The Latest: Walker wins Delaware GOP House primary race
Associated Press
DOVER, Del. (AP) — The Latest on Delaware's primary election (all times local):
9:25 p.m.
Scott Walker, a business owner and landlord who ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat two years ago, has won the Republican primary for Delaware's lone U.S. House seat.
The 67-year-old Walker defeated actor and retired railroad industry worker Lee Murphy on Thursday and will face incumbent Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester in November.
Blunt Rochester easily won a six-way Democratic primary for Congress in 2016. Walker finished fifth in that race with less than 5 percent of the vote.
Walker's political fortunes changed after he switched parties. During the campaign, Walker stressed the need to improve the nation's defense, economy and health care system. He also noted that he recently became very religious, and that he has God on his side to help conquer every problem.
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9 p.m.
Rob Arlett, a county councilman who served as Donald Trump's state campaign chair in 2016, has won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Delaware.
The 51-year-old Arlett defeated former PayPal executive Gene Truono in Thursday's primary.
Arlett, who owns a real estate business, has served on the Sussex County council since 2015.
During the Senate campaign, Arlett touted his support of Trump's "America First" agenda and his socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion and gay marriage. He reminded GOP voters that Truono is openly gay and in a same-sex marriage.
Arlett also called for repeal of the Affordable Care Act and defunding of so-called "sanctuary cities."
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8:58 p.m.
Incumbent Tom Carper has won the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in Delaware as he eyes a fourth term in the Senate.
The 71-year-old lawmaker defeated 38-year-old political newcomer Kerry Evelyn Harris in Thursday's primary contest.
With the win, Carper keeps his unbeaten streak intact, having never lost an election since his first campaign in 1976.
Harris is among a wave of young activists emboldened by the 2016 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont who have been trying to move the Democratic Party farther left. Her platform included government-paid health care for all, a $15 hourly minimum wage and abolishing the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Carper will face the winner of the Republican Senate primary between Gene Truono and Rob Arlett in November.
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8 p.m.
Polls have closed in Delaware's primary election, and Democratic U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is looking ahead to the November general election.
Rochester is finishing up her first term in Delaware's lone U.S. House seat, having won a six-way Democratic primary two years ago.
Rochester was not on the ballot Thursday because no other Democrat challenged her.
Scott Walker, a business owner and who finished fifth in the 2016 Democratic primary won by Blunt Rochester, switched parties and ran as a Republican, vying with actor and retired railroad industry worker Lee Murphy for the GOP nomination.
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7:30 p.m.
The candidates in Delaware's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate have continued campaigning until the last minute.
Incumbent Sen. Tom Carper and challenger Kerri Evelyn Harris actually crossed paths Thursday evening as they looked for support at a middle school in Wilmington.
Harris said she feels confident and has been encouraged by support she received traveling around the state. She predicted that "change is going to be the theme of the day."
Carper said, "I love campaigning." He said what's different this year is the number of out-of-state activists who have come to Delaware as part of Harris' campaign.
Polls close at 8 p.m.
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3:10 p.m.
Delaware's election commissioner says turnout in the state's primary election is looking lower than usual by midday.
A battle between Delaware's senior senator and an upstart challenger riding an antiestablishment wave within the Democratic Party highlights the state's primary elections Thursday.
Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove says there were more absentee ballots than usual, so she'd expect higher than usual turnout. But she says numbers from the polls by midday were on the "low side" for a primary.
By noon, Manlove says New Castle County was reporting 18,039 voters, and by 1 p.m., Sussex County reported 8,784 voters and Kent County reported 5,914 voters.
Polls are open until 8 p.m.
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12 p.m.
Delaware's senior senator and his challenger riding an antiestablishment wave in the Democratic Party have both cast their own ballots in the primary election.
Kerri Evelyn Harris's campaign said she voted Thursday morning with her family. The 38-year-old political newcomer and community activist is trying to stage what would be one of the most shocking upsets in modern Delaware political history.
Sen. Tom Carper's campaign said he voted with his wife before heading to Washington. Carper plans to return to Delaware to campaign later Thursday. The 71-year-old lawmaker has never lost a race in his more than four decades in politics.
Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove says she's expecting higher than usual turnout since more absentee ballots were cast than usual. Polls are open until 8 p.m.
Other statewide primaries to be decided Thursday include Republican contests for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, and Democratic primaries for attorney general and state auditor.
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9 a.m.
In a primary election battle in Delaware, voters are choosing between the state's senior senator and an upstart challenger riding an antiestablishment wave within the Democratic Party.
Seventy-one-year-old Sen. Tom Carper has never lost a race in his more than four decades in politics. His Democratic primary challenger is 38-year-old political newcomer and community activist Kerri Evelyn Harris, who is trying to stage what would be one of the most shocking upsets in modern Delaware political history.
Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove says she's not seeing any unusual problems at the polls Thursday morning. No turnout information is available yet. Polls are open until 8 p.m.
Other statewide primaries to be decided Thursday include Republican contests for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, and Democratic primaries for attorney general and state auditor.
Seventeen legislative primaries also will be decided on the local level. Only Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective primaries.
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12:20 a.m.
A battle between Delaware's senior senator and an upstart challenger riding an antiestablishment wave within the Democratic Party highlights the state's primary elections Thursday.
Seventy-one-year-old Sen. Tom Carper has never lost a race during his more than four decades in politics. His Democratic primary challenger is 38-year-old political newcomer and community activist Kerri Evelyn Harris, who is trying to stage what would be one of the most shocking upsets in modern Delaware political history.
Other statewide primaries to be decided Thursday include Republican contests for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, and Democratic primaries for attorney general and state auditor.
Seventeen legislative primaries also will be decided on the local level. Only Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective primaries.
