Except for the action-hungry sports bettors who flocked to Delaware, yesterday’s big stories came from the flurry of primaries in eight states. The generally good news for Democrats wasn’t all good. Especially bad was the poor showing by crooked Sen. Bob Menendez in his New Jersey Senate primary. Though he was let off the legal hook on corruption charges, everybody can see he’s filthy, and he barely cracked 60% against a tomato-can challenger. When Democrats fail to gain control of the Senate, Menendez’s refusal to step down in shame will be among the reasons. Never underestimate voters’ willingness to show revulsion.
California elects its judges, and recalls them, too, though not very often. Yesterday’s successful recall of Aaron Persky, the judge who gave the Stanford rapist a slap on the wrist, was the state’s first since 1932.
Meanwhile, fears about the state’s “jungle” primary system — the top two vote-getters face off regardless of party — undermining Democrats proved unfounded. Democrats avoided being shut out of any races despite their overcrowded rosterswsaq90sz of candidates.
Democrats looking for positive signs for November have focused on a Missouri state senate special election in suburban Kansas City, where a Democrat flipped another Trump-backing district just days after the resignation of Republican Gov. Rick Greitens. Never underestimate the voters’ willingness to show revulsion.