Incumbent politicians across the United States have suffered an unusually severe series of primary defeats, with Rhode Island governor Dan McKee’s removal from the ballot adding to a growing revolt against long-serving officeholders in both major parties.
Helena Foulkes defeated Mr McKee in Wednesday’s Democratic primary, ending his attempt to win a second full term. He is the first sitting US governor to lose a party primary since 2018 and the first Rhode Island governor to suffer such a defeat in more than three decades.
The result capped a primary season in which 13 members of Congress have lost bids for re-election, including seven Democrats and six Republicans. Two of the defeated Republicans were senators.
At least 16 further candidates who sought to move from the House into the Senate or to statewide office have also been defeated. The losses include Colorado senator Michael Bennet, who failed to secure the Democratic nomination for governor.
The scale of the setbacks has exposed deep frustration with Washington, while party divisions, redrawn congressional districts, scandals and the influence of President Donald Trump have combined to make incumbency less valuable than usual.
Democratic voters demand a new generation
Among Democrats, primary voters have repeatedly turned against established figures, particularly those seen as representing the party’s older leadership or moderate establishment.
Progressive challengers defeated veteran representatives in New York and Colorado, while younger candidates ousted older lawmakers in Texas and Connecticut. In several contests, candidates with local government experience also proved more attractive than politicians with long records in Washington.
Democratic socialists defeated representatives Diana DeGette of Colorado and Adriano Espaillat of New York. In Connecticut, former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin defeated John Larson after making generational change a central theme of his campaign.
Former congressman Colin Allred also defeated representative Julie Johnson in a redrawn Dallas-area district. In Michigan, Donavan McKinney defeated two-term representative Shri Thanedar in a heavily Democratic seat.
The pattern extended to Democratic candidates seeking higher office. Mr Bennet, Michigan representative Haley Stevens, Minnesota representative Angie Craig, Texas representative Jasmine Crockett and Illinois representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly all lost statewide primaries to rivals without Washington experience.
Caitlin Legacki, an adviser to Ms Stevens, said the defeats reflected a broad anti-incumbent mood. “It’s a major ‘throw the bums out’ moment,” she said.
Trump reshapes Republican contests
For Republicans, Mr Trump has been central to several of the most consequential challenges. His support helped challengers defeat senators and representatives who had become obstacles or irritants to his political agenda.
Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Mr Trump at his 2021 impeachment trial, failed to advance from the Republican primary after the president backed an opponent. He became the first sitting senator to lose a primary since 2017.
Texas senator John Cornyn was also defeated after Mr Trump endorsed state attorney general Ken Paxton in the runoff. In the House, Trump-backed candidates removed representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and helped defeat other Republicans viewed as insufficiently loyal to the president.
The contests demonstrated that a long congressional record, financial advantage or seniority could not necessarily protect an incumbent once national party loyalties became the decisive issue.
Redrawn districts put incumbents at risk
Mid-decade redistricting has further unsettled the House, forcing members to compete against one another, seek different offices or abandon their seats altogether.
In Texas, representative Al Green was defeated by fellow Democrat Christian Menefee in a member-on-member contest created by new district lines. Republican Dan Crenshaw lost his primary after a challenger attacked him from the right, while the redrawing of districts also contributed to the defeats of other House members.
Several lawmakers chose retirement rather than fight in constituencies that had become less favourable. Democrats Steve Cohen, Lloyd Doggett and Cleo Fields stepped aside after their districts were altered, as did Republicans Darrell Issa and Burgess Owens.
Kevin Kiley, a California Republican who switched from the party to become an independent after his district was redrawn, said the new maps had created “chaos” in the House and reduced the quality of representation.
Scandals and local grievances add to losses
Ethical controversies have also proved damaging. Eric Swalwell abandoned his campaign for California governor and resigned from Congress amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations, which he denied. Tony Gonzales of Texas gave up his re-election bid and resigned after acknowledging an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide.
Tennessee representative Andy Ogles lost despite receiving Mr Trump’s endorsement, after facing controversy alongside the effects of redistricting and heavy outside spending. Florida representative Cory Mills was defeated by Ryan Elijah as an investigation by the House Ethics Committee examined allegations including misconduct and possible campaign finance violations. Mr Mills has denied the allegations.
In Rhode Island, Ms Foulkes turned public anger over the closure and reconstruction of the Washington Bridge into a central attack on Mr McKee. The key link between Providence and its eastern suburbs was closed in 2023 after safety problems, causing disruption and criticism over the cost and pace of the replacement work.
Ms Foulkes’s victory means that November’s elections will begin with parties across the country facing a markedly different political landscape, after voters used the primary season to punish incumbents from both sides of the aisle.
