A former Obama administration official will face a Michigan co-chairman for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in the race for the suburban Detroit congressional seat held by retiring Republican Rep. Dave Trott. Haley Stevens won the Democratic nomination, edging out four other Democrats in Tuesday’s District 11 race. She was a Treasury official who worked on the auto bailout under Obama. Detroit-area business executive Lena Epstein won the Republican nomination. She beat four other Republicans in Tuesday’s primary. She co-owns an automotive oil company. Democrats are hoping to flip the district, which includes Detroit’s affluent northwestern suburbs. Although it has traditionally leaned Republican, Trump barely won the district in 2016. View 11th District results here.<doc-sep>In the 2018 midterm elections in Michigan, Democrats are in good shape to keep a Senate seat and retake the governor’s mansion — and the Wolverine State also gives them a couple of chances to pick up House wins. Two Michigan House elections are outright toss-ups, and a couple of others could be in play if Democrats build a big enough blue wave. Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow looks to be in good shape to hold the Senate seat on the ballot in 2018. Democrats could also retake the governor’s mansion, and the political environment is favorable enough here for them that election forecasters think they could take the state House, despite a sizable deficit in seats. The gubernatorial fight has shaped up to feature an interesting tussle among progressive and establishment Democrats. Polls close at 8 pm ET in Michigan. Live results, powered by Decision Desk, are below. Michigan governor’s primary elections: a tight race on both sides for an open governor’s seat Republican Gov. Rick Snyder is retiring with dismal approval ratings during the Flint water crisis. In a recent NBC/Marist survey of the GOP primary, Attorney General Bill Schuette (36 percent) had built a decent lead over Lt. Gov. Calley (26 percent) with lots of voters undecided. On the Democratic side, former State Senate Democratic leader Gretchen Whitmer has narrowly led in the polling. She looks like the slight favorite, while prominent progressives like Alexandria Oscaio-Cortez are trying push Abdul El-Sayed to an upset victory. Both parties still need to get through their August primaries, but NBC/Marist polled a hypothetical general election matchup with the leading candidates. They found Whitmer leading Schuette 47 percent to 38 percent. Cook Political Report thinks the governor’s race is a toss-up. Michigan Senate primary elections: Stabenow is expected to sail through Business executive and veteran John James and business executive/Yale and Harvard economist Sandy Pensler are considered the Republican frontrunners. Polls have shown James, one of the few black Republicans in big races this year, with a slight but persistent lead. Stabenow should be fine; polls put her up by a lot over her potential challengers. Cook puts this in the Likely Democratic camp. Michigan Sixth Congressional District: a packed field angles to take on Rep. Fred Upton Four Democrats are on the ballot. Matt Longjohn, a former YMCA and public health official, has raised a lot of money and might have the most compelling story, having jumped into the race after Upton’s vote for the repeal legislation. David Benac is a Western Michigan history professor trying to run as a grassroots candidate. Rich Eichholz is a scientist arguing for evidenced-based policy. George Franklin, a former Kellogg lobbyist also raising a lot of money, rounds out the field. The 6th, like the 1st, is more of a long-shot for Democrats. Cook has it as Likely Republican and rates the district as R+4. Upton is an entrenched incumbent. But Trump’s margin of victory was narrower here — 8 points — and the district has elected the more moderate Upton for decades. It seems at least conceivable that an anti-Trump wave could sweep him out of office, if Democrats successfully tie him to the president. But it probably would take a significant wave. Michigan Seventh Congressional District: a seasoned Democrat and a “Berniecrat” seek to topple a Republican incumbent Gretchen Driskell was put on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue list, meaning Washington Democrats like what they’ve seen from her campaign. She comes from a Navy family and has served as a mayor and now in the state legislature. She has run here before, having lost to Rep. Tim Walberg in 2016 by 15 points. Her only competition on the ballot is Steven Friday, running as a self-identified “Berniecrat.” This is another Likely Republican district; according to Cook it’s R+7. Trump won by 17 points, and the district is very white and not particularly well-educated. But the 7th District has swung in prior wave elections (see 2008 and 2010), and Driskell profiles as the kind of candidate Democrats think can compete in areas like the 7th. Her 2016 loss to Walberg was actually a little narrower than Clinton’s, too, if you’re looking for a reason to be optimistic. Michigan Eighth Congressional District: a former CIA officer strives to flip this toss-up district to blue Elissa Slotkin is another name on the DCCC’s Red to Blue list. She is a former CIA officer who worked on the White House National Security Council under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. She definitely has the look that Democrats like for these swing districts: a history of military and public service. Women are also cleaning up in Democratic primaries, as Vox has documented. Her only competition is Chris Smith, a Michigan State University public policy professor, running on good government and Medicare-for-all. The 8th is a toss-up, according to Cook, and the district is just R+4. Clinton lost to Trump by less than 7 points here in 2016. It covers an area near Lansing, the state capital, and its constituents are a little better educated — all ingredients that could give Democrats an edge. Michigan 11th Congressional District: a competitive primary for both sides of the aisle Rep. David Trott is retiring, so it’s an open seat. The GOP primary is very competitive, with a lot of credible candidates. Among them are former US Rep. Kerry Bentivolio and several state lawmakers: Sen. Mike Kowall, Rep. Klint Kesto and former Rep. Rocky Raczkowski. Self-funding business executive Lena Epstein rounds out the field for Republicans. It’s also a wide open field for the Democrats. Suneel Gupta, brother of doctor and CNN personality Sanjay Gupta, has the most money. Former Obama auto rescue official Haley Stevens has some union support and Hillary Clinton’s endorsement. Fayrouz Saad is angling to be the first Muslim woman elected to Congress and she got the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsement. Current Michigan Rep. Tim Greimel is also on the ballot. The 11th looks like a toss-up. Trump beat Clinton by just four points here, and the district profiles as R+4. It’s pretty diverse and very well-educated.<doc-sep>After a day of casting ballots, Michigan voters will see tonight who emerges the victor in contested primaries up and down the ticket. A full list of live results for the Aug. 7, 2018 primary will be listed below after the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Scroll down to see the latest tabulations of the U.S. Senate Republican primary, primaries in U.S. House races and state House and Senate primaries. Uncontested primaries will appear in the list, but will not be tabulated. (Reading on an app? Click to see results on mlive.com)<doc-sep>Republican Lena Epstein and Democrat Haley Stevens will face off in the fall general election after winning their respective primary races for U.S. House on Tuesday in Michigan's 11th District, according to unofficial results. With all precincts reporting, the largely self-funded Epstein had won 30.9 percent of the vote, and Stevens won 27 percent. Latest election results from Metro Detroit and Michigan Ten candidates, five Democrats and five Republicans, are running in the race for the chance to succeed GOP Rep. Dave Trott of Birmingham, who is retiring after two terms. The candidate had spent over $5 million collectively through July 18. The battle over the open seat is considered a toss-up in November, with a chance that it flips to the Democrats after having been held by Republicans for decades. Voters in the district supported President Donald Trump by less than 5 percentage points in 2016 but went for President Barack Obama in 2008. The district includes Livonia, Plymouth, Canton Township, Birmingham, Troy and Novi. The Republican primary has been marked by negative attacks and even a defamation lawsuit, while Democrats have tried to differentiate themselves by their experience and views on what the party's priorities should be. "I am honored and humbled by the support from voters across southeast Michigan. I thank my competitors for a spirited campaign, volunteers for their hard work knocking doors rain or shine, and family for encouragement," Epstein said in a statement. "We will unite our party for the tough fight ahead and reach out to Democrats and Independents to let them know they have a home on our campaign." Trump, whose Michigan campaign Epstein co-chaired, on Wednesday tweeted his congratulations "on a job well done. Also, thanks for your great support!" Aside from Epstein, the other Republicans who competed in the race included former state Rep. Rocky Raczkowski, state Sen. Mike Kowall, state Rep. Klint Kesto and former U.S. Rep. Kerry Bentivolio. Raczkowski finished second behind Epstein with 25.5 percent of the vote, followed by Kowall with 18.3 percent, according to unofficial returns. The Democrats included Stevens, state Rep. Tim Greimel, Fayrouz Saad, Suneel Gupta and Nancy Skinner. Greimel finished second behind Stevens with 21.8 percent of the vote, followed by Gupta with 21.3 percent, according to unofficial results. “As a woman in manufacturing, I have seen the incredible growth of our advanced manufacturing economy and understand the challenges facing businesses throughout Southeastern Michigan,” Stevens said in a statement. “Years of partisan bickering and dysfunction in Washington have not served the best interests of the hard working families who power our economy. The time for inaction is over — on day one in Congress, Michiganders can count on me to fight for our state, just like I always have.” Erma Whitmire, 71, of Birmingham said Tuesday she voted for Epstein in part because she likes to pick candidates who will bring diversity to office, and Epstein is Jewish. “I think she’s a wealthy businesswoman. I hope she takes the job to task, and we hold her accountable," Whitmire said. "I think she’s strong.” Yugang Xiao of Northville cast his ballot for Epstein because he wanted a strong conservative voice in Congress. “She’s a conservative,” said Xiao, 50, a software engineer. “I think, right now, in this country, the social issues are more important than the economy.” Mary Anne Alioto of Birmingham said she voted for Kesto based on all the campaign ads she saw. "They were talking about his voting record and how he was there 100 percent of the time. He was putting Lena down because she wasn't there 87 percent of the time," Alioto said. "If they're not showing up to do anything, I don't want them there. They're not working." Kesto has criticized Epstein for missing 87 percent of quarterly board meetings of the Michigan Children's Trust Fund since 2012. Her campaign has said she had to phone in or miss meetings to do work and family commitments. Jason Huizing wore an anti-Trump T-shirt to vote Tuesday, casting his ballot for Greimel. For him, he said electability is one of the most important issues. “That’s my goal — to get Trump and the Republicans out of office,” the Northville resident said. Caprice Artz of Birmingham cast her ballot for Stevens on the advice of a friend who's a political consultant, she said. "I voted for all women. I didn't even think about that," Artz said. Like Trump, Epstein, 37, campaigned as an "outsider" candidate with business experience. Epstein initially campaigned for the U.S. Senate before switching to the House after Trott announced his decision to retire. She lives in Bloomfield Township, just outside the 11th District, and has not previously held public office. She studied economics at Harvard University and returned home in 2003 to help manage the family business at Vesco Oil Corp. in Southfield, an automotive and industrial lubricant distributor that she co-owns. She was born in Bloomfield Hills in 1981 to a family of Jewish Democrats. On her mother's side, the family founded Winkelman's department stores in Detroit. Her father's side has been in the oil business for 70 years. She had her first baby during the campaign and daughter, Emma, will be 10 months old this month. Stevens' campaign has stressed the need to strengthen manufacturing. She touts her role as the chief of staff of Obama's auto task force that oversaw the financial bailout of Chrysler and General Motors from 2009-11. Stevens, 35, got a late endorsement from former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Sunday, and Clinton recorded a robocall for her that went out Monday. She was working at the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute in Chicago when she decided to move back to Rochester Hills and run for office. Stevens is not new to politics, having worked on campaigns for Clinton and Obama campaigns in 2007 and 2008 and as a field organizer in Western Michigan for the state Democratic Party. She graduated from Seaholm High School in Birmingham and American University. Staff writer Maureen Feighan contributed. mburke@detroitnews.com<doc-sep>
In what nationally could end up being the Year of the Woman politically, two women — Lena Epstein and Haley Stevens, both running in their first campaigns — won their parties' respective primaries for an open seat in suburban Detroit expected to be one of the most closely watched races in the U.S. this fall. The Associated Press called the winners around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. With 100 percent of the vote counted in the crowded Republican primary counted, businesswoman Epstein had 26,119 votes, or 31 percent, compared to former state Rep. A. Rocky Raczkowski with 21,618, or 25 percent, and state Sen. Mike Kowall, with 15,761 or 19 percent. Trailing them were state Rep. Klint Kesto with 11,879, or 14 percent and former U.S. Rep. Kerry Bentivolio with 9,584 votes, or 11 percent. In the equally large Democratic primary for the seat, former Obama administration official Haley Stevens won with 23,997 votes, or 27 percent. Behind her were state Rep. Tim Greimel with 19,317 or 22 percent; entrepreneur Suneel Gupta, with 18,873, or 21 percent; Fayrouz Saad, the former head of immigrant affairs in Detroit, with 17,294, or 20 percent, and radio host Nancy Skinner, with 9,234, or 10 percent. More:Michigan primary: See all the election results for metro Detroit, state races More:Ballot shortages reported in Oakland County; voters told to wait Across the country, women have been gaining ground in elections, winning key primaries in Kentucky, New Jersey, New York and elsewhere. Epstein told the Free Press she was "honored and humbled" by the support she got and thanked her rivals for a spirited race. "We will unite our party for the tough fight ahead and reach out to Democrats and independents to let them know they have a home on our campaign," she said. Stevens said she is eager to continue meeting with voters about her experience in advanced manufacturing and "plans to fix the mess that Washington politicians have created." “Years of partisan bickering and dysfunction in Washington have not served the best interests of the hard working families who power our economy," said Stevens, who got a late endorsement from former presidential nominee and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "The time for inaction is over -- on day one in Congress, Michiganders can count on me to fight for our state, just like I always have.” This seat — in Michigan's 11th Congressional District, which includes parts of western Wayne and southeastern Oakland counties — has been reliably Republican in the past. But a relatively close result for President Donald Trump there in 2016 — he beat Hillary Clinton by 4 percentage points in the district — and the impending departure of incumbent U.S. Rep. Dave Trott, R-Birmingham, has had handicappers calling it a toss-up. With Democrats looking to take back control of the U.S. House (and needing to win 25 more seats than the 193 they currently have to get there), as well as the fact that Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, lives in the district, the November general election is expected to draw lots of outside interest regardless of who wins the major party primaries. The decision by Trott — who has criticized Trump — to step down after just two terms in office, set off a rush for the seat, with a far-stronger field than usual on both sides of the political divide vying for their respective nominations. Among the Republicans, Epstein is a newcomer to running for political office herself but helped co-chair Trump's successful campaign in the state in 2016. Meanwhile, Raczkowski has, in the past, been a reliable vote getter; Kowall and Kesto are sitting members of the state Legislature in the district, and Bentivolio was the last person to hold this seat before Trott checked him out of the seat in 2014. As for the Democrats, Greimel is a well-known commodity in Oakland County and Lansing, having served as Democratic leader in the state House, and Stevens made a name for herself as chief of staff to former President Barack Obama's autos task force, which helped arrange financing and a structured bankruptcy that helped save General Motors and Chrysler in 2009. Gupta, who is the brother of CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, raised huge amounts to finance his candidacy and Saad, who was Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's immigrant affairs director, won some national attention as well.