June 12 Primaries Results: Mark Sanford Loses S.C. House Race, Democratic Women In Virginia Win [FULL RESULTS]

Republican Rep. Mark Sanford was among the big losers in Tuesday’s primary elections in South Carolina, a state that went to President Donald Trump in 2016.

June 12 Primary Election Results

Sanford, the incumbent in South Carolina’s first congressional district, lost his re-election bid to state lawmaker Katie Arrington, who took 50.5% of the vote versus Sanford’s 46.6%.

The 58-year-old Congressman reportedly told supporters before the official results of the primary came in: “I’m going to lose this race.”

In addition, Trump slammed Sanford on Twitter on Tuesday just hours before the election ended, and seemingly jabbed Sanford for his infamous 2009 scandal as Governor of South Carolina, when he was caught having an extramarital affair with a woman from Argentina. The president called Sanford “nothing but trouble” and added “He is better off in Argentina.”

Trump also voiced his support for Arrington, whom he later congratulated for her victory.

Just as Trump said, Sanford has opposed the president on many issues, and is one of several Republicans who demanded Trump release his tax returns. Arrington had even criticized the incumbent congressman for being too moderate.

According to the New York Times, lawmakers in North Carolina considered impeaching Sanford when he served as the state’s governor over his scandals, primarily the aforementioned sex scandal.

Sanford successfully ran for Congress in 2013 against comedian Stephen Colbert‘s sister.

In the Democratic primary in South Carolina’s first House district, local lawyer Joe Cunningham handily defeated Toby Smith, a black female nonprofit consultant, with 71.5% of all votes.

In Virginia, several Democrats — especially women — won congressional primaries. In the second district, veteran Elaine Luria won with 62.3% of the vote. Luria will challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Scott Taylor in November.

In the seventh, Abigail Spanberger — a former federal law enforcement officer and CIA operative — beat retired colonel Dan Ward with 72.7% of all votes.

Then in the tenth, state Sen. Jennifer Wexton beat out five other candidates to get 41.8% of the vote and earn a chance to face off against GOP incumbent Rep. Barbara Comstock in the midterms.

Virginia also controversially nominated Republican Corey Stewart, who was seen with White Nationalists, as a Senate candidate to take on Sen. Tim Kaine in November.

In Nevada, incumbent Republican Sen. Dean Heller won his re-nomination bid, although he is considered a vulnerable candidate for November, after Trump embarrassed him in 2017 and then pressured a GOP challenger to drop a primary bid against Heller. State Rep. Jacky Rosen, meanwhile, won the Democratic Senate primary easily (77.1%).

Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak won Nevada’s Democratic primary for governor, while State Attorney General Adam Laxalt took the Republican race.

Kate Marshall also won the Democratic primary for Nevada’s lieutenant governor, and fellow Democrats Susie Lee (third district), Clint Koble (second district) and incumbent Dina Titus (first district) won congressional primaries.

In Maine, businessman Shawn Moody won the GOP gubernatorial primary with 56% of all votes, while State Attorney General Janet Mills took the Democratic primary after beating out six opponents.

The Senate primary winners in Maine were Democrat Zak Ringelstein and Republican Eric Brakey, both of whom ran uncontested. Brakey is a former Youtube star who has a viral video of him doing the famous “Harlem Shake” dance in his underwear. The pair will take on incumbent Sen. Angus King, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, in November. 

Finally, in North Dakota, state Rep. Kevin Cramer won the GOP Senate primary, and will thus take on incumbent Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in November.

Article by Pablo Mena

Writer for uPolitics.com. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.