Illinois, Colorado, New York and other states hold elections

By Elise Hammond, Adrienne Vogt, Aditi Sangal, Melissa Macaya and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 12:36 PM ET, Wed June 29, 2022
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7:21 a.m. ET, June 29, 2022

Takeaways from Tuesday’s elections in Colorado, Illinois and more

From CNN's Eric Bradner

Republican primary voters in Colorado resoundingly rejected Donald Trump’s brand of politics Tuesday, choosing more moderate nominees for key offices over a group of candidates that had embraced the former President’s lies about election fraud.

In Illinois, however, GOP voters sided with Trump, choosing the conservative state senator he had endorsed as their nominee to take on Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and picking Trump’s preferred candidate in a down-state congressional contest.

ColoradoIllinoisNew YorkOklahoma and Utah held primary elections Tuesday. Mississippi and South Carolina held runoff elections, while Nebraska held a special election to replace former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, which was won by Republican Mike Flood.

Here are some takeaways from Tuesday's elections:

Colorado’s election deniers are denied by GOP voters

Many Republicans in Colorado were aghast at the prospect of Tina Peters, the indicted Mesa County clerk who has parroted Trump’s falsehoods about voter fraud, taking over the state’s elections machinery. On Tuesday, those GOP voters rejected Peters’ bid to take on Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold. Instead, they nominated Pam Anderson, a former county clerk who has defended the integrity of Colorado’s vote-by-mail system.

It was one of several races in which Colorado Republicans opted for more moderate candidates over those who have embraced Trump’s election lies and staked out conservative positions on social issues.

In the primary to take on Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, businessman Joe O’Dea, who supports abortion rights aside from late-term abortions, defeated state Rep. Ron Hanks, who opposes abortion in all cases. Hanks was at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, but told CNN he didn’t go inside, and has parroted false conspiracy theories about voting machines and widespread election fraud.

And in the primary for governor, to square off against Democratic Gov. Jared Polis in November, Heidi Ganahl, a member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents, defeated Greg Lopez, the former Parker mayor who falsely claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

But Illinois embraced Trump’s candidates

It was a much different story in Illinois, another Democratic-leaning state where Republicans hope that economic and historical factors tilting in their favor this year will lead to surprises in November.

Darren Bailey, a conservative state senator who was endorsed by Trump and backed by billionaire Republican donor Dick Uihlein, won the gubernatorial primary.

“Darren is just the man to take on and defeat one of the worst governors in America,” the former President said at a rally over the weekend.

Bailey, in a debate, called Chicago a “crime-ridden, corrupt, dysfunctional hellhole,” though he is seeking to become governor of the state for which Chicago is the economic center. In the state legislature in 2019, he sponsored a resolution that would separate Chicago from the rest of Illinois; as a candidate for governor, he has backed away from that position.

Meanwhile, in the 15th Congressional District, where incumbent Reps. Mary Miller and Rodney Davis were drawn into the same district last year, Miller prevailed.

Miller, a controversial first-term lawmaker, voted to object to the 2020 Electoral College results in Pennsylvania and Arizona and received Trump’s endorsement despite pushback from House GOP leadership.

Miller, in a speech alongside the former President over the weekend, declared the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade a “victory for White life.” (A spokesperson claimed she had misspoken and meant to say “right to life.”)

Keep reading here.

12:34 a.m. ET, June 29, 2022

CNN Projection: Catalina Lauf will win Republican primary in Illinois 11th Congressional District

From CNN staff

Beating out five other candidates, Catalina Lauf will win the Republican nomination in the 11th Congressional District in Illinois, CNN projects. Lauf worked at the US Department of Commerce after former President Trump appointed her in 2018.

Lauf will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Bill Foster, who is seeking a seventh full term, in November. Democrats currently control 13 of the state’s 18 US House seats.

12:38 a.m. ET, June 29, 2022

CNN Projection: Rep. Danny Davis will win Democratic primary in Illinois 7th Congressional District

From CNN staff

Rep. Danny Davis speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence in Washington, DC, on June 8.
Rep. Danny Davis speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence in Washington, DC, on June 8. (Andrew Harnik/Pool/AP)

Incumbent Rep. Danny Davis will beat Kina Collins to win the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District in Illinois, CNN projects. Davis is seeking a 14th term and there is no Republican running for the seat.

As crime becomes a growing issue ahead of the midterms, the 7th District has become a focal point in the Chicago area. According to the City of Chicago's Violence Reduction Dashboard, two of the four "summer safety zones" the city identified for additional outreach are inside its borders, including in the areas of Austin and West Garfield Park. A host of city agencies dedicate resources to "summer safety zones" to respond to high levels of violence.

During the campaign, Collins, who is a community activist, has sought to illustrate her close bond to the city while criticizing Davis for missing votes on Capitol Hill. For his part, Davis brushed off the question about the votes — saying he's never missed a meaningful one in a long career where, by his estimation, he's cast more than 15,000 of them. According to GovTrack, Davis, who has served in Congress since 1997, has missed 1,012 of 16,410 roll call votes, or 6.2%.

Read more about the candidates here.

CNN's Gregory Krieg and Eva McKend contributed reporting to this post. 

12:32 a.m. ET, June 29, 2022

CNN Projection: Jonathan Jackson will win Democratic nomination in Illinois 1st Congressional District

From CNN staff

Jonathan Jackson speaks at a voting rights rally in Montgomery, Alabama, in March 2022.
Jonathan Jackson speaks at a voting rights rally in Montgomery, Alabama, in March 2022. (Mickey Welsh/Advertiser/USA Today Network)

Jonathan Jackson will win the Democratic nomination in a crowded primary race in Illinois’ 1st Congressional District, CNN projects. He is the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Jackson outlasted 16 other candidates in the race to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush, who has held the Chicago-based seat for three decades. 

Illinois Rep. Chuy García, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Jackson, along with the Chicago Teachers Union and other labor groups. Jackson also benefitted from a heavy influx of outside spending from groups associated with cryptocurrency interests.

Jackson will be the overwhelming favorite in a general election contest with the winner of a four-way Republican primary.

Democrats currently control 13 of Illinois’ 18 US House seats. Illinois lost a seat after the 2020 census. 

12:25 a.m. ET, June 29, 2022

CNN Projection: Kathy Salvi will win Republican nomination for Illinois Senate

From CNN staff

(Kathy Salvi Campaign/AP)
(Kathy Salvi Campaign/AP)

Kathy Salvi will win the Republican US Senate nomination in Illinois, CNN projects.

Several candidates were vying to face Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth in November. Duckworth ran unopposed in her primary.

12:22 a.m. ET, June 29, 2022

CNN Projection: Gentner Drummond will win GOP primary for Oklahoma attorney general

From CNN staff

Drummond also ran for attorney general in 2018.
Drummond also ran for attorney general in 2018. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)

Gentner Drummond will win the Republican nomination for Oklahoma attorney general, CNN projects, defeating incumbent John O’Connor.

Drummond also ran for attorney general in 2018. O’Connor was seeking election to a first full term after being appointed to the office in 2021. No Democrat is running in this race.

11:43 p.m. ET, June 28, 2022

CNN Projection: Eric Sorensen will win Democratic primary in Illinois 17th Congressional District

From CNN staff

Eric Sorensen will beat out several primary challengers to win the Democratic nomination in Illinois' 17th Congressional District, CNN projects.

In the general election, he will face the Republican nominee, Esther Joy King.

11:37 p.m. ET, June 28, 2022

CNN Projection: Keith Pekau will win Republican primary in Illinois' 6th Congressional District

From CNN staff

Keith Pekau will win the Republican nomination in Illinois' 6th Congressional District, CNN projects.

He will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Sean Casten in the general election in November. Democrats currently control 13 of Illinois’ 18 US House seats.

11:10 p.m. ET, June 28, 2022

CNN Projection: Thomas DeVore will win Illinois Republican primary for attorney general

From CNN staff

CNN projects Thomas DeVore will be the Republican nominee for Illinois attorney general to face Democratic incumbent Kwame Raoul in November.