Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Kentucky, Idaho and Oregon primaries

By Maureen Chowdhury, Mike Hayes, Ji Min Lee and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 8:47 a.m. ET, May 18, 2022
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11:09 p.m. ET, May 17, 2022

Ex-American Idol star Clay Aiken loses Democratic primary in North Carolina's 4th Congressional District

From CNN's Rachel Janfaza

Clay Aiken speaks during Politicon in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2019.
Clay Aiken speaks during Politicon in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2019. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Politicon)

Clay Aiken, widely known for his stint on "American Idol," has lost the Democratic primary race in North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District, CNN projects.

Aiken will finish behind state Sen. Valerie Foushee, the projected nominee, as well as Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. David Price. 

While running, the former reality television star highlighted issues like income equality, access to health care and climate change while promising to focus on infrastructure and inflation if elected.

Millions of dollars were spent in the race and Foushee, for her part, benefited from spending by Protect Our Future, the super PAC funded by cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, and the United Democracy Project. 

Aiken previously ran to represent North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District in 2014. He lost to Republican incumbent Rep. Renee Ellmers.

10:37 p.m. ET, May 17, 2022

Fetterman's wife says he's "feeling great" and "ready to get back on the ground"

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury

Gisele Fetterman, center left, greets supporters at a hotel in Imperial, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
Gisele Fetterman, center left, greets supporters at a hotel in Imperial, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

John Fetterman's wife, Gisele, told CNN that her husband is "feeling great" following pacemaker surgery today and "ready to get back on the ground."

Gisele spoke to CNN from Fetterman's campaign headquarters after he won the Democratic Senate primary in Pennsylvania.

Fetterman, who announced Sunday that he's recovering after a stroke, is at the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital according to a statement, which noted he first went to the hospital Friday.

The campaign announced that the lieutenant governor would have a pacemaker implanted to regulate “his heart rate and rhythm” and control “his atrial fibrillation,” the cause of the stroke.

"He is a bionic man now. He's feeling great," Gisele told CNN's Jake Tapper. "The surgery was perfect, and he is impatient and he is just ready to get back on the ground. I'm not letting him just yet," she said.

She added that there is no firm date on when Fetterman will be released from the hospital, but she's confident that he'll be able to continue to campaign moving forward.

"The more I learn about the procedure he's had, over a million Americans have this done every year. They lead great lives. I'm confident that he'll be able to perform his job and do a great job. Continue to do so," she said.

When asked whether Fetterman will be transparent with voters regarding his health, Gisele said, "Absolutely."

"My kids knew right before the rest of the world did. And we have been open and transparent through the whole thing. We'll continue to be. The exciting news to share is that surgery was perfect. And he's well on the road to full recovery," she said.

Gisele also had a message for voters on why they should vote for Fetterman.

"He's someone who listens. He wants to understand your issues. Whether you voted for him now or not. He wants to be a senator for all of Pennsylvania. So, he really cares about people. And he wants to understand what your needs are and priorities are. And the label of progressive or not — the things he's running now are the same things he ran back then when they called him progressive. Now it's where the party has shifted. I think he's someone who's alway been able to shift the needle on issues. And I think he'll continue to do that. He is passionate about the work he does, he works on tough issues. And he slowly moves the needle to get others on board on this work," she said.

Watch interview here:

10:45 p.m. ET, May 17, 2022

There's no music at the Oz election night party — only Fox News primetime coverage

From CNN's Jeff Zeleny

Fox News host Tucker Carlson is displayed behind the podium at an election night party for Mehmet Oz on Tuesday.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson is displayed behind the podium at an election night party for Mehmet Oz on Tuesday. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

The Mehmet Oz campaign is optimistic about one thing above all tonight: Election Day voting. 

Oz — the TV doctor vying for the Republican nomination in the Pennsylvania Senate race — is facing off against conservative activist Kathy Barnette and businessman David McCormick.

While McCormick has held onto an early lead since the polls closed, advisers to Oz say they are closing the gap with voters who cast their ballots today – rather than by early voting. 

While the Philadelphia suburbs and the eastern part of the state are key to Oz’s strategy, he must hold his own – and win some — rural counties between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

What it's like at the Oz party tonight: Supporters of Oz are settling in for a long night at the Newtown Athletic Club, where the campaign is holding its election night party. Oz is watching returns with his family, aides said, as about three dozen friends and allies are milling around a small ballroom. There are no speakers and no music — only Fox News’ primetime programming amplified throughout the room. 

A lone podium with a red “Oz” sign is on stage at the front of the room. The candidate isn’t expected to appear until an outcome is known.

9:59 p.m. ET, May 17, 2022

CNN projection: Doug Mastriano wins Pennsylvania GOP governor primary

Doug Mastriano speaks at an election night party in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
Doug Mastriano speaks at an election night party in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Doug Mastriano will win the Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial primary, according to a projection from the CNN Decision Desk.

11:07 p.m. ET, May 17, 2022

A different Mike Doyle wins the GOP primary in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, CNN projects

From CNN's Rachel Janfaza

(Rebecca Droke/AP)
(Rebecca Droke/AP)

Though Democratic Rep. Mike Doyle, the current representative for Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, is retiring at the end of this year, there will be a different Mike Doyle on the ballot to represent the district in November. 

Republican Plum Borough Council President Mike Doyle, who shares a name with the sitting congressman, won the GOP primary in Pennsylvania’s 12th District Tuesday, CNN projects, setting up a name-recognition dilemma in the district next November.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Republican Mike Doyle had previously considered running, but decided against it.

“Representing the region is a very serious job; it felt too much like a gimmick to run against the current congressman — also named Mike Doyle — in a head-to-head race,” said Doyle, the Post-Gazette reports.

National attention has focused on the 12th District’s Democratic primary, which has devolved into an expensive, ideological showdown between the party's establishment and progressive wings. Attorney Steve Irwin, the fundraising leader, has Doyle's endorsement, while Progressive state Rep. Summer Lee has the backing of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as the climate activist group Sunrise Movement

9:51 p.m. ET, May 17, 2022

Budd won't answer question about his refusal to acknowledge President Biden's victory in 2020

From CNN's Eva McKend

Rep. Ted Budd speaks at his election night watch party in Bermuda Run, North Carolina, on Tuesday night.
Rep. Ted Budd speaks at his election night watch party in Bermuda Run, North Carolina, on Tuesday night. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

Speaking to reporters following his decisive victory in North Carolina’s Senate Republican primary, Congressman Ted Budd batted away a question about his refusal to acknowledge President Biden won the 2020 election. CNN asked if this denial of Biden‘s victory would be a liability for him in the general election when he has to appeal to more voters, to which Budd responded, ”You tend to focus on that. I’ve answered that many times.” 

Budd was among the more than 100 House Republicans who voted not to certify some of the 2020 presidential election results. 

Budd added he won’t employ a different strategy than he did in the primary contest and will run the same campaign focused on combating inflation and stopping illegal immigration because the “America First” agenda is popular. 

When asked by a reporter how much he credits former President Trump for his victory tonight, he thanked the former president.

 

9:45 p.m. ET, May 17, 2022

McCormick says he feels good — but knows it's still early

From CNN's Kristen Holmes

David McCormick and his wife Dina leave a polling location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 17.
David McCormick and his wife Dina leave a polling location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 17. (Quinn Glabicki/Reuters)

David McCormick, who just arrived at his election night watch party, tells CNN he feels good about the results but knows it's still early.

An adviser to McCormick describes the campaign as feeling "cautiously optimistic" with the early results but expects it to be a long night. This adviser said they are leaning into the idea that people want someone like McCormick who is “battle tested and controlled.”

McCormick is vying for the GOP Senate nomination in Pennsylvania against TV doctor Mehmet Oz (who Trump endorsed) and conservative activist Kathy Barnette. Strategists admit any one of three candidates could win.

CNN has not yet projected a winner on the GOP side, but in the Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will win the nomination, CNN projects.

9:37 p.m. ET, May 17, 2022

With eye toward the general election, Budd blasts "Biden-Beasley" agenda

From CNN's Eva McKend

Rep. Ted Budd speaks at his election night watch party in Bermuda Run, North Carolina, on Tuesday night.
Rep. Ted Budd speaks at his election night watch party in Bermuda Run, North Carolina, on Tuesday night. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

With an eye towards taking back the US Senate, Rep. Ted Budd, the victor in tonight’s Senate Republican primary in North Carolina, told supporters, “We need to pull together and look to the race in November.”

He said the Republican candidates took a unity pledge to support the eventual nominee. 

Budd wasted no time blasting the Democratic nominee. “Cheri Beasley is the most radical liberal candidate to ever run for Senate in North Carolina,” he said, going on to slam the “Biden-Beasley lawless open border agenda.” 

In her victory speech, Beasley also criticized Budd.

“My opponent in this election has made it clear that he will not put North Carolina first. He will not fight for what we need and want, and will always put his own ambitions and the corporate special interests funding his campaign over the people of this state,” she said. 

9:28 p.m. ET, May 17, 2022

Barnette's "electability" argument facing big test

From CNN's Athena Jones

As results roll in, it is unclear at this point whether voters buy Kathy Barnette's argument that she is electable or whether attack ads in recent days have wounded her campaign irreparably.

She is still at her election night headquarters greeting supporters and posing for pictures, though her campaign manager tells me she is expected to head elsewhere to watch the returns in private.

Barnette has in recent days addressed concerns she is too extreme to win a general election.

In her last official event before Election Day, Barnette took on the electability argument, saying she lost her congressional race by 19 points in her D+9 district, while Trump lost by more than 26 points in the same area and that she outperformed any other Republican running in that area, saying she was able to attract more voters than Trump: “So when you want to talk about electability, I think that’s a really good sign that I’m able to get people that Donald Trump was not able to get.”

Barnette also said she ran a better campaign than her rivals and "they're mad."