April 30, 2024 Insider: Primary Battlegrounds

To wrap up April, we have an update on Pennsylvania’s primaries, a preview of Maryland, and a look down-ballot at six crucial battlegrounds. And as always, an update on the country’s evolving abortion landscape and its impact on 2024.

US Senate: All in on Angela

One of EWA’s most closely watched primaries is in just two weeks. On May 14, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks will go head-to-head with Rep. David Trone to be the Democratic nominee for Maryland’s open US Senate seat.

Despite Trone’s self-funding—$42 million this cycle compared to Angela’s $6 million raised—Angela has closed a double-digit polling gap in April and is now running neck-and-neck with Trone. Endorsements from major players in Maryland politics, like Rep. Jamie Raskin, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Gov. Wes Moore and the Washington Post, as well as her incredible personal story and the looming threat of former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, should make her the easy choice, but thanks to Trone’s media saturation this race is still a nailbiter.

EWA is co-hosting a zoom event tomorrow in support of Angela with special guests Jamie Raskin and Maxwell Frost. We know our groups have done so much already, and it is a departure for us to promote a zoom event like this. But that’s how important we think this primary is! Donations start at $250.

🔖 Bookmark: EWA Supports Angela Alsobrooks [WomenCount]

Unless you’ve maxed out, there’s still time to give an additional donation to Angela via WomenCount’s 2024 Senate slate.

Headlines

Angela Alsobrooks wants you to know she really gets it [The 19th News]

Political notes: Moore and Alsobrooks, together again [Maryland Matters]

US Senate candidates Trone, Alsobrooks face off in first TV debate [Baltimore Banner]

Alsobrooks drops Senate ad featuring top Maryland Democrats [The Hill]

Poll: Senate race in Wisconsin is neck and neck [Spectrum/Marquette University]

What Wisconsin’s 2024 landscape says about Baldwin’s chances [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Nevada G.O.P. Senate primary heats up as the long shot goes after the front-runner. [NY Times]

Florida Senate candidate seeks to channel abortion outrage [The Guardian]

US House: Pennsylvania Debrief

The general election field is set in one of the swingiest swing states, and the most competitive US House races will be dominated by women:

PA-01, Flip: Ashley Ehasz, a retired Army pilot, will take on Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. This Lean R race will be a 2022 rematch. House Majority PAC is already spending heavily, though the DCCC has not yet added Ashley to its Red-to-Blue list.
PA-07, Hold: Incumbent Rep. Susan Wild will face state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie. Susan is on the DCCC’s list of frontline incumbents and is one of 11 Democratic-held seats Cook rates a Toss Up.
PA-10, Flip: Janelle Stelson, a former local news anchor, is Democrats’ pick to take on Rep. Scott Perry, another incumbent House Majority PAC is spending heavily to defeat in this Lean R district.

Rep. Summer Lee also survived a primary challenge stemming from her early criticisms of Israel’s war conduct. She won 61 percent of the vote in PA-12, a safe Democratic district that is not likely to be competitive in the fall.

Next month, keep an eye on three woman vs. woman primaries in MD-6, OR-3 (open, Safe D) and OR-5 (Toss Up), and one competitive (open, Safe D) primary in MD-3. State Sen. Sarah Elfreth is tied with Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn. See full race analysis via WomenCount.

🔖 Bookmark: 2024 Fundraising Tables, US House [Electing Women] (now updated)

Headlines

Three Takeaways From the Pennsylvania Primaries [NY Times]

State Rep. Mackenzie wins competitive GOP primary to unseat U.S. Rep Wild [Philly Inquirer]

How progressive ceasefire advocate Summer Lee defanged the opposition [CNN]

Pelosi, Clyburn back Jan. 6 Capitol Police officer’s bid for Congress [Axios]

Full Congressional District 6 Primary 2024 Coverage [MoCo360]

3 leading Democrats battle for Blumenauer’s seat in District 3 race [Oregon Capital Chronicle]

Michigan congressional races thin as candidate filing deadline passes [Michigan Advance]

State & Local: Battlegrounds Down Ballot

State legislative primaries are in full swing, and that means it’s time to start keeping an eye on the chambers that will be election battlegrounds this year. So far, we’ve identified four states where Democrats have a chance of flipping one or both chambers, or need to maintain a slim current majority, and women can be majority makers.

Arizona House and Senate
Michigan House
Pennsylvania House and Senate
Wisconsin House and Senate

There are also six states where Democratic women have the opportunity to make major gains even though the legislature is solidly Republican or Democratic.

Georgia House
New Mexico House and Senate
North Carolina House and Senate
Ohio House
Oregon House and Senate
Washington House and Senate

WomenCount is working with partners to create detailed profiles of each state, which you can view here:

🔖Bookmark: State Target Analysis | New Mexico [WomenCount] (PDF)

🔖Bookmark: State Target Analysis | Ohio [WomenCount] (PDF)

🔖Bookmark: State Target Slates [WomenCount]

Headlines

AZ House has voted to repeal the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Supreme Court [AZ Mirror]

With MI House seats back on the ballot in 2024, here are the races to watch [MI Advance]

20 legislative primary results that set the stage for November and beyond [PA Capital-Star]

Court-ordered redistricting is factor in exits of two GOP state lawmakers [WA State Standard]

National & Women: SCOTUS Takes the Spotlight

While Donald Trump is in Court, President Biden has been on the trail and abortion continues to be a major policy focus. That is, in between courtroom drama and the never-ending chatter about Biden’s age—a topic that still tops right-wing and some mainstream news searches even as states and courts continue to chip away at reproductive rights and Trump’s lawlessness is again on full display. See: SCOTUS for the major news on both this month.