On Tuesday, non-presidential primaries were held in New York, Colorado, and Utah, alongside a run-off election in South Carolina and a special election in Colorado. These primaries saw victories and losses for progressive lawmakers, and substantial losses for major players from the Republican party.
AOC beats a Wall Street banker in Democratic primary
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), known affectionately by supporters as “AOC” and a member of the progressive “Squad,” defeated Marty Dolan, a former Wall Street banker with 82.1% of the votes. It only took 20 minutes after the polls closed for the results to overwhelmingly favor her.
Related
Lauren Boebert could stay in Congress for years to come after winning GOP primary
Her gamble in switching districts may have paid off.
Stay connected to your community
Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Ocasio-Cortez has referred to herself as “a champion for LGBTQ+ people,” repeatedly backing pro-LGBTQ+ policy and openly criticizing her Republican colleagues for queerphobia. She has gone head-to-head with anti-trans figureheads like Chaya Raichik and brought attention to how transgender men and some nonbinary individuals are affected by abortion bans.
Dolan ran on an anti-progressive platform, calling for a return to “centrist” policies for Democrats. He spent 25 years working on Wall Street in the insurance sector. He has called for lower taxes and said that immigrants are “taking benefits from the people in the city who need them.”
Anti-LGBTQ+ Colorado GOP head Dave Williams loses to Jeff Crank
Dave Williams, the head of the Colorado Republican Party who was backed by Donald Trump, lost the primary to the comparatively moderate Republican Jeff Crank with 65% of votes.
Williams stirred up controversy earlier this year when he sent out an email characterizing the LGBTQ+ community as demonic degenerates, calling for Pride flags to be burned. He said, “We make no apologies for saying God hates Pride or Pride flags, as it’s an agenda that harms children and undermines parental authority.”
Crank works for the Koch-backed organization Americans for Prosperity and has received an endorsement from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Crank had also received millions in funding from conservative super PACs. He has remained silent on his opponent’s statements on LGBTQ+ individuals.
Jamaal Bowman loses to pro-Israel George Latimer
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) lost the primary to establishment Democrat and Westchester County Executive George Latimer, with Latimer receiving 58.4% of the vote. The race marked the most expensive House race in history, with over $25 million spent.
Bowman is part of the progressive “Squad” that believes in LGBTQ+ rights, lower military spending, and opposition to the war in Gaza. He got into a major conflict with a former ally – out Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) – after Jones backed Latimer due to his views on Israel.
Latimer has supported LGBTQ+ policies in his time in politics, backing marriage equality and supporting measures to ban conversion therapy. However, he strongly differs from progressive Democrats in his vehement support for Israel. He is backed by numerous super PACs that advocate for Israel’s current policy.
Ritchie Torres wins primary unopposed
Out Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) won his primary unopposed. In November, he will face Republican Gonzalo Duran.
Torres had made history as the first gay Afro-Latino man to be elected to Congress in 2020 and one of the two first Black gay men elected to Congress, along with Jones. He ran in 2020 against a homophobic anti-LGBTQ+ candidate, and since then, he has supported numerous pro-LGBTQ+ policies, including protections for transgender individuals and marriage equality.
However, Torres divides himself from progressive congressmembers due to his foreign policy views, particularly on Israel. He’s a vocal advocate for the country, especially in the wake of Israeli attacks on Gaza, much to the chagrin of his progressive colleagues. He got into a vocal conflict with Rep. Jamaal Bowman over the two’s differing views on the country.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox defeats challenger Phil Lyman
In the GOP primary for the Utah governorship, incumbent Spencer Cox defeated Rep. Phil Lyman (R-UT) with 59.5% of the votes.
Lyman has publicly engaged in claims of conspiratorial election fraud, questioning the validity of signatures collected for ballot access by his opponents. This mirrors conspiracies about the 2020 election spread by former President Donald Trump. Lyman has previously been pardoned by Trump for damaging the environment back in 2014, which was a form of protest against environmental regulations.
Cox has been a fierce opponent of LGBTQ+ rights, enacting gender-affirming care bans and pushing for a transgender bathroom ban to be put into law earlier this year. This bathroom ban led to a “snitch line” that has been flooded with false reports from allies of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Sheri Biggs beat out Trump-backed hate pastor Mark Burns
Sheri Biggs, a former member of the U.S. military and a nurse practitioner, beat Trump-endorsed pastor Mark Burns in the run-off South Carolina primary with 51% of the vote.
Burns is a notorious opponent of LGBTQ+ rights, having called for the arrest of parents of transgender children, who he compared to the Hitler Youth. He further said that anyone who supports LGBTQ+ youth should be tried for treason or even executed by the government.
Biggs was backed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R), with whom she’s been friends with for years. In spite of not being endorsed by Trump, Biggs nevertheless promised to “help President Trump win back the White House.” While she is not nearly as extreme as Burns on LGBTQ+ issues, she nevertheless holds many of the same views as him. These include restrictions on abortions, immigration, and taxes.
LGBTQ Pride Talk 