One day after NBC News’ Decision Desk projected author and nonprofit leader Wes Moore won the Democratic primary for governor, Moore’s chief rival, former Labor Secretary and DNC Chairman Tom Perez, conceded.
“Now is the time for us to unite, and I look forward to aggressively working with them to flip Maryland blue this November,” Perez said in a Saturday statement after it became clear that he could not overcome Moore’s margin of victory even as more mail-in ballots were counted.
Maryland is one of Democrats’ best pickup opportunities, and prognosticators shifted the race in their favor even before the Democratic nominee was clear — thanks to far-right state Del. Dan Cox winning the GOP primary. The Cook Political Report moved the race from Lean Democrat to Solid Democrat, while Inside Elections shifted its race rating from Lean Democratic to Likely Democratic.
Elsewhere on the campaign trail…
Missouri Senate: Former Trump White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, now the GOP gubernatorial nominee in Arkansas, is endorsing Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s Senate bid.
Wisconsin Senate: Democratic Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson has dropped his Senate bid and is endorsing Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
Arizona governor: Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson’s gubernatorial primary has focused on both candidates trying to portray the other one as a Republican In Name Only.
Georgia governor: Democrat Stacey Abrams is pushing back on attacks from GOP Gov. Brian Kemp that she is anti-police, NBC News’ Janelle Griffith reports.
Florida governor: Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is booking her first ad buy, a $624,000 flight that runs the final week before the state’s Aug. 23 primary election, per AdImpact.
Texas governor: Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s massive fundraising has made some in his party optimistic about his chances of defeating GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, even as others worry it’ll lead to another letdown in a state where Democrats have struggled to get over the hump, NBC’s Henry Gomez reports.
Wisconsin governor: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has seven takeaways from Sunday’s GOP gubernatorial debate, the first time Trump-backed businessman Tim Michels, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and state Rep. Tim Ramthun faced off on stage.
Michigan's 11th District: Politico and the Forward report on how massive spending from AIPAC’s super PAC has roiled the Democratic primary between Reps. Haley Stevens and Andy Levin.
North Carolina's 11th District: The Daily Beast reports that GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who lost his primary earlier this year, is late to file his quarterly campaign finance report and that his campaign illegally spent money that was earmarked for if Cawthorn had made it to the general election.
