by Karl Kurtz
The national headline hype today is all about anti-incumbent fever based on the three high profile U.S. Senate primaries. Below those headlines, though, there wasn't much evidence of voter anger in down-ballot races in Oregon, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Arizona and Kentucky. There were also some interesting results in races involving people who have been active in NCSL.
In The Oregonian, the headline is "Incumbents fare well in Oregon House and Senate primaries:"
Voters may be cranky with incumbents this year, but they didn't take their anger out on those running for re-election to the Oregon House and Senate.
Nine legislative incumbents survived their primary challenges Tuesday, including veteran Rep. Bob Jenson, who appeared to have won his hotly contested race in eastern Oregon against newcomer Mike Mathisen.
Anti-tax groups from around the state had vowed to unseat Jenson, R-Pendleton, from his House District 58 seat because he voted last year to increase business and personal income taxes on high-earners....In neighboring House District 57, incumbent Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, also won even though the state's GOP leader said both Smith and Jenson should be kicked out of the party for supporting tax increases.
In Pennsylvania the Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
Two beleaguered former state House speakers from opposite sides of the state hung on to their political careers Tuesday after beating back primary challenges in their home districts, according to unofficial results.
Republican Rep. John M. Perzel of Philadelphia and Democratic Rep. Bill DeWeese of Greene County in southwestern Pennsylvania won and will appear on the fall ballot. Perzel will face Democrat Kevin J. Boyle in November. DeWeese will square off with Republican Richard A. Yeager....
Perzel and DeWeese face corruption charges in separate cases stemming from the state attorney general's Bonusgate investigation. Perzel is charged with using taxpayer-funded computer programs worth millions of dollars to benefit political campaigns. DeWeese is accused of using state-paid legislative staff for campaign-related tasks.
Both are fighting the charges.
Of the 203 House seats in Pennsylvania, 51 had primary races. Five of the 25 Senate primary elections were contested. No incumbents were defeated, although counting was not yet completed in a few races.
In Arkansas, House Speaker Robbie Wills, currently chair of NCSL's Legislative Effectiveness Committee, will face off against state Sen. Joyce Elliott, a member of NCSL's Executive Committee, in a Democratic party runoff for the U.S. House of Representatives. Former House speaker and current state Sen. Shane Broadway was unopposed for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, and House majority leader Steve Harrelson won the Democratic primary for a state Senate seat.
In Kentucky, all five senators who had opposition won their primary elections, including Senate President David Williams. Of 14 House members who were challenged, only two were defeated--Rep. Ancel "Hard Rock" Smith (D) and Rep. Charlie Siler (R).
In Arizona, voters approved a temporary three-year sales tax increase of one cent by a margin of approximately two to one.
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