September 14 Primary Election: A Look At The Day's Hottest Races

Voters in seven states are hitting the polls on Tuesday to decide the outcome of some extremely competitive and bitter primary races.

In Delaware and New Hampshire, insurgent candidates running with Tea Party support are looking to upset establishment-backed contenders in Republican Senate primaries. Some pretty big conservative names have waded into the highly-anticipated match-ups.

Both Christine O'Donnell, who is taking on U.S. Rep. Mike Castle in the First State, as well as Ovide Lamontagne, who is facing off against State Attorney General Kelly Ayotte in the Granite State, have been endorsed by conservative kingmaker Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

Sarah Palin has also injected herself into a handful of today's races. The former Alaska Governor has offered her seal of approval to O'Donnell, aligned herself with the establishment in backing Ayotte, and also has endorsed Brian Murphy in Maryland, who is competing against former Gov. Bob Ehrlich for the Republican nomination for the state's governorship.

Primary action is also set to go down on Tuesday in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, as well as in Washington, DC.

Here's a rundown of the hottest September 14 primary fights:

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Delaware: GOP Senate Primary

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Delaware's Republican primary for Senate is too close to call as voters take to the polls on Tuesday to decide the race between establishment candidate U.S. Rep. Mike Castle and Tea Party-backed contender Christine O'Donnell. HuffPost's Mark Blumenthal reports on the latest dispatch of numbers out on the bitter match-up:

The new survey from automated pollster Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows "a real possibility of a major upset," with Tea Party conservative Christine O'Donnell holding a three-point advantage (47% to 44%) over Congressman Mike Castle that falls within the poll's margin of error. PPP says the race is now "too close to call."

O'Donnell's candidacy has been endorsed by the likes of Sarah Palin and conservative superstar South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint. ;however, some big names on the right seem less than enthused with the GOP hopeful’s campaign. Specifically, the top dogs at Tea Party organizing group FreedomWorks, Chairman Dick Armey and President and CEO Matt Kibbe, said on Monday those chose not to endorse O'Donnell because they have doubts over whether she can win.

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Delaware's Republican primary for Senate is too close to call as voters take to the polls on Tuesday to decide the race between establishment candidate U.S. Rep. Mike Castle and Tea Party-backed contender Christine O'Donnell.

HuffPost's Mark Blumenthal reports on the latest dispatch of numbers out on the bitter match-up:

The new survey from automated pollster Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows "a real possibility of a major upset," with Tea Party conservative Christine O'Donnell holding a three-point advantage (47% to 44%) over Congressman Mike Castle that falls within the poll's margin of error. PPP says the race is now "too close to call."

O'Donnell's candidacy has been endorsed by the likes of Sarah Palin and conservative superstar South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint. ;however, some big names on the right seem less than enthused with the GOP hopeful’s campaign. Specifically, the top dogs at Tea Party organizing group FreedomWorks, Chairman Dick Armey and President and CEO Matt Kibbe, said on Monday those chose not to endorse O'Donnell because they have doubts over whether she can win.

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Comments

[stagebandman]

07:03 PM on 10/22/2010

What about Illinois? Both the senate and the governor's office are in danger of going repub, and both are very close races. And Bill Brady would be our most notorious governor, which is really something considering our recent history.

[Lee Hartgrave]

03:23 PM on 09/16/2010

Terrific comeback - I love it! Humorist

[Lee Hartgrave]

03:21 PM on 09/16/2010

Both will work for me. Pee Party of Pity Party. Actually I Pity all the partys. That there problem - they are always partying on our dough! - humorist.

[Lee Hartgrave]

03:19 PM on 09/16/2010

Both work for me.

[SirSlappy]

09:10 PM on 09/14/2010

Welll. scratch Delaware off my places where intelligent people might exist.

[Telemachus]

12:59 PM on 09/15/2010

We're talking about GOP primary voters -- not the state's population at large.

Thank goodness!

[taddles]

06:27 PM on 09/14/2010

Deleting innocuous posts is lame Huffpo.

[verhaftik1]

06:21 PM on 09/14/2010

My partner's family, who are all very conservative, even thinks O'Donnell reigns supreme in Loonie-ville.

[marywoo]

06:04 PM on 09/14/2010

The liberal MSM is not going to let their boy Obama go down in flames. After the 2010 election everything will be blamed on the Republicans. Obama WANTS the house and senate to go red..the crafty fox

[taddles]

06:09 PM on 09/14/2010

Except that with a red house and senate there is no way he would be able to get any of his agenda passed which would diminish his chances in 2012. Blaming the Republicans won't get legislation through.

[MJHammonds]

06:22 PM on 09/14/2010

Right...just like he planned from birth to deceive everyone into believing he was born in Hawaii- right, woo-woo?

[jcinco]

07:11 PM on 09/14/2010

haha, fanned and faved. and neither hillary or johnny mac were able to uncover this deal breaking fact.

[taddles]

06:04 PM on 09/14/2010

I love the fact that the baggerlady Brown who got owned last year by Frank for asking really insipid juvenile questions at a rally is now getting owned again by Frank.

[treadway123]

05:55 PM on 09/14/2010

Did u ever think we as American would allow These Extreme Tea Party types in our Repubican Party let alone into our Goverment? A guy on here said, "He didn't leave the Republican party, it completely left him"! I left because of Palin in 08, just in time I would say, wouldn't u? Now there is very little party left to represent, be with these days! Nothing left of the real base who work on problems or to stablize our Gov. It is a real scary thing for us common folk who are so down to earth. A lot of us won't vote for a Tea partier an not much interested in staying the same either. I quit the party in 08 to Vote O, but always intended on going back some day. But not in this time or day I sure dang won't!

[AZterritory]

06:05 PM on 09/14/2010

Well said. This is a big reason why the Independent registration is growing so much around the county (31% in AZ and growing). All politics is local . . . Jan Brewer got her start as a non-partisan school board candidate and voila--we have the accidental gov years later. F&F BTW.

[Raccoon1]

06:27 PM on 09/14/2010

I was ready to go to the dark side after watching Clinton for a while, but when Bush came along, he totally changed my mind. This is not your father's Republican Party. The party of T. Roosevelt and Eisenhower is gone and replaced by evangelicals, the wealthy, and gun nuts.

[WarriorLemming]

09:02 PM on 09/14/2010

You got that right, Raccoon, the GOP is turning into something unrecognizable with extreme religious right, the 1-2 % of the most wealthy and no-tax-government gun crowd. The majority of us poor, middle-class and unemployed left wanting for someone looking to protect our best interests, one being just surviving. And let me add one here for my fellow veterans--if you send us to war you better take care of us when we return back home! If you're going to practice silly flag waving you better put your money where your mouth is!!!

[6bd]

05:52 PM on 09/14/2010

Join us 10 - 2 - 10, your opinion matters. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/11/901049/-10.2.10-March-on-WashingtonMother-Ship-III

[eyeonamerica]

05:51 PM on 09/14/2010

Leading conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer has rebuked former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) for making the “irresponsible” choice of endorsing Christine O’Donnell over Rep. Mike Castle in the Delaware GOP Senate primary.

“The Palin endorsement, I think, is disruptive and capricious,” Krauthammer said Monday night on Fox News’ “Special Report.” “Bill Buckley had a rule that he always supported the most conservative candidate who was electable, otherwise the vote is simply self-indulgence.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42133.html#ixzz0zXiwVPbo

[LMKay66]

05:56 PM on 09/14/2010

Palin is one big disruption to this country.

[eyeonamerica]

06:09 PM on 09/14/2010

Shhh...she is a useful operative because she is pouring tea into the Grave of the GOP!

[Telemachus]

05:57 PM on 09/14/2010

Krauthammer proves that even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

[Tericruz]

05:50 PM on 09/14/2010

One more thing...did any one notice that we no longer had the large swings in the price of gas. Another difference since the oilmen left office.

[Star2000dancer]

05:56 PM on 09/14/2010

Did you notice when the stock market dropped 1000 points in 20 minutes a few months ago?

Or when gold went from $1200 to $3400 Aug. 31st?

Gliches they say.

[Tericruz]

05:59 PM on 09/14/2010

And?

[Zutroy]

05:49 PM on 09/14/2010

Does O'Donnell v. Castle remind anybody else of 'Bob Roberts'?

[catalysto]

05:44 PM on 09/14/2010

Go GOP!!!

If we don't get out the vote.. this man will be speaker of the house and third in line to the presidency...

voting record on the budget and economy...

* Voted NO on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending. (Jul 2009)
* Voted NO on modifying bankruptcy rules to avoid mortgage foreclosures. (Mar 2009)
* Voted NO on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package. (Jan 2009)
* Voted NO on monitoring TARP funds to ensure more mortgage relief. (Jan 2009)
* Voted NO on $15B bailout for GM and Chrysler. (Dec 2008)
* Voted NO on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy. (Sep 2008)
* Voted NO on defining "energy emergency" on federal gas prices. (Jun 2008)
* Voted NO on regulating the subprime mortgage industry. (Nov 2007)
* Voted YES on restricting bankruptcy rules. (Jan 2004)
* Supports balanced budget amendment & line item veto. (Sep 1994)