leading the primary field against Justin Amash, a former House Republican-turned-libertarian, and physician Sherry O’Donnell, a former congressional candidate.
Rogers is hoping to become the first Michigan Republican senator in 24 years, a feat that seems closer in reach due to the presidential race being at the top of the ticket. The Cook Political Report shifted the Senate race to a “toss-up” following the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. With Biden stepping aside and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s lead in Michigan is narrowing to just 1% in recent polls.
Polling from The Detroit News and WDIV-TV (Channel 4) found Slotkin leading Rogers by 5 points, 46% to 41%. The House Democrat is ahead with independent voters by nearly 15 percentage points — an advantage for Slotkin, whose track record maintaining a swing seat makes her attractive to independent voters.
Slotkin has a significant financial advantage in the race against all candidates in the field, with campaign finance records showing she brought in $1.5 million for the first two and a half weeks of July compared to Rogers’s $356,000. She had $8.7 million cash on hand as of July 17 to Rogers’ $2.5 million, per the Detroit News.
Also happening in Michigan is the race to replace Slotkin and Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI), who announced he is not seeking a seventh term. In Slotkin’s district, both Democrat Curtis Hertel and Republican Tom Barrett, former state senators, are running unopposed in their respective primaries. Voters in the 7th District narrowly backed Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, so the seat is likely to follow in Slotkin’s footsteps and remain purple.
Three Democrats and three Republicans are running in the primaries to replace Kildee, whose family has held the seat since the 1970s. The GOP sees Kildee’s district as a pickup opportunity for the party; 2022 redistricting is expected to make it more difficult for Democrats to hold onto the seat.
Missouri
Missouri is holding elections for governor, Senate, attorney general, and U.S. House. Trump waded into the attorney general and governor races by endorsing multiple people, setting up Tuesday as showdown of Trump devotees.
In the governor’s race, Republican primary candidates have spent most of their campaigns attacking one another over their loyalty to Trump. The former president endorsed three of the nine GOP candidates running for the governor’s mansion: Jay Ashcroft, Mike Kehoe and Bill Eigel.
Ashcroft, whose bid for governor was widely anticipated last year, benefits from large coffers and name recognition as the son of John Ashcroft, former Missouri governor and attorney general under George W. Bush. Kehoe benefits from the backing of the American Dream PAC, which is spending more than $8 million on advertising. Eigel, a veteran of the Air Force and state senator, has a PAC spending thousands on ads using Trump’s endorsement as the focal point.
Trump has also endorsed both GOP candidates for attorney general: incumbent Attorney General Andrew Bailey and former Trump attorney Will Scharf. He surprised followers by issuing a dual endorsement on Truth Social, arguing both men are “truly outstanding” and “NEITHER ONE” would let the state down.
On the House Democratic side, eyes will be on Rep. Cori Bush’s (D-MO) primary. She faces a tough challenge from St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell, who has capitalized on Bush’s anti-Israel sentiments and millions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s PAC.
With polls recently showing Bell leading Bush by six points, 48% to 42%, Bush could become the second “Squad” Democrat to lose reelection. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) lost his primary election after AIPAC and its allies dumped millions into the race, making it the most expensive primary in U.S. history.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is running unopposed in his Republican primary. Marine veteran Lucas Kunce and state Sen. Karla May are running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Hawley, with Kunce holding a significant financial advantage over May.
Kansas
The attention is on Kansas’s House races, particularly after Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-KS) announced he would be retiring from Congress after just two terms in office.
Five GOP candidates and two Democrats are running in the primaries for a chance at LaTurner’s seat in the 2nd District. The Cook Political Report rates the seat as solid Republican with an 11-point advantage for the GOP.
Leading Republicans in the primary are Derek Schmidt, former state attorney general who unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Laura Kelly in 2022. Former LaTurner aide Jeff Kahrs and rancher Shawn Tiffany are among those in the race, as well, with Schmidt leading in campaign contributions, per the Associated Press.
On the Democratic side, former U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda and Matt Kleinmann are facing off in the primary. Boyda served in Congress as the 2nd District’s representative from 2007 to 2009, when she lost reelection. Kleinmann is a former University of Kansas basketball player and community health advocate.
Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), the state’s lone Democratic representative, will find out who her Republican opponent will be in the general election. She received 55% of the vote in her 2022 reelection bid, but the 3rd District is a swing seat — Trump won 48% over Hillary Clinton in 2016, but Biden won with 51% of the vote in 2020.
Running in the 3rd District for the GOP nomination are physician Prasanth Reddy and small business owner Karen Crnkovich. Reddy has almost 10 times the amount of cash as Crnkovich as of mid-July, but both GOP candidates significantly trail Davids in funds.
Washington state
Typically a left-leaning state, a wave of retirements down the ballot in Washington has rewarded voters with a crowded primary field of candidates to choose from.
The governor’s race has drawn 28 challengers after third-term Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) decided to step away. He initially had filed paperwork to run for a fourth term, but decided in May 2023 he would retire.
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson is leading the field, raising $8.6 million — more than double raised by the next-best funded candidate, per the Associated Press. The governor’s race raised eyebrows after two additional Democratic candidates, also named Bob Ferguson, filed to run for governor. It was later discovered a conservative activist recruited the two men, who shortly withdrew from the race after filing.
Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) are both retiring after this term, bringing in a flood of primary candidates. Washington is a top-two primary system, so all candidates, regardless of party, will appear on the same ballot.
Both Kilmer and McMorris Rodgers’s seats are solidly in their party’s hands, so it is likely two Democrats will face off for Kilmer’s district and two Republicans will face each other in the general election for McMorris Rodgers’s.
In Kilmer’s district, Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz and Democratic state Sen. Emily Randall are leading the primary field. Franz has raised about $1.4 million to Randall’s nearly $1 million.
McMorris Rodgers’s retirement came as a surprise to many, as she leads the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee and still had two more years to chair the committee under GOP conference rules.
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In 2021, she became the ranking Republican on the committee — the first woman to assume the top spot for either party on the panel. A wave of House members on both sides of the aisle are exiting from Congress, including a substantial number of Republicans in the wake of infighting and stalling from hard-line conservatives on key issues.
About a dozen candidates have filed to run for McMorris Rodgers’s district, many of whom have elected office experience. Spokane County treasurer and former state Sen. Michael Baumgartner is the race’s top fundraiser, with state Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber also helping to lead the field.
Job Point YouthBuild participants demonstrated their construction skills and shared their personal stories at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on April 21.
The event, hosted by the Missouri YouthBuild Coalition, brought together trainees, staff and partners from across the state, according to a community announcement. The day included hands-on construction demonstrations, youth-led advocacy and opportunities for participants to engage with policymakers.
A hands-on project
Trainees spent the morning constructing the framework of walls and portable chairs in teams, demonstrating the skills they are developing through YouthBuild programs in Columbia, St. Joseph and Cape Girardeau. At the end of the day, they assembled the walls to create a room, symbolizing the collaboration among trainees from different regions.
“It was a very good day. We had to build the chairs over there. I did a little measurement, cutting, all of that,” one Job Point YouthBuild student said in the announcement.
The experience highlighted not only technical skills, but also the importance of teamwork and communication, according to the announcement.
“Working together as a team, putting things together was exquisite. Communication was key,” another student shared in the announcement.
Sharing personal journeys
The event also provided a platform for participants to share their personal journeys. Many YouthBuild participants have faced significant barriers, including interruptions in education and limited access to employment opportunities. Through programs like Job Point’s YouthBuild, they are reconnecting with education, gaining workforce certifications and building pathways to meaningful careers, according to the announcement.
For students, the experience of participating in a statewide event and demonstrating their abilities in such a visible setting was both affirming and inspiring.
“I loved it! I had a great time. We built chairs. It was a good experience,” another participant said in the announcement.
Jerrell Morton, director of Job Point’s YouthBuild, emphasized the importance of visibility. Morton said in the announcement, “At its core, this day is about visibility — showing lawmakers, community leaders and the public what these young people are capable of. Our students aren’t just learning skills — they’re building confidence, leadership and a vision for their future.”
Addressing workforce needs
The event also highlighted the broader need for investment in workforce development initiatives like YouthBuild at the state level. Across Missouri, employers continue to report unfilled jobs and growing skills gaps. YouthBuild programs are helping to address that challenge by equipping young adults with practical training, work experience and the tools needed to succeed in high-demand industries such as construction, healthcare, IT and manufacturing.
For Job Point, participation in the event reinforced its commitment to empowering opportunity youth to overcome barriers, reclaim their education and achieve self-sufficiency and economic stability, according to the announcement.
“It’s a great experience. I love Job Point,” another student reflected in the announcement.
As the day concluded, trainees left with a new sense of confidence after meeting with their state representatives, senators and their staffers and standing up on the Missouri House and Senate floors, according to the announcement.
Job Point YouthBuild participants demonstrated their construction skills and shared their personal stories at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on April 21.
The event, hosted by the Missouri YouthBuild Coalition, brought together trainees, staff and partners from across the state, according to a community announcement. The day included hands-on construction demonstrations, youth-led advocacy and opportunities for participants to engage with policymakers.
A hands-on project
Trainees spent the morning constructing the framework of walls and portable chairs in teams, demonstrating the skills they are developing through YouthBuild programs in Columbia, St. Joseph and Cape Girardeau. At the end of the day, they assembled the walls to create a room, symbolizing the collaboration among trainees from different regions.
“It was a very good day. We had to build the chairs over there. I did a little measurement, cutting, all of that,” one Job Point YouthBuild student said in the announcement.
The experience highlighted not only technical skills, but also the importance of teamwork and communication, according to the announcement.
“Working together as a team, putting things together was exquisite. Communication was key,” another student shared in the announcement.
Sharing personal journeys
The event also provided a platform for participants to share their personal journeys. Many YouthBuild participants have faced significant barriers, including interruptions in education and limited access to employment opportunities. Through programs like Job Point’s YouthBuild, they are reconnecting with education, gaining workforce certifications and building pathways to meaningful careers, according to the announcement.
For students, the experience of participating in a statewide event and demonstrating their abilities in such a visible setting was both affirming and inspiring.
“I loved it! I had a great time. We built chairs. It was a good experience,” another participant said in the announcement.
Jerrell Morton, director of Job Point’s YouthBuild, emphasized the importance of visibility. Morton said in the announcement, “At its core, this day is about visibility — showing lawmakers, community leaders and the public what these young people are capable of. Our students aren’t just learning skills — they’re building confidence, leadership and a vision for their future.”
Addressing workforce needs
The event also highlighted the broader need for investment in workforce development initiatives like YouthBuild at the state level. Across Missouri, employers continue to report unfilled jobs and growing skills gaps. YouthBuild programs are helping to address that challenge by equipping young adults with practical training, work experience and the tools needed to succeed in high-demand industries such as construction, healthcare, IT and manufacturing.
For Job Point, participation in the event reinforced its commitment to empowering opportunity youth to overcome barriers, reclaim their education and achieve self-sufficiency and economic stability, according to the announcement.
“It’s a great experience. I love Job Point,” another student reflected in the announcement.
As the day concluded, trainees left with a new sense of confidence after meeting with their state representatives, senators and their staffers and standing up on the Missouri House and Senate floors, according to the announcement.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Supreme Court issued opinions Tuesday in two cases concerning the state’s latest redistricting map.
Both opinions found the map meets constitutional requirements. As it is already in effect, it will stay in effect.
“Today’s Missouri Supreme Court rulings are a huge victory for voters,” Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a statement. “Missourians are more alike than we are different, and our Missouri values — rooted in common sense, hard work, and personal responsibility — are stronger and far more aligned across both sides of the aisle than the extreme left-wing agendas pushed in states like New York, California, and Illinois. The Missouri First Map ensures those values are represented fairly and accurately at every level of government. This August, Missouri voters will head to the ballot box to vote for candidates in these newly drawn districts.”
The opinion in Elizabeth Healey, et al. v. State of Missouri, et al. stated residents failed to meet the burden required by Missouri law to demonstrate the map was unconstitutional.
This case raised an issue with Article III, Section 45 of the Missouri Constitution, which states that districts “shall be comprised of contiguous territory as compact and as nearly equal in population as may be.” But the court found the concerned residents were unable to prove the “legislature improperly deviated from the directives of article III, section 45.”
The second lawsuit, Jake Maggard, et al. v. State of Missouri, et al., took issue with which map was currently in effect. Residents gathered signatures they believed should stop the new map from going into effect until put before Missouri voters.
However, the court ruled unanimously that nothing in the constitution allows a referendum petition alone to automatically suspend legislation. It has yet to be determined if the referendum petition filing was “legal, sufficient and timely,” per the opinion.
Additional redistricting cases remain ongoing.
NAACP, et al. v. Kehoe will go before the Missouri Supreme Court on May 27. This case argues the governor didn’t have the power to call the “extraordinary session” in which the new redistricting map was adopted.
Additionally, People Not Politicians v. Hoskins will go before a judge in July. Though in a lower court, this case concerns the validity of the signatures people gathered to force a statewide vote on the map.
—
American Idol‘s latest installment has come to end. After a notable season that brought contestants to Hawaii and featured a tribute to Taylor Swift, Season 24 wrapped with a three-hour long episode that saw hopefuls Jordan McCullough, Hannah Harper, and Keyla Richardson compete for the final spot.
In the end, Missouri native Harper took the crown. In the first round of the finale, Alicia Keys stepped in as a guest mentor for contestants, and Harper performed a bluegrass rendition of the Grammy winner’s chart-topping hit, “No One.” In the second turn, Harper sang a song she wrote herself, titled “Married Into This Town,” and reprised “String Cheese,” another song she penned and memorably sang for her audition, for the last round.
During a previous interview with Music Mayhem, Harper said that she grew up playing “bluegrass gospel music in churches every single weekend from age nine until I was 16.” She was drawn to singers like Dolly Parton and Shania Twain, who impacted her approach to music.
“I was raised super conservative, and so I knew of Dolly Parton, and we didn’t listen to a bunch of her music, but she was definitely somebody that I was drawn to. So extravagant. It’s so fun. And she’s such a good showman,” Harper said. “But I was a big Shania Twain fan, like early ‘90s Shania. That was the one tape that we had on, on the regular that my mom let me listen to.”
This year’s season saw judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan relocate the famous “Hollywood Week” for contestants who make it past auditions — trading Los Angeles for Nashville. There was also a special Ohana round in Hawaii that brought 30 finalists before an “industry” panel that included Kelly Sutton, the first female full-time host of the Grand Ole Opry, and Cheryl Porter, a vocal coach and Broadway star, and Rolling Stone‘s own Co-Editor-in-Chief, Shirley Halperin.
Halperin wrote about the experience, while detailing how the show has evolved since its debut over two decades ago. “Each hopeful brought their A game and looked fabulous doing it. How were we to choose? As it turned out, the ones who took the biggest risk — by performing an original song — had an edge,” Halperin noted. “As for our panel, we discussed the contestants’ ages and how they handled the stress of competing. We took note of their backstories, and were inspired by them. We recognized unique voices and range. But in the end, we favored musicianship over potential.”
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