Primaries

Looks like Chellie Pingree wins the primary in ME-1 and Gerald Connolly wins the primary in VA-11. Both Democratic nominees shouldn't have much trouble winning in November. Pingree's clearly the right choice over her main rival, and I have mixed feelings about the result in Virginia. Connolly's rival was generally more progressive, but Connolly had better ideas on transportation and planning and since Connolly will wind up having influence over the region in which I live I'm not too heartbroken to see him prevail.

Ultimately, though, it seems to me that these races usually come down to local or candidate-specific factors in the end and thus wind up disappointing ideologues and political junkies who like to see broad national controversies play out.