Primary Season Is Over

The last major primary of the 2014 election cycle went as expected on Tuesday in Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Here are the highlights: In Massachusetts, nine-term Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) became the fourth U.S. House member to lose re-nomination this year.  Iraq War veteran Seth Moulton came out on top with a substantial 49-41 percent victory. The Tierney defeat is really a term late. With his wife being convicted of federal tax fraud for filing illegal returns associated with her brothers' illicit off-shore Internet gambling business several months prior to the 2012 election, Tierney barely escaped losing to former state Sen. Richard Tisei (R). The Congressman barely won re-election 46-45 percent. Though a surprise comeback winner in 2012, his inherent political weakness made him highly vulnerable against a strong Democratic primary opponent this year. Up in the Granite state, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown easily won the New Hampshire Senate Republican primary last night, securing 50 percent of the vote against nine opponents. Former state Sen. Jim Rubens was second with 23 percent, edging former U.S. Sen. Bob Smith by just 761 votes. Polling continues to point to a close Senate race between Mr. Brown and incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D). For more information, please contact David Ashinoff at (202) 547-5013 or ashinoffd@agc.org.