August primaries in 13 states prove dog-eat-dog days

By Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY

Democratic Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick on Tuesday became the sixth member of Congress ousted this year, as voters in Michigan, Missouri and Kansas kicked off a busy month of primary elections.

Kilpatrick, a seven-term House veteran and former chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, lost the Democratic primary in a Detroit-area district to state Sen. Hansen Clarke.

Clarke made a campaign issue of Kilpatrick's son, former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned two years ago amid charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Now in jail for a probation violation, he is facing trial on fraud charges.

"Voters in Detroit just have Kilpatrick fatigue," said Michigan pollster Steve Mitchell.

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Kilpatrick is the third Democratic incumbent defeated in the primaries. Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., and Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., also lost their renomination bids.

Among the day's other big races:

•Michigan. Businessman Rick Snyder beat a field of veteran officeholders, including nine-term GOP congressman Pete Hoekstra, to win the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Snyder, a former Gateway computer executive, advertised himself as "one tough nerd."

Snyder will face Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero in November. Aided by labor unions, Bernero defeated state House Speaker Andy Dillon for the Democratic nomination. State term limits bar Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm from running again.

The contest to pick a GOP nominee for a House seat in Michigan's Upper Peninsula being vacated by Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak has turned into a test of the anti-tax "Tea Party's" strength.

Political analyst Bill Ballenger said state Sen. Jason Allen, "the establishment candidate," is under serious threat from Tea Party-backed Dan Benishek, a physician who has never held political office.

•Kansas. Sen. Sam Brownback easily won the GOP nomination for governor, but his decision to leave the Senate set off a battle between two veteran congressmen for his old job. Rep. Jerry Moran defeated Rep. Todd Tiahrt for the GOP Senate nomination. Moran had the backing of leading conservatives such as Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., while Tiahrt was supported by 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. It was one of a dozen endorsements Palin has made in this month's primary races.

One reason the GOP nomination is so prized: Kansas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932.

In a closely watched contest to fill the seat of retiring Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore, state Rep. Kevin Yoder won the GOP nomination. Moore's wife, Stephene, is among those seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed him.

•Missouri. Rep. Roy Blunt, a veteran congressman, easily defeated several challengers who claimed Tea Party ties in the Republican Senate primary. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan won the Democratic nomination, setting up a battle between two Missouri political dynasties in a swing state. President Obama, who is backing Carnahan, lost Missouri by fewer than 4,000 votes in 2008. Blunt's son and Carnahan's father each served as Missouri governors.

In a statewide referendum on Obama's top legislative priority, Missouri voters overwhelmingly rejected a key component of the new national health care law, voting to prohibit the federal government from requiring individuals to carry medical insurance. The vote carries more political than legal weight, as courts generally give federal law precedence over state measures.

Once a sleepy lull before the traditional Labor Day kickoff of fall campaigns, August has become the new political busy season. Voters in 13 states this month will be heading to the polls. A new law requiring more time for overseas military personnel to receive and return ballots led a number of states, including Arizona and Florida and others to move up their primaries, raising questions about how that will affect turnout.

"That's the great unknown right now," said Jennifer Duffy of the non-partisan Cook Political Report.

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