Report: Dems Set Records in Voter Turnout for Midterm Primaries

Democrats saw a surge in voter turnout in primaries this month, with records broken in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan — all states where President Donald Trump led Republicans to gains in 2016, The Washington Times reported.

According to the news outlet:

• In Michigan, where there is a highly competitive governor's race, Republicans saw their primary turnout go from about 618,000 in 2014 to 985,000 this year, an increase of 60 percent. Democrats went from about 513,000 to more than 1.1 million, up about 120 percent.
• In Wisconsin's governor's primary, both parties expanded their turnout by more than 200,000 voters, with Democrats slightly outdistancing the GOP.
• In Minnesota, Democratic turnout hit nearly 583,000, up from 191,000 four years ago. GOP turnout, meanwhile, went from 184,000 to 320,000.

And in House races from Kansas to Colorado where a Republican incumbent is seen as vulnerable, Democrats doubled or even tripled their primary turnout compared to four years ago — the last midterm elections, The Washington Times reported.

Pollster and political strategist John Couvillion told the news outlet his analysis found Democrats have accounted for 54 percent of the primary electorate, compared to 46 percent for Republicans.

But Rick Gorka, spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said GOP voters have shown up when it counts.

"Republicans have won nearly every high-profile special election this cycle," Gorka said. "If Democrats want to point to turnouts in primaries and hang their hats on moral victories, that is fine. Republicans will point to our electoral wins when the results actually mattered."

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