Dear John,

Voters in five states—Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, and Pennsylvania—headed to the polls earlier this week, and as with other primaries held so far this year, the results were a mixed bag.

As of this writing, 9 radical candidates won their elections and will move on to the general in November. These include Sandy Smith (NC-01), Bo Hines (NC-13), and Jim Bognet (PA-08). And 12 radical candidates lost, including Ammon Bundy and Janice McGeachin (Gov-ID), Greg Frank (KY-04), Daniel Tooze (OR-40), and Kathy Barnette (U.S. Senate-PA). In two additional races, the ballot-counting continues.

Here are two key results:

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (Congressman, U.S. House, NC-11): Perhaps the biggest news of the night was the defeat of the troubled Cawthorn. He has had a series of personal scandals lately, but the main concern is that he believes the 2020 election was “rigged,” and as a result, he has predicted “bloodshed” in the U.S. If his reaction to his loss is any indication, he’s hoping for that prediction to come true.

Rather than gracefully accepting defeat, Cawthorn, in a bitter social media post, claimed that the GOP establishment “turned their guns” on him. “It’s time for Dark MAGA to truly take command,” he wrote, referring to a far-right movement that wants Donald Trump to return to office and take revenge on his enemies. He then said “the cowardly and weak members of our own party” must be "defeated.” He concluded that the unnamed individuals' "days are numbered," and that "we are coming."

Doug Mastriano (Candidate, Governor, PA): Mastriano won the Republican primary for governor of the Keystone State. A retired Army colonel and Pennsylvania state legislator, he is known for his far-right beliefs, and has campaigned at events promoting QAnon and 9/11 conspiracies. Endorsed by Donald Trump, he is the ultimate proponent of the “Big Lie” that Joe Biden stole the 2020 presidential election from Trump. Had he been governor of the critical swing state two years ago, the certified results of the election may well have been overturned.

As a state lawmaker, Mastriano tweeted shortly after the 2020 election, “There is mounting evidence that the PA presidential election was compromised. If this is the case…the state legislature has the sole authority to direct the manner of selecting delegates to the Electoral College. Therefore, we are introducing a Resolution to exercise our obligation and authority to appoint delegates to the Electoral College.” He then was present at the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to see the alternate electors plan through.

Looking ahead to next Tuesday, at least 23 radicals will be on the ballot in primary races in Alabama, Arkansas, and Georgia. To learn more about them and radicals running in all 50 states, please visit the Renew America Foundation’s Extremist Tracker.

It is the mission of the Renew America Movement to build a national cross-partisan coalition that stands up for the principles that make our nation strong. We shine a light on radicalism and counter it with a unifying and constructive message. Please click here to support our work.

Renew America Movement