Why so many incumbents lost primaries this year
Anti-incumbent anger crossed party lines in this year’s primaries — and redistricting didn’t help, either.
A troubling trend has emerged in the 2022 midterm primaries: a significant number of incumbents lost their bids for re-election. Rhode Island's Governor Dan McKee was the first to fall, marking the first primary defeat for a governor in eight years. The pattern extended beyond state-level offices, with 13 members of Congress, including two Republican senators, also losing their primary races.
At least 16 more incumbents sought to move up to the Senate or statewide offices but were unsuccessful, with nine Republicans and seven Democrats falling prey to the anti-incumbent sentiment. The upheaval in the primaries was influenced by a combination of factors, including dissatisfaction with both parties' leadership in Washington, high-profile scandals, and changes to district boundaries due to gerrymandering.
This year's primaries have been a "throw the bums out" moment, reflecting a significant level of voter dissatisfaction with incumbents across the political spectrum.
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