N.J. Senate primary kicks off season of intra-party battles
As New Jersey Democrats head to the polls Tuesday, Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker remains the solid frontrunner in the primary contest for the Garden State's special Senate election.
Booker has always had a strong lead in the primary contest, but he nevertheless found himself fending off opponents who criticized him from the left. In the deep blue state of New Jersey -- where a Republican hasn't been elected to the Senate in over 40 years -- the Democratic primary could be just as consequential as the general election. A Quinnipiac poll released last week showed that even with three Democrats running against him, Booker held a 37-point lead over his nearest primary competitor. In a head-to-head match-up against his likely Republican competitor Steve Lonegan, Booker has a 25-point lead among registered voters.
The winner of the general election -- a special election taking place in October -- will replace Sen. Jeff Chiesa, R-N.J., who was appointed to the seat in June after the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.
While Tuesday's New Jersey primary may not be that competitive, it kicks off a 2014 primary season that could generate some heat. Here's a look at some of the Senate primaries worth watching:
Kentucky
Incumbent senators have huge advantages -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for instance, has the name recognition of a congressional leader who's served in the Senate for nearly 30 years, not to mention close to $10 million in the bank to support his re-election.
Yet in the conservative state of Kentucky, longtime service and leadership in the Senate may be more of a liability than an asset. McConnell is facing one of the most serious primary challenges of the 2014 season from tea party-aligned businessman Matt Bevin, who is attacking McConnell for congressional dealmaking.
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McConnell's campaign has aggressively fought back, nicknaming the tea partier "Bailout Bevin," referencing the federal bailout money he took for his companies in Connecticut. The senator's campaign wasn't helped, however, when McConnell's own campaign manager was caught on tape telling a fellow conservative, "I'm holding my nose" while working for McConnell.
If he can overcome the challenge from the right, McConnell will face Kentucky's Democratic secretary of state, Alison Lundergan Grimes, in the general election.
Wyoming
Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., is another longtime senator who finds himself in a high-profile primary. Last month, former Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter Liz Cheney announced she's runing against Enzi as he seeks a fourth term.
"Instead of cutting deals with the president's liberal allies, we should be opposing them, every step of the way," Cheney said when she announced her intentions.
The winner of the primary will likely win the general election in the conservative state, but many in the GOP have nevertheless called the primary challenge bad for the party. Cheney's entry into the race will cause the "destruction of the Republican Party of Wyoming," former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., said. "It's a disaster -- a divisive, ugly situation -- and all it does is open the door for the Democrats for 20 years."
The race comes at an interesting turning point for Republicans, split whether a solidly conservative record like Enzi's is enough to merit re-election, or whether conservatives should follow the more aggressive mold of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
While Cheney argues she'd be the more authentic conservative, Enzi can argue he's a better representative of Wyoming -- Cheney only moved to the state last year.
"People expect you to earn it. They won't give it to you," Enzi told the Jackson Hole News&Guide. "That doesn't mean just talking to a few folks. That means getting a background in Wyoming so you can do what needs to be done."
Georgia
An open Senate seat in Georgia, where Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., is retiring, shouldn't be a concern for the Republican Party. However, with seven candidates in the running for the GOP nomination, the party risks shooting itself in the foot with a primary process that sends all of its candidates too far to the right.
Democrats, meanwhile, are unified behind a candidate with strong fundraising potential, former Sen. Sam Nunn's daughter, Michelle Nunn.
The field on the Republican side includes three members of the House -- Reps. Paul Broun, Jack Kingston and Phil Gingrey -- as well as former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel. All are very conservative, while Broun and Gingrey have a history of making eyebrow-raising remarks. Broun for instance, called evolution and the Big Bang theory "lies straight from the pit of hell." Gingrey, meanwhile, took some heat earlier this year for defending former Rep. Todd Akin's remarks on "legitimate rape" -- an issue that sunk Akin's Senate bid in Missouri.
With the aim of boosting turnout and decreasing the likelihood that far-right activists overtake the GOP primary, the Georgia Republican Party is considering moving up the primary, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, to as early as May of next year.
Hawaii
Hawaii will most assuredly stay Democratic in 2014, but the Democratic primary battle is already full of drama.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, was appointed to his seat after Sen. Daniel Inouye died in December -- even though Inouye wanted Rep. Colleen Hanabusa to replace him.
Hanabusa has the support of Emily's List (an organization that supports female Democrats), as well as Inouye's widow, who said electing Hanabusa would be carrying out "Dan's last wish."
However, she's also the target of a complaint filed with the Federal Elections Commission alleging that her congressional officce, her campaign and a pharmaceutical lobbying group improperly coordinated a political advertising campaign.
Schatz, meanwhile, is backed by the grassroots group MoveOn, as well as former Vice President Al Gore, who commended Schatz's work on environmental issues.
