Three More Primaries This Week: New Hampshire Today, Rhode Island Mañana, New York Thursday

In a few hours we should have results from New Hampshire's first congressional district, where Carol Shea Porter is retiring, and from the gubernatorial race. This is 2018's last contested congressional primary in the country. We'll get back to that in a moment. Tomorrow we'll be watching Rhode Island, where a a disgusting pair of corrupt conservative Democrats, Governor Gina Raimondo and Lt. Governor Daniel McKee, are fighting for reelection. And then Thursday, it's New York's non-federal primaries. Lots of excitement-- and probably lots of disappointment.

Last time I counted there were a dozen Democrats, 5 Republicans and a really horrible independent, Shawn O'Connor (who challenged Shea-Porter in 2016, first as a Democrat backed by Bernie (no one is perfect), then as an "independent"-- but always from the right and always steeped in dishonesty.

As of the August 22 FEC reporting deadline, 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans had raised significant money and gotten most of the endorsements.

• Carpetbagger and ex-Marine Maura Sullivan (D)- $1,840,889- The rotgut conservative among Democrats, endorsed by EMILY's List and right-of-center Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton (conveniently, one of the current signifiers that a candidate is terrible).
• State Senator and sexual harasser Andy Sanborn (R)- $865,440 (mostly self-funded), endorsed by Rand Paul, Corey Lewandowski, Gun Owners of America and a gaggle of right-wing state Reps.
• Executive Councilor Chris Pappas (D)- $823,289- Clearly the establishment candidate, endorsed by Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan and Annie Kuster and the majority of Democratic state Representatives, state Senators and local mayors, as well as lots of unions, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, End Citizens United, and the Giffords gun safety organization (the 2 last ones an indication that he's the DCCC candidate). He's openly gay.
• Corrupt lobbyist Eddie Edwards (R)- $628,699, endorsed by Rudy Giuliani, Rick Santorum, and former Senator Bob Smith. He's openly African-American.

Levi & some guy

Progressives running include Carol Shea-Porter's chief of staff, Naomi Andrews-- who only raised $86,641 but has been endorsed by Shea-Porter as well as by Donna Edwards, Marcy Kaptur and the Feminist Majority PAC-- and Levi Sanders (yep, Bernie's son), who raised even less money than Andrews ($39,270) and was endorsed by Ro Khanna, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and a couple of state Reps. Unlike the other top candidates, he explicitly backs Medicare-for-All and tuition-free college and trade schools-- Bernie issues. Bernie hasn't endorsed him and Levi lives just outside the district.

Other Medicare-for-All (and single-payer) proponents are Mark MacKenzie, who raised $277,110 and has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, the SEIU and 18 other unions; Lincoln Soldati, who raised $156,967; Mindi Messmer, who raised $100,569; Deaglan McEachern, who raised $215,085; William Martin, a vanity candidate; and Paul Cardinal, another vanity candidate.

There are also two Democrats, former Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand and former state Sen. Molly Kelly (the establishment candidate) competing to take on almost certain winner, popular GOP incumbent Chris Sununu. Kelly has raised $639,000 to Marchand's $291,000.

On to tomorrow's Rhode Island primary. Rhode Island is, ostensibly, one of the bluest states in the union-- D+10. And Hillary beat Trump 54.4% to 38.9%. But a corrupt and reactionary Democratic machine controls the state and people are sick of it-- and sick of Raimondo and Lt. Governor McKee, both just Republicans with disguised as conservative Democrats. Progressive former Secretary of State Matt Brown is challenging her and Berniecrat state Rep. Aaron Regunberg is going after McKee. If Raimondo wins the primary there's a good chance progressives will just sit on their hands in November and let Cranston Mayor Allan Fung (R), beat her. Yeah, she's that disgusting-- and has national ambitions. Wealthy Republicans have been funneling money into Rhode Island to help the conservative Democrats.

And then on Thursday... New York. But this is getting long-- and New York will double it-- so let me take on New York tomorrow or Thursday morning, OK?


UPDATE: NH-01:

Just 6 small precincts left to count in in the district. What do you think November will look like? Trump beat Hillary here 48.2% to 46.6%. And the PVI is R+2. Today 61,503 Democrats voted and just 47,058 Republicans. Expect a midterm bloodbath... and not just in New Hampshire. Anywhere where there are significant numbers of independent voters, the Republicans who have enabled and rubber-stamped Trump will suffer.