Incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Rhode Island’s primary election on Tuesday.
He’ll face state Rep. Patricia Morgan, who won the Republican nomination, in November’s general election.
According to the secretary of state’s RI Voter Turnout Tracker,statewide turnout for the primary was 9.9% just before the polls closed at 8 p.m. The tracker showed 54,101 people had voted in person as of 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, while nearly 12,000 voted early, and another 11,303 voted by mail.
Turnout appeared to be heaviest in Cranston, where a highly publicizedRepublican primary in the mayor’s race drew interest.
Whitehouse, who is running for a fourth term, had a massive financial advantage over Democratic opponent Michael Costa, a former Republican candidate for governor who lives in Bristol.
“A very good feeling to have such support from Rhode Island Democrats all around the state,” Whitehouse told NBC 10 News after securing the nomination.
Whitehouse ran on a platform of cleaning up the U.S. Supreme Court and protecting Social Security, issues he said are critical to Rhode Island’s future.
On the Republican side, Morgan, a state representative who represents West Warwick, Coventry and Warwick, and formerly served as minority leader, won her party’s nomination.
“It’s a sweet victory, and now I know that I have to prepare tomorrow morning,” Morgan said after her primary win.
Her platform centers on border security and battling the offshore wind industry.
She defeated Warwick resident Ray McKay in the Senate primary.
There were no contested primaries in either U.S. House district.
Last year, Democrat Gabe Amo faced nearly a dozen candidates to win his party’s nomination for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District. When Democratic Rep. David Cicilline resigned in 2023, Amo defeated 11 other Democrats – including the lieutenant governor – in a district that Democrats were highly favored to win in a general election. The crowded field meant that Amo ended up winning only a third of the vote to place first in that primary.
This year, however, it’s smooth sailing for Amo. None of his prior competitors are seeking to replace him as he runs for a full term.
The other member of Rhode Island’s House delegation – freshman Democrat Seth Magaziner – did not face a primary challenge, either.
A handful of General Assembly races had primaries.
NBC 10’s Leanna Faulk and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Publish date : 2024-09-09 17:30:00
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