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The Lead with Jake Tapper
Now, First Polls Closing In Kentucky As Trump Looks To Oust Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY); Soon, Polls Close In Primary Races Across Six States; Trump Endorses Paxton Over Cornyn In Texas GOP Runoff; 500K Maryland Voters Getting New Ballots, Trump Wants Investigation. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired May 19, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Ah, that sweet election music. Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper, live in Washington, D.C., and we're just down the street from the U.S. Capitol, and key races tonight will help decide which party has the power there for the second half of President Trump's second term.
Voters casting their ballots today in six states, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Oregon, four states and two commonwealths, really. With the first polls closing in just moments in one of tonight's key races, and that, of course, is Kentucky, where President Trump is seeking to nail a Thomas Massie-sized pelt on his wall tonight in one of the most expensive primaries ever.
Congressman Massie has repeatedly drawn the president's ire, pushing for the full release of the Epstein files, voting against key budget items, criticizing the Iran war, the alliance with Israel, and much more.
Another marquee race we're watching tonight down in Georgia, where President Trump has not endorsed a candidate as Republicans decide who they want to challenge incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. That race widely considered to be one of the GOP's top opportunities to pick up a seat in the U.S. Senate.
And in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Republicans will pick their challenger to Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, who is frequently mentioned in conversations about the presidential race of 2028. Pennsylvania also home to a number of key House races, including a primary in Philly between a Democratic socialist and a more traditional Democrat.
We're going to be following all the races across the country as the votes start to come in tonight after you beautiful people get to actually cast your ballots.
CNN's John King is standing by at the Magic Wall. John, the first polls just now closing in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. What are you keeping a close eye on tonight?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Turnout in the suburbs and whether Thomas Massie can compete with Donald Trump in the rural parts of the district.
Let's pull it up for you, Jake, and you pull it out right here. This is Kentucky. It's gray because we have no votes yet. It's possible votes will come in right here during the conversation, as the polls close. This is the fourth Congressional district up here. Ed Gallrein is the Trump-endorsed candidate, former Navy SEAL, running against the libertarian Republican, Thomas Massie. Jake just laid out why. Trump's mad at him because of some of his votes, the Epstein file, and otherwise.
If you look at the district, you see Louisville here. That's not in the district. But there are suburbs right here, and this is Cincinnati, Ohio, just over the border. Covington is where the airport is, Cincinnati Airport. If you've ever flown into Cincinnati, you're actually landing in Kentucky.
These are the more populous areas of the districts. The Cincinnati suburbs right up here, the Louisville suburbs northeast of Louisville right here. Massie actually lives out here in Lewis County. It's a much more rural area. Trump got 83 percent of the vote in 2024. Donald Trump runs very strong in this district, especially out here in the rural areas.
So, number one, Jake where's the turnout come from? Number two, are the more upscale suburban Republicans here and here who vote for Trump in the general election, make no mistake about that, but might not like him and might actually respect their congressman for standing up or not.
That's the big test here. We know what happened in Louisiana over the weekend. Senator Cassidy lost his job. We know what happened in Indiana a few weeks ago. At least five of the seven state legislators Trump targeted lost their jobs in Republican primaries. So, here it is tonight, the most expensive House primary in history, and we're waiting to see if Thomas Massie can be actually a survivor of this Trump, let's just call it what it is, a retribution tour.
TAPPER: All right. John King, we're going to keep checking in with you as the actual votes come in.
Let's go now to CNN's Jeff Zeleny, who is in Kentucky at the watch party for the incumbent Republican Congressman in Kentucky's 4th C.D., Thomas Massie. Jeff, what's the mood tonight?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, the mood, in one respect, is a relief that this campaign is over. John was just talking there about the most expensive House primary ever. That has played out here on the ground in a fairly dramatic way, $32 million in television advertising alone, mailers, and other things, talking to several voters who are frankly sick of this.
So, there are some interesting potential fallouts that might happen from that. I talked to some voters who have been on the fence here, and they believe that Thomas Massie has been unfairly under attack by the president. Some other voters were basically informed by some of these television ads, and they are voting against Thomas Massie. So, we will see how this plays out.
But, Jake, when I was talking with the congressman last evening at his final campaign rally in the county John was just talking about, Lewis County, yes, it's Trump country, there's no doubt about it, but we talked to so many voters who like Donald Trump and are going to vote for Thomas Massie. So, we will see.
But he said that he does not believe that he belongs on this retribution list. He did not vote for the impeachment, like Senator Bill Cassidy did. He said he votes for President Trump 90 percent of the time. But President Trump is focused on the sliver of votes that he does not vote with him on.
The White House was intently focused on this all day long. We heard the president talking about this repeatedly. Of course, the Epstein files, leading the charge to release the Epstein files really was the final point that got the president so engaged in this race.
[18:05:01]
But the reality is the White House has been focusing on Thomas Massie for more than a year, long before there was another candidate in this race. So, yes, it feels like it's Thomas Massie versus Donald Trump, but the other candidate on the ballot is largely unknown here. He's a farmer and a former Navy SEAL, so voters are just learning about the challenger as well.
So, Jake, the bottom line here is this race does not impact the control of Congress as we're watching so closely tonight, because a Republican is almost certain to win here in November. But what it does show is the loyalty in this party. Is there space, is there room for someone like Thomas Massie to disagree with the president? If the answer's no, it certainly sends a strong message to other Republicans across the country. Jake?
TAPPER: All right. Jeff Zeleny in Kentucky, thanks so much.
And the very first votes are coming in, and the race is too early to call as of now. Let's talk about this and more with Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report. Amy, so good to see you. Thanks for being here.
So, Massie's race, yet another primary where the theme in so many ways is Trump's quest for vengeance, Massie voting against the president when it comes to the big, beautiful bill, budget resolutions against Speaker Johnson, leading the charge on the Epstein files on the Republican side. What do you think is going to happen?
AMY WALTER, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT: Well, if we follow historically what's happened is about 70, 80 percent of those who Trump decides to target end up losing. There are just a handful of Republicans who have won. In fact, Lisa Murkowski is one of the rare incumbent Republicans who voted for impeachment, has not been endorsed by Donald Trump, and was actually running against someone who was endorsed by Donald Trump, and survived all of that. But because of the political system in Alaska, that is an all-party primary, so she could get Democrats and independents to vote for her. Thomas Massie can't. Cassidy, Senator Cassidy, could not either.
But to me, the bigger question here is not just what it means for Massie, but what it means for other Republicans who are in competitive districts this fall. And the biggest challenge when you are running as the incumbent party and your president is and the president's unpopular, is you've got to try to find ways to distance yourself from the president. You don't necessarily have to say, I voted against these things the president like, but you want to show some independence.
TAPPER: Right, and he is super unpopular right now among the electorate in general.
WALTER: Among the electorate in general. And it makes it very hard for an individual Republican now to say, oh, don't worry. I will be a check on Donald Trump. I know you're mad at him. I can be that same check. Because voters are going to be like, well, no, all the people who were the checks on Donald Trump from your party, he went after and he is silencing them.
TAPPER: Right.
WALTER: So, it makes it more challenging.
TAPPER: This was -- just turning to this specific race in Kentucky's fourth, this was the most expensive primary race in the history of the country. Massie reported more than $5 million in spending last quarter, Gallrein about $2.6 million, but that's not why everybody's talking about the cost. They're talking about the $33 million spent in the race overall when you look at outside groups that got involved, according to the firm Ad Impact, a lot of those groups, groups that support Israel, groups that support Trump, trying to oust Massie. Why such historical inter -- I mean, he's just a congressman from Kentucky in a --
WALTER: Right, there's one right? He's one vote.
TAPPER: Yes.
WALTER: Now, obviously, with the House so closely divided, one vote matters a lot, but I think --
TAPPER: But it's going to be a Republican seat no matter what.
WALTER: That's exactly right. But when you now get into a Congress that is basically mostly safe Republican and mostly safe Democratic seat --
TAPPER: Because of gerrymandering.
WALTER: -- who wins because of all of that, and our partisan sorting and all of this, who gets into a dark red or dark blue district matters more than ever. That's why you're seeing crypto groups and A.I. groups, APAC, others coming in primaries rather than spending all their money or waiting to spend their money until the fall because they know, at the end of the day, this seat is going to stay Republican. It doesn't really change the balance of power. But if we get someone in that seat who's going to be more willing to support us on A.I. or Israel, well, then that's a win.
TAPPER: Also in Kentucky, the former state attorney general, Daniel Cameron, who ran for governor against Andy Beshear lost, he's running against Congressman Andy Barr to replace Senator Mitch McConnell as a Kentucky senator. Barr has been heavily touting the fact that he has the endorsement. Cameron is branding himself as an outsider. Do you think that Trump's coattails will be important there, too?
WALTER: Yes, that is really important. And, remember, Cameron is somebody who was once part of the Mitch McConnell universe.
TAPPER: Oh, yes.
WALTER: And was seen as somebody who was going to be the heir apparent, which, in another time, being seen as the heir apparent to Mitch McConnell might have been a really good thing in a Republican primary.
[18:10:06]
TAPPER: Yes, but then Trump started calling him Old Crow. I mean, that --
WALTER: Yes, and now being seen as the heir apparent is about as problematic as you can get.
So, I think Barr is certainly the favorite here, and the question now is, once he comes into the Senate, because this is a likely pickup at, or a hold for Republicans, Democrats don't have much of a shot at flipping the seat, how does he behave as a United States senator endorsed by Donald Trump?
What Donald Trump would assume is that because Barr has gotten his endorsement, he will perform the way that Donald Trump would.
TAPPER: I first met you in Philly back in 1992, and there are two races in Philly or the Philly suburbs that I'm watching, so I'm sure you are. One of them is in the race among Democrats to take on Congressman Fitzpatrick, who is one of the few Republicans who represents a district that Kamala Harris won, probably the most vulnerable Republican running for re-election in the House, I think at least one of them. And the other one is the seat, an open seat in Philly itself, where the race is between a Democratic Socialist of America candidate and a more traditional --
WALTER: That's right.
TAPPER: -- and a more traditional -- I think he's the mayor's son, right, the former mayor's son, Sharif Street.
WALTER: Yes.
TAPPER: What are you looking for in those races?
WALTER: Look, this is also, fun fact, the most Democratic district in America, this Philadelphia district.
TAPPER: The Philly district?
WALTER: Yes.
TAPPER: Holy smokes.
WALTER: So, this is not going to change the makeup of --
TAPPER: But it's a big difference because it's a traditional Democrat versus like an AOC-Rashida Tlaib Democrat.
WALTER: That's right.
TAPPER: Yes.
WALTER: And so as we think about the coalitions that form in 2027, this is one of those that tend to become really important, right, which, is this going to be somebody who's going to be going along with leadership on the Democratic side, or somebody who's going to be more likely to be part of the squad or maybe derail some of the leadership's ideas? Unclear there.
The other one I'm watching is the one in Bucks County. Now, that is a very competitive district. This is one of those seats Democrats absolutely need to flip if they're going to win control of the House. Crowded primary, the leading Democrat has endorsements all across the board, Bernie Sanders to Governor Josh Shapiro.
TAPPER: Oh, wow. That's a wide swath.
WALTER: But Republicans are -- it's a very wide swath. Republicans coming in with ads trying to derail him and lift up another Democrat.
If they're successful, which I don't think they will be, if those Republican attempts are successful, that would be a very big blow to Democrats for the fall campaign.
TAPPER: All right, fascinating stuff. Amy Walter, the best in the biz, thanks so much.
Much more of our election night coverage in moments, including what the White House is looking for tonight as President Trump tries to get revenge on yet another Republican who has gone against him. We're going to check in with CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the White House next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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TAPPER: Continuing with our Politics Lead as we wait for the very first results from Kentucky in that battle between Republican incumbent Thomas Massie and the Trump-backed challenger, Ed Gallrein.
CNN Anchor and Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins joins us now from the White House North Lawn. Kaitlan, Trump-endorsed candidates have had several victories in recent races. How's the White House seeing tonight?
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And especially after what happened with Bill Cassidy in Louisiana over the weekend, Jake, the president is feeling quite emboldened about his power here and his endorsement authority in these races. And so, obviously, they'll be watching that closely tonight.
And they're going into it feeling a lot of momentum and obviously waiting to see what plays out with Thomas Massie. I mean, you got an indication of just how much they care about this race when the defense secretary made a rare appearance on the campaign trail In Kentucky this week to campaign on his opponent's behalf in this race.
And, Jake, you know, I've covered the president for a long time. There are very few races that he has been so personally invested in as making sure that Thomas Massie cannot return to Washington. I mean, the president has talked about it nonstop. He has posted on Truth Social about it nonstop. He has gone after Thomas Massie repeatedly for his personal life, for his professional choices on Capitol Hill, and his votes. And it has been something that the president has become sort of, or I guess definitely fixated on in public in terms of making sure that he does not win this race.
So, obviously, there's a lot playing out tonight, but this is the number one race that the White House will be keeping their eyes on.
TAPPER: And, Kaitlan, you actually pressed Vice President Vance today about the creation of what they're calling the anti-weaponization fund, $1.8 billion that anybody who's been, you know, quote/unquote, faced weaponized justice can apply for.
COLLINS: Yes. Jake, I spoke with J.D. Vance two years ago before he was actually the vice president, before he had actually even been picked to be on the ticket with Donald Trump, and we talked about January 6th rioters and the defendants, and especially those who assaulted officers on that day.
And so, you know, today we heard the president not decline rule out the possibility that those who did assault police officers on January 6th could benefit from this taxpayer-funded creation from the Justice Department. It is also something that the acting attorney general did not rule out today on Capitol Hill.
And so I asked the vice president today when he appeared in the briefing room if he wanted to rule it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: You previously told me that anyone who assaulted a police officer on January 6th should go to prison. So, why not rule out giving them taxpayer-funded money?
J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Well, Kaitlan, what I said is we're going to look at everything case-by-case. COLLINS: But why not rule it out?
VANCE: Because, Kaitlan, there are people who I don't know their individual circumstances, and I don't rule things out categorically when I know nothing about a person's individual circumstances.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[18:20:00]
COLLINS: Jake, two things I'll note on that front is that we heard this answer a lot from Trump allies when the question of blanket pardons was coming up for those January 6th rioters. A lot of them said it would likely be on a case-by-case basis. As we saw it play out, the president pardoned virtually everyone who was convicted around January 6th on that day, with very few exceptions.
And also, Jake, you know, when it comes to those who assaulted officers, you know as well as I do, as you've spoken to several of the officers who were there that day, a lot of it is on video of the people who did assault them and beat them up on that -- beat them up that day, and that is what helped secure their ultimate convictions in this case.
TAPPER: All right. Kaitlan Collins, thanks so much. Kaitlan's going to have more coverage of tonight's elections on her show, The Source with Kaitlan Collins. Her guests tonight include former Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. That's tonight at 9:00 Eastern only on CNN.
Out of all the races in Pennsylvania, there are a few Congressional competitions we're paying special attention to. We're going to go live to Bucks County outside Philly next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
TAPPER: It is election night in America. Let's zero in on that one particular race in Philadelphia to replace retiring Democratic Congressman Dwight Evans. Four Democrats are in this primary fight to represent Pennsylvania's Third Congressional district, where I grew up.
CNN's Danny Freeman is live in Warminster Township. That's outside Philly, in Bucks County. And, Danny, this race could offer a hint about which way Democrats might go in November.
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that's absolutely right, Jake. Listen, it's pretty interesting because this race, PA-3, really hasn't gotten a lot of national attention until recently, primarily because it's going to be a safe blue seat. But make no mistake, in Philadelphia, it has been a massive story, a massive race, and some are saying that in the bluest Congressional district in the country, this can, as you noted, give people a direction as to where the Democratic Party may be going. So, let's run down the three major candidates in this race. First up, you have State Senator Sharif Street. He is the son of a former Philly mayor. He also led the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, and he's had some incredibly large endorsements, specifically within the city of Philadelphia. The current mayor, Cherelle Parker, was out there stumping with him over the past several weeks. He's gotten a lot of other leaders within the city as well, and interestingly enough, he's ended up being seen as kind of the establishment pick in this particular race.
Then you have State Representative Chris Rabb. He's been seen more as the progressive firebrand in this race. You can tell because Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came down to Philadelphia to rally for him. Hasan Piker came down to campaign with Chris Rabb as well.
Interestingly enough, the Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board also endorsed State Rep Rabb, basically arguing that for this specific district, he would be the best candidate to take a fight to President Donald Trump, in essence.
And then you have Dr. Ayla Stanford, Jake, and she's kind of the outsider in this race in a sense, but she is incredibly well-known in the Philadelphia region. She's a pediatric surgeon, and she became well-known because during the COVID-19 pandemic, she really led a massive initiative to get healthcare and vaccines for a lot of black residents in Philadelphia. And Jake, perhaps most crucially for her, she got the endorsement of that retiring congressman, Dwight Evans, almost right away.
So, it's a very interesting race playing out in Philadelphia. As I said, it's going to be a safe blue seat, but whichever one of those candidates wins tonight really could shape where this crucially blue district ends up going in the future.
The last thing I'll note, Jake, you said I'm in Bucks County. I'm here at a Shapiro event. His name's on the ballot tonight, though he is running uncontested. But I'm going to be looking for this evening at this event which candidates that Governor Shapiro, through his energy, through his endorsements behind, really do well tonight because that could be a sign of what may be to come in November in the commonwealth. Jake?
TAPPER: That's right, and more widely in the commonwealth. There are all sorts of battleground districts that we'll be watching come November.
FREEMAN: Exactly.
TAPPER: Danny Freeman, thanks so much.
The first votes are coming in from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and we're going to get an update from John King at his very Magic Wall next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:30:00]
TAPPER: And we're back with more on our Politics Lead. The very first primary election results are starting to filter in from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Let's bring back John King at the Magic Wall. John, what are you seeing?
KING: Early results, Jake. This is the Commonwealth of Kentucky right here. You see the other states in gray. They're having primaries tonight. These are House Republican primaries we're looking at right now because we're focused on this race right here. You see there's several across the state of Kentucky, but this is the one that is in play tonight. This is because the incumbent, Republican Libertarian Thomas Massie, arch nemesis of Donald J. Trump, at least in Donald J. Trump's view, is currently losing his primary. You see it's about a ten-point race right now. Now, we only have about 4 percent of the vote in, so we have a long way to go.
Ed Gallrein, former Navy SEAL, endorsed by President Trump, Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, made an unusual trip to campaign for him just in the final days of the campaign. This is the district up here. Follow the lines here. These are other districts down below. But this district here, from the Louisville suburbs, the Cincinnati suburbs, out here to this rural swath out here we're waiting for a lot more results. You see all the grays, so we're waiting.
But let's just show where we are getting results. These are key counties up here. Now, about 16 percent of the vote in, I say these are key counties because the biggest population centers in this sprawling district are the -- you see Cincinnati, Ohio, here. This is where the airport is, Covington, if you fly into Cincinnati. So this is Kenton County. These counties here and right in the Louisville area, those are the most populous counties. So, if Tom Massie's going to hold onto his seat, he needs to run it up here, and in this county at the moment he's behind by ten points there.
So, if you look at these very early results, the challenger is doing well. But I just want to caution it's only 16 percent there, and we're coming in with the rest of the district.
As I noted, you go down here to Louisville, this is where you get more of a population center. Down here in Oldham County, we still have nothing in. So, you look first, obviously, we're doing math here, where do the most people live? Where are you going to get the biggest math? And then you stretch it out to these rural areas, including down here.
You're looking down here. These are counties where President Trump routinely gets 70, sometimes 80 percent plus of the vote. And you see at the moment in these rural counties. Remember, Trump has made this a mega loyalty test, and his challenger at the moment, again, it's only 1 percent, so let's wait and watch it play out, but getting 67 percent there if you round it up, come over here to the other end of the district, 60 percent here if you look at it. So, at the moment, the challenger looks strong, but I just want to caution we're at 4 percent of the vote, and I want to say we're going to watch up here, these are where most of the people live, and right here.
And then a key test will be if you come out here, this here is Lewis County. This is where Thomas Massie calls home. He was a local judge here in the county before he came to Congress in 2012. So, this is his home county. It's a Republican county by 74 points. It's a Republican county, Jake, where Donald Trump got 87 percent in 2024. It's Thomas Massie's home.
So, most of this, in terms of the math, the people will play out in the suburbs, but this is Tom Massie's home. Let's see if he can hold it when the president of the United States is the guy saying vote for the opponent.
TAPPER: All right. John King, thanks so much.
President Trump continued his attacks on Massie at the White House earlier today.
[18:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Thomas Massie's a terrible congressman. He's been a terrible congressman from day one. Dealing with him is just horrible. I don't think he's a Republican. I think he's actually a Democrat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: In the final hours of campaigning, Massie says he is unfazed by the attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. THOMAS MASSIE (R-KY): They're panicked because the president's done 11 posts about this race in the last 72 hours, and they sent the secretary of war. Their polling shows the same thing as mine. We're probably going to pull this off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: My panel's here. David Urban, do you think Massie's going to pull it off?
DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't know. I mean, he sounds pretty confident, doesn't sound like he's a dead man walking there. And I think that, look, as John said, it depends on what happens in a lot of these counties.
Thomas Massie goes home every weekend. He, you know, flies flags for the Boy Scouts, gets grandmas their Social Security checks, good on constituent services. That goes a long, long way. As you know, most people don't care about what your foreign policy is when you're a congressman. They care about what you're doing for them, and Thomas Massie has delivered for his constituents time and time again.
Now he's run races where he's been up against, you know, in a primary before, but never to this extent. And Donald Trump is basically like, you know, 100 percent in Republican primaries. If he's coming for you, like it's like, you know, that scene in Monty Python, you know, not, I'm not dead yet. And they're like -- he's like, oh, you're dead. You're going in the cart, buddy. Massie may be saying, I'm not dead yet, but the cart is there and Trump is pretty formidable in these primaries.
TAPPER: He's got -- he went after Cassidy. Cassidy lost. He went after those Indiana state senators. Five out of seven of them lost. I mean, Trump has a pretty good record when it comes to taking on his rivals or whatever you want to call them.
JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: As they say in cards, he has the whip hand, right? Like so he can go in, I think for Democrats, even if Massie were to survive tonight, it doesn't really tell you that much about the Republican Party. It probably tells you more about Thomas Massie's political skills at home, as David was sort of referencing, than it does about Donald Trump's grip on the Republican Party.
MAGA controls the Republican Party, and Donald Trump controls MAGA. That is where we are. The question is, though, what happens in a general election, and whether or not that kind of influence really matters in a general election.
And I'm also curious to see in Kentucky what this might mean -- you know, Beshear, the governor, wants to run for president. Maybe this says the Republican -- there are some Republicans in Kentucky that don't quite fit the general mode of the rest of the country, and maybe Beshear has a way to communicate with those people if he runs for president that we should all be paying attention to.
TAPPER: Not to mention Rand Paul, who's also something of an iconoclast in his party.
So, let's turn to Georgia for a second. In the state's Republican Senate primary, you're looking at how some of the candidates, let's put it up if we can, see Ossoff as an opponent, essentially saying, this is not going to be an easy fight.
David, Trump stayed on the sidelines and did not endorse in the race among Republicans to take on Jon Ossoff. Will he regret that decision, do you think?
URBAN: Yes. Listen, Jon Ossoff's a tough candidate, right? It's not an easy -- you know, Georgia's not an easy state.
TAPPER: Cook Political Report has it, I think, leans Democratic, which is something for Georgia.
URBAN: Yes, it's not an easy state. Now, listen, duly, you know, maybe you get -- you know, the best candidate, right, didn't run. You know, Governor Kemp is the guy who would have, could have been over, right?
SIMMONS: Well, maybe. You know, I was Max Cleland's communications down -- director down there 20 years ago, so I've spent some time down in the state. And I talked to people on the phone down there today. One of the things they pointed out is that Kemp's candidates are all losing in the state, the ones that he endorsed. So, Kemp may not also be able to have -- do the same kind of damage there as he used to before because Trump doesn't really like him.
The same time, the Democrats were hoping to get about 100,000 vote, early vote lead. They got 150,000, is what they're telling me. So, they think that they've got a surge that's coming out of the Democratic primary, they may actually get two state Supreme Court seats today that get decided. They're nonpartisan seats. The Democrats might win that.
That's a huge deal for Democrats in the state, who really haven't been winning statewide since 2006.
URBAN: Georgia's definitely a purple state at best, right? I mean, it's not --
TAPPER: It's become that just in the last few years. I mean, it's pretty amazing.
Turning back to another purple state, Pennsylvania, and there's this House race in the Third Congressional District. It's pitted four Democrats each against each other. And you can see Sharif Street on the right there, that's the son of the former mayor. Ala Stanford, she's a pediatrician. Chris Rabb, he's the one -- Chris Rabb, rather, he's the one endorsed by the Democratic socialist AOC and the like. He's the more -- he's the leftist of them all, to use an adjective. And I wonder, where do you see the Democratic Party going, Jamal?
SIMMONS: Well, I think the Democrats will be paying a lot of attention to this. You know, I live in New Jersey these days, and Analia Mejia, she was able to win that seat. Nobody saw her coming. You saw Mamdani in New York. He was able to win that mayor's race.
[18:40:01]
There's something happening on the left side of the Democratic Party that the people in the center of the Democratic Party should be paying attention to. I think these candidates have a lot of sway. And the question is going to be will we have, will the Democrats have a mainstream Democrat, a progressive who can win in a broader part of the electorate going into 2028, or will they have a candidate that really fits the mold of AOC?
TAPPER: All right. David and Jamal, stay with me.
President Trump has finally endorsed in the Texas Senate Republican primary, but the reaction from Republican on Capitol Hill, well, quote, a lot of disappointment. We'll explain why next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: We're sticking with our Politics Lead. Finally, just one week before voters cast their ballot, the president made his long-awaited pick in the Texas Republican Senate primary runoff between controversial Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Senator John Cornyn. Trump announcing on Truth Social earlier today, Ken is a true MAGA warrior who has always delivered for Texas and will continue to do so in the United States Senate.
Vice President Vance was asked earlier today why Trump passed over the establishment incumbent senator, John Cornyn, at today's press conference.
[18:45:03]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: I've known John Cornyn for a long time, but unfortunately, you know, when it really counted, Ken Paxton was there for the country, was there for the president, and that's why he ultimately earned the president's endorsement. He thinks he's going to be a better senator, thinks he's going to make a better candidate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: What is he talking about, David? Is he talking about the fact that Ken Paxton filed that crazy lawsuit trying to disenfranchise Pennsylvanians like our ancestors?
URBAN: Yeah. Look, I'm not quite sure. There's obviously some consternation on Capitol Hill.
TAPPER: Oh, yeah. Let me -- let me read some quotes while you're -- while you -- while you mention it. Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, it's the president's call. But she's disappointed.
Senator Lisa Murkowski asked, how is this going to help us?
Will Trump come to regret this? Do you think -- do you think this makes the seat more competitive?
URBAN: Yeah, it will make it more competitive. You know, Texas is going to -- is as we know from Beto this is like the Lucy and the football Thanksgiving right. I mean Beto O'Rourke is not going to win. You know, Talarico is not going to win. They'll make it competitive.
TAPPER: You don't think he's going to --
URBAN: No, no, I think I think Republicans are going to have to spend more money. This is why I think people on the establishment are disappointed, because it's going to be a 250 million buck race versus a $100 million race, or $300 million race, versus the Republicans going to have to spend a lot more money there than they would be able to spend in Maine for Susan Collins, and Alaska, for Dan. TAPPER: Charles -- Charlie Brown, he's running up to that football
right now.
URBAN: Hold on. I'm going to move it.
TAPPER: You think Talarico can win?
SIMMONS: I think it's very possible. He is a -- he's against the cultural norms the Democratic Party. And so, people who might not necessarily vote for normal Democrats might vote for somebody who talks about his policies based on his faith. I've thought for a long time, white Democrats need to learn how to talk to white people on Monday, the way they talk to black people on Sunday, which is rooted in values, which is talking about what they really mean, what's in their hearts.
And that's the kind of campaign and campaigner, Talarico is. It might work in a year where you have a surge, and I think if you can cut them out if you want to. But those of us who've seen some of these big midterm switches. But people get picked up in a surge.
TAPPER: But, David, this is what Republicans have been watching because the Talarico won. And it was honestly against Jasmine Crockett. It wasn't that nasty a race. It really wasn't for a race like that as competitive. But this is what Republicans in Texas, well, all Texans have been seeing on their television screens about Cornyn and about Paxton.
URBAN: Oh, I mean, it's just, oh, I know they've been watching.
TAPPER: I love negative ads.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AD NARRATOR: Look at these unrepentant eyes. Two predators charged with sex crimes against children. They face life in prison. But Ken Paxton cut deals for them both. No prison time, no sex offender registry. Look at these unrepentant eyes,
AD NARRATOR: 1984, big hair, purple rain, the Macintosh and a Reagan landslide. And oh, that's when John Cornyn was first elected to office. And he's been attacking our values ever since.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: I mean --
URBAN: I fondly remember 1984, so --
SIMMONS: I mean, that turns -- that turns the worm a little bit like to see Republicans.
URBAN: Yeah, but people listen --
SIMMONS: It's about these sort of Willie Horton style. URBAN: I think there's much too about nothing. It's Texas. You know,
it is a state that is red with a little bit of a blueberry in the middle there with Austin.
TAPPER: I don't disagree that you got -- that it's a Republican state, but you know who's been some of the most brutal, brutal critics of Ken Paxton is the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
URBAN: Because they because they're going to have to spend another 150, 200 million.
TAPPER: But here's one, which was they put after Ken Paxton's then wife filed for divorce, quote, "What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting. No one should have to endure what Angela Paxton has. And we pray for her as she chooses to stand up for herself and her family during this difficult time."
That's from the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
URBAN: I think they're trying to avoid having to spend a lot of money in a race against.
TAPPER: Saying that statement doesn't disappear come primary day. I mean, if Talarico is going to put that in ads.
URBAN: He'll put it in ads and it'll be -- it was a -- it was a nasty primary. Everyone will link arms. Everyone will sing kumbaya. You know, John Cornyn will be out there campaigning with Paxton. It's -- I think, look, there's lots of places, Georgia, you can have Georgia.
Texas, Texas --
TAPPER: I want to --
URBAN: They're not going to be a Democratic senator.
TAPPER: I want to bring up a Texas Democrat. She is running. She got more votes than any other Democrat in the primary for Texas's 35th congressional district, which includes San Antonio. She posted she is rabidly antisemitic. And she wrote on her Instagram page, you know, when she gets to Congress, she's going to write legislation so that all Zionism is declared undoubtedly antisemitic, since its Zionists harming the Semites.
And then she says she's going to put Zionists in the ICE detention centers. And then she said she's going to castrate pedophiles. And it says, which will probably be most of the Zionists. This is -- she's in a runoff right now against another Democrat. I mean --
SIMMONS: That's -- that's language that I think none of us will like, right? I can't believe that we're even having a candidate who makes it that far. The question --
TAPPER: Makes it that far. She got more votes than anyone else in the primary.
SIMMONS: Yeah. No, this is tough stuff.
TAPPER: Yeah.
SIMMONS: And so here's the question I have when we're talking about all these questions about Texas.
[18:50:01]
You've got Latino voters who've been watching their friends, neighbors and relatives be rounded up on the street just because they're brown. You've got African Americans who are watching redistricting happen and wondering whether or not this is the return of the Jim Crow South, and it's animating people. There is a soup that is happening here that might engulf one of these seats in a way that we don't anticipate.
TAPPER: Yeah.
URBAN: Maybe House seat, not a -- not a Senate.
TAPPER: Thanks one and all. I appreciate it.
President Trump is calling for a Justice Department investigation after some voters in Maryland were sent the wrong ballots in the upcoming primary in that state. Maryland's top election official joins me to respond, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: And we are watching the votes coming in from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where Republican Congressman Thomas Massie is fighting for his political life. And with 4 percent of the vote in, I'm sorry, 5 percent of the vote in. He is losing. It's still a lot of votes left to count.
But Ed Gallrein, the Trump endorsed challenger is ahead 54.6 percent to Thomas Massie's 45.4 percent. But that's only a 585 vote advantage by Ed Gallrein at this stage. We're going to bring you updates all night in this race and others.
Continuing with our politics lead, primaries in Maryland are still five weeks away, but election officials are coping with a huge headache right now.
[18:55:02]
About half a million voters requested mail in ballots. Some -- officials say it may be a very small number. Some were sent ballots for the wrong party in the primary for governor, where incumbent Democrat Wes Moore is seeking a second term.
But even though most voters may have received the correct ballot, all 500,000 voters are getting replacement ballots. Guess who noticed?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Five hundred thousand ballots, illegal ballots were sent out, and they were totally fraudulent. And then they said, oh, we'll pull them back. Well, they didn't pull them back. And they have 500,000 new ballots going. So, what happens to the original? Are they going to come in and are they going to come in and infect our system?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: We're joined now by Maryland's top election official, Jared DeMarinis. First, explain what happened. And did Democrats get Republican ballots or the other way around?
JARED DEMARINIS, MARYLAND STATE ADMINISTRATOR OF ELECTIONS: So, yes, basically, you know, it was a small number of voters that received the wrong party ballot. Most voters actually received the correct party ballot. When we were going through this with the vendor, the coding at the end there was dropped off. So that's why some individuals got the wrong party ballot.
TAPPER: But which -- what's the number of individuals that got the wrong ballot? And was it Democrats getting Republican ballots or Republicans getting Democratic ballots?
DEMARINIS: So, Democrats -- some Democrats got Republican ballots, Republicans got Democratic ballots. And since the -- my mail in vendor could not accurately identify who received what ballot due to the coding issue. Therefore, the only course of action to ensure the integrity and security of the mail in voting was to send all the voters who had requested a mail in ballot by mail, a replacement ballot.
TAPPER: Right. That's now 500,000.
So, so, but how many got the wrong ballot of the 500,000?
DEMARINIS: We cannot determine that number accurately. That's the problem. Because if we -- if we had that number accurately and we knew who was the ones that received the wrong ballots, then we would be sending only those individuals the correct ballots and the correct replacement ballots.
TAPPER: How do you know it's a small number then?
DEMARINIS: We cannot -- because just the simple numbers of math here at most, you know, if you look at it, basically there is more majority of one party over another party. And if you just cross populate the ballot styles themselves, then it's just that individual number. So, we know based upon that, there was never the ballots themselves were not the wrong district. So, everyone got the right district ballot. They just didn't -- some of them did not get the right party ballot that -- for the primary election.
TAPPER: So, what happens if people mail the incorrect ballot or both ballots if they got two?
DEMARINIS: So we want them to vote the replacement ballot that's you know, we're mailing them the correct ballot that we can identify that it was, you know, to the correct individuals and those individuals now will have the replacement ballot. We have done a massive outreach campaign to all those individuals that were affected and that are going to receive a replacement ballot. They're getting a postcard. They've already received an email. And if we had their text number, we would give them texts as well.
Right now, you know, if we have protocols in place so that only one ballot will be counted and that is the replacement ballot because, you know, basically we have long standing policies in mail voting. If a person, you know, in the past, if they had, you know, spoiled their ballot you know, spilled coffee on their ballot, you know, the dog ate their ballot and had called us up for a replacement ballot, we would issue them a replacement ballot and have, you know, security measures in place for that to notify which ballot is the correct ballot in the system when it's been received.
TAPPER: So, none of the ballots, the original ballots mailed out, none of those will count if somebody fills it out and mails it in, it will not count. Does that mean that the elections board will then call the people or email the people that sent in the wrong ballots? Those first ones they got and say, hey, that's not the right one. You need to mail in the second one?
DEMARINIS: We are notifying those that have already sent in those ballots to, you know, vote the replacement ballot because the replacement ballot is the one that is the current active ballot that they should be voting. And that is important. And we have issued, you know, statements about that. They its distinguishable from the original ballot, the outer envelope has a, you know, more of a marker on it.
So individuals now know that this is the -- replacement ballot inside all that is, you know, were taking every protocol and security measures to ensure the hat this is the, replacement ballot hat this is the, replacement ballot inside all that is, you know, were taking every protocol and security measures to ensure the integrity of mail in voting.
TAPPER: Jared DeMarinis --
DEMARINIS: And this is not something that I take lightly.
TAPPER: Yeah. Jared DeMarinis, thank you so much. Appreciate your time.
DEMARINIS: Thank you.
TAPPER: Thanks for watching.
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.
