Dowd leads Newkirk in close NP governor's race

PRYNNE, NP -- The tiny state of New Portsmouth is poised for another marquee governor's race this year, if recent polling is any indicator.

Conservative and libertarian-leaning Governor Barry Newkirk is seeking a third two-year term, but he's facing some strong headwinds from his NAT opponent, Federal Senator Jean Larae Dowd.

Dowd won the NAT's nomination last week, after a close four-way race that included two former senators and a former attorney general.

Dowd narrowly prevailed over Michael Berryham, the state's progressive former AG, by just 1.5 percent.

The initial count had Dowd leading by slightly less than one percent. While the race was close, a mandatory recount was not automatically triggered, as state law says a candidate must lead by 0.5 percent or less for an automatic recount to be held.

However, the Berryham campaign requested a recount, at a cost of $477,000, which the Berryham campaign paid for.

The recount, which included more ballots from military and late-arriving mail-in ballots, had Dowd expanding her lead, with a still very close outcome.

Dowd's expanded lead, however, was enough for Berryham to concede.

He joined former Sen. Chris McConnitch, who placed third with almost 27 percent, and former Sen. Clinton Ashby, who received less than five percent.

Berryham, a staunch progressive who has unsuccessfully sought multiple offices since leaving his former AG position, urged Dowd to pursue a progressive agenda as governor, should she win.

"I am happy to endorse Jean Larae Dowd for governor, but I hope she won't forget the progressive voters who backed me and my campaign, and all the urgent needs our state has. We can't afford compromise. We can't afford watering down policy to win over Conservative support. We need progressive action now," said a determined Berryham.

At her election night celebration in Dayle-Locke's central business district, Dowd pledged to increase state spending on education, climate change mitigation, and health care.

"When I'm elected governor, we will put seniors and children first. We will put disabled and otherly abled New Portsmouthians first. We will put the corporations and businesses last," she said, to resounding applause.

Upon winning the NAT primary, Newkirk immediately attacked Dowd as "another liberal old white lady."

He and his supporters attacked 81-year-old former Gov. Welma Sidley with similar insults when she ran against Newkirk in both 2024 and 2022.

"It appears Conservatives are pulling out the same old playbook that they used against Welma," said Dowd at a campaign event in Fellwood County Sunday. "New Portsmouth voters see right through these attacks."

Newkirk posted on his official "X" account (formerly Twitter) that he had congratulated Dowd on her primary victory, and he looked forward to crossing paths on the campaign trail.

"New Portsmouthians are very spirited people," said Newkirk. "We care about our property, about our taxes, about our freedoms. And I look forward to showcasing my views and policies against those of liberal Jean Larae Dowd, who wants to take away guns, who wants to increase taxes, who wants to take away property rights and gas stoves and wood stoves all in the name of fighting climate change and making 'progress.'"

Newkirk has his work cut out for him, though.

A recent Insiders poll shows Dowd, who has served in the Senate for two terms and enjoyed high popularity, leading the incumbent, albeit narrowly, 51 to 47 percent, respectively.

The Dowd campaign heralded the poll, saying it was evidence that New Portsmouth's voters are embracing the senator's agenda.

The Newkirk campaign said the governor has expected this year's election to be close, and he is campaigning "like he's applying for a job, trying to convince the board of directors to hire him," said Newkirk campaign spokesman Jacob Winters.

Dowd also received endorsements from McConnitch and Ashby. She has yet to announce her running mate, but many insiders believe she will pick a woman, which be a history-making choice if the duo wins in December.

***Election Results -- New Portsmouth Governor's Race -- NAT***

286,090	95,694	33.45%	99,985	34.95%	76,329	26.68%	14,083	4.92%
Total Votes		33.45%		34.95%		26.68%		4.92%
100%		Berryham		Dowd		McConnitch		Ashby

Jordan holds back Kelly in tight Biereland governor's primary

FARNHAM, Bie. -- A generational battle in Biereland's Conservative Party has come to an end tonight, with former Gov. Ben Jordan winning his party's nomination for a fourth time.

Political newcomer 46-year-old Chris Kelly challenged Jordan for the nomination, and despite being outspent 6-to-1 and having no name recognition, Kelly received nearly half the votes in Saturday's CNS primary election.

Jordan won, but only by about two percent, a difference of about 16,000 votes out of more than 760,000 cast statewide.

His narrow primary win means Jordan will once again face Nationalist Gov. Joel Gruenwalder, who is seeking a second term.

The two men faced each other four years ago, when Jordan first sought an historic third term.

Though Biereland is a conservative state, Gruenwalder ran as a moderate, and has governed as a centrist.

The hardline Conservative Jordan has portrayed Gruenwalder as "a liberal in sheep's clothing," and has vowed to turn Biereland red again in the fall election.

Kelly, who had never sought political office before, cast himself as a "conservative alternative" to Jordan.

The two CNS candidates largely agreed on policy, but Kelly took some more moderate positions, like embracing cooperation with federal authorities, advocating for more conservative of public lands, and an increase in education spending.

Jordan, a staunch conservative, opposed all those positions, and cast himself as "the true conservative" in the race.

The votes fell along ideological lines, but at times, generational lines too, with many younger, urban and educated voters backing Kelly, while rural, elderly and blue collar voters largely backed Jordan.

During the campaign, which at times got heated, Kelly described Jordan as "old moldy bread that needs to be thrown out."

"Ben Jordan was a decent governor, but he's been around too long. He's like that loaf of bread that you have on your kitchen counter. It was good last week when it was fresh, but now it's turning moldy and green and nasty, and it needs to be tossed in the trash," said Kelly.

But Jordan fired back, questioning Kelly's conservative credentials.

"Chris Kelly calls himself a conservative, but he's really just a Nationalist-lite," said Jordan. "Chris is just one step lower on the liberal ladder than San Bartholomew, Joel Gruenwalder, Julie Grendhau, Ben Attenbrier, and Kellianne Kiersbright."

Jordan was referring to Biereland's leading NAT elected officials, including former Governor Bartholomew, former federal Sen. Grendhau, current federal Senator Attenbrier, and current Secretary of State Kiersbright, who is running against CNS Senator Driscoll Sherber.

At his election night party in north Brookings Saturday, Jordan told his supporters that his campaign is less about him and more about returning Biereland into Conservative hands.

"This race isn't really about Ben Jordan. It's about stopping the radical Nationalists from ruining our state. It's about making Biereland red again, as it always has been and should be," said a defiant Jordan.

At his election night gathering over in neighboring Farnham County, northeast of Brookings, Kelly told his audience that he had phoned Jordan to concede, to which the audience booed.

"This was a close race, but Ben Jordan won, and we have to respect that," said Kelly. "I think for my first run for office, for my team's first campaign, for what little money we had to spend going up against the establishment, I think we did pretty damn well."

Cheers filled the family restaurant where Kelly supporters had gathered.

When asked by reporters afterwards if he would endorse Jordan, Kelly declined to give an answer.

"I'll have to think about that and get back to you," he said.

Jordan said he would welcome Kelly's endorsement, but added, "I won't lose any sleep if he doesn't endorse me."

For his part, Gruenwalder phoned Jordan late Saturday night to congratulate him on his win.

Neither man would comment on their conversation.

In 2022, Gruenwalder beat Jordan by slightly more than a percentage point.

Since he took over the governorship, Gruenwalder has made conservation, education and jobs his main priority.

Biereland's economy remains fairly strong, despite a decade of stagnancy.

Conservative critics, including Jordan, say Nationalists have raised taxes, failed to invest in transportation, and neglected funding for the trades.

Small towns and rural counties have also been ignored or downright mistreated by Nationalists, according to Jordan.

"The disrespect this governor and his NAT cronies show our small, rural farming towns is just astonishing," said Jordan at a campaign stop in Gerbannon last month.

Gruenwalder supporters say the governor has made a point to avoid highly controversial issues.

"Joel is focused on jobs, jobs, jobs," said Joseph Schilling, an NAT operative who has worked closely with Gruenwalder and other NAT candidates in the past decade.

"In Joel Gruenwalder, we have a governor who is focused on making Biereland competitive again. Under Ben Jordan, Biereland's economy stalled and we lost jobs. Joel is bringing those jobs and investments back into our state. We're so much better off with Joel Gruenwalder in Brookings," said Schilling.

***Unofficial Election Results -- Biereland CNS Primary -- Governor***

Total votes: 769,202				376,506	392,697
				48.95%	51.05%
100%
				Kelly	Jordan

Coriano gets another shot at Senate in hard-fought Carova primaries

VALLINGBURG, Car. -- She's been elected to the Senate, removed from the Senate via the Senate Reduction Lotter, voted back into the Senate, and voted out again.

Now the outspoken Karen Coriano (N) will have another chance to regain a seat in the upper house.

The former senator narrowly defeated liberal political activist Bob McGregor, himself a former appointed senator.

Both candidates are firmly liberal, but Coriano ran to McGregor's left.

Despite her embrace of progressive policy positions, while in the Senate, Coriano often compromised with Conservatives, and, on many occasions, voted with their party over her own.

McGregor pointed that out during the race, while also pointing to his strong advocacy for labor rights and the environment.

Ultimately, the race came down to turnout and money. Coriano raised far more money than McGregor, which was a key advantage, particularly at the end of the race, where she was able to blanket the state's airwaves with pro-Coriano ads.

She ended election night with 51.4% compared to 48.6% for McGregor, respectively.

McGregor quickly called to concede.

"I have no ill feelings toward Karen. This was a close race, but she won it fairly and decisively. I consider her a friend, and I look forward to working with her to win this seat in the fall," McGregor told reporters at his election night celebration in north Carlingford.

In Vallingburg, at her celebration, Coriano thanked supporters and thanked McGregor.

"Bob McGregor was our opponent in this race, but he is an ally as we move forward. He is a tried-and-true Nationalist. He believes in the same ideals and values we believe in. And he is battle-tested. We need him by our side, on our side. So Bob, thank you for your support and endorsement. Thank you for running a clean, respectable race that was about the issues and about the voters, as it should have been. And thank you for partnering with me to win this seat this December," Coriano told her supporters.

Coriano's Conservative opponent is unclear, as the CNS primary race is too close to call.

As of Sunday morning, former Lt. Gov. Dave Emser of Aldridge was narrowly leading Assemblywoman Donna Creilo by a margin of 30.4% to 29.4 percent, respectively.

Assemblyman Jim Calisto of Port Bay, and political newcomer and home school activist Anita Rowley of Oster County, were both eliminated in the race.

The candidates were all vying for the soon-to-be-vacated seat held by longtime Senator Ann Kocheni, who is retiring after 20 years in the upper chamber.

In the state's other Senate race, incumbent Conservative Sen. Sawyer Upton will face another political newcomer, financial analyst Kate Porter of Lanakin.

Porter defeated former Lt. Gov. Carson Latzo and current Lt. Gov. Dean Haley for a chance to take on Upton, who is seeking reelection.

Porter won that race by less than three percent, taking 35% to Latzo's 32.6% and Haley's 32.3 percent, respectively.

Upton has a strong money and name recognition advantage over Porter, but the NAT nominee is hopeful her party's Senate Campaign Committee will help her raise money.

"I look forward to challenging Senator Upton and to sharing our different views with the people of Carova," Porter told reporters on election night at her celebration in Carlingford.

In the state's still outstanding CNS Senate primary, Donna Creilo is seeking a recount against Emser.

If Emser wins, it will be a rematch. He previously lost to Coriano back in 2018.

He also lost against Dan Sallovich, the state's current governor who was previously a federal senator.

Coriano, though, is no stranger to losing. She was unsuccessful in her 2014 race against Sawyer Upton.

She then won a seat against Emser in 2018, but lost again in 2024 to Conservative Aaron Hallings.

In Carova's Conservative Senate primary, all three leading candidates have lost multiple races for Senate and for other positions.

Their combined losing record became a running joke, with frontrunner and two-time unsuccessful Senate nominee Dave Emser making a joke at the party's Senate debate.

"OK, here's the deal. We're all losers. All three of us. So let's just get that out there in the open and accept it. We've all ran before and lost," he said, to cheers and laughs from the audience. "But we can either point fingers at the other person and say, 'What a loser they are,' or we can say, you know what, we might have all lost in the past, but we're going to win this time. And this is how we're going to do it. We're going to do it by championing lower taxes. By supporting freedom of education and parent choice. By championing business and a strong economy. By championing a strong national defense and a strongly enforced immigration system. By encouraging new infrastructure in our state. That's how we're going to win."

***Unofficial Election Results -- Carova Senate Race -- Conservative Primary***

658,282	Turnout:	29.40%	22.13%	30.42%	18.05%	193,503	145,703	200,251	118,825
658,282	15.42%	29.40%	22.13%	30.42%	18.05%
100.00%		Creilo	Calisto	Emser	Rowley

***Unofficial Election Results -- Carova Senate Race -- Nationalist Primary***

618,270	Turnout:	48.52%	51.48%			299,971	318,299
618,270	14.49%	48.52%	51.48%
100.00%		McGregor	Coriano

***Unofficial Election Results -- Carova Senate Race 2 -- Nationalist Primary***

628,629	Turnout:	32.60%	35.08%	32.32%		204,921	220,552	203,156
628,629	14.73%	32.60%	35.08%	32.32%
100.00%		Latzo	Porter	Haley

Dan Wainwright Jr. loses AG primary

CAROVA CITY, Car. -- There will be no Wainwright political family dynasty in Carova, at least not this year.

Dan Wainwright Jr., the son of former Gov. Dan Wainwright Sr. (C), lost his primary race for the state's attorney generalship, Saturday.

The younger Wainwright had been favored to win, having declared his candidacy a year ago and raised far more money than the other three candidates.

However, dark horse candidate Mark Hargreaves, a tax attorney from the northeastern suburbs of Carlingford, ended up taking the party's nomination.

Hargreaves narrowly edged out Wainwright Jr., taking almost 35% of the vote compared to just over 32% for Wainwright.

Former Interim Attorney General Jeff Littleton, who was appointed to the position back in 2011 by then-Gov. Sam Byelle (C), finished third with 24 percent, while little-known political newcomer Matt Handle, an attorney from rural Scotco County in the state's far northeast, came in last with just under nine percent.

All four candidates were strong in their Conservative credentials, and they largely agreed on policy.

Still, Hargreaves ran as a Conservative stalwart, casting Wainwright and Littleton as "moderates."

Wainwright disputed the moderate label, and leaned into his family name and his youth. He's 43 while Hargreaves is 62.

In the end, though, it didn't work. In a primary election, where older and more conservative voters typically participate at higher rates than younger and more moderate voters, Hargreaves was able to capitalize on his right-wing identity, and held back the rising star Wainwright Jr.

Hargreaves' win means Nationalists will likely have an easier time of winning the attorney generalship, with former AG Dan McGregor (N) running unopposed for his party's nomination.

Analysts expected McGregor to go up against Wainwright Jr. in what would have been a marquee race. 

Now, the race tilts in McGregor's favor. The former AG has more money and more name recognition than Hargreaves. McGregor is also hoping to ride the coattails of popular Gov. Dan Sallovich, who is also running for reelection.

Like Littleton, McGregor only served for less than two years. He won a special election in 2012 and served until 2014, when he was defeated by Conservative Sean Travern.

Travern toyed with running for governor this year, but decided to leave politics and return to the private sector.

If McGregor wins in the fall election, he will be the first Nationalist to win a full term as AG in Carova.

If Hargreaves wins the race, he will become the oldest attorney general in state history.

***Unofficial Election Results -- Carova Attorney General -- Conservative Primary***

672,152	Turnout:	24.05%	32.39%	34.89%	8.67%	161,622	217,723	234,500	58,306
672,152	15.75%	24.05%	32.39%	34.89%	8.67%
100.00%		Littleton	Wainwright	Hargreaves	Handle

Drake holds off Eskin in Carova

EAST HOLLOW, Car. -- A blue collar construction company owner has won Carova's CNS gubernatorial primary, holding off an Ivy League-educated stock broker.

Michael Drake comfortably defeated Andrew Eskin in Saturday's primary, with Drake taking 56% and Eskin 44 percent, respectively.

Drake entered the race first, and went viral on social media for his advocacy for trades and his encouragement of young people to not go to college.

Eskin declared his candidacy months after Drake, and was hoping his Ivy League ties and his prominent family name would push him over the top. 

Despite an early start and strong fundraising from small donors, Drake struggled to compete with Eskin's deep pockets.

As of last week, Drake had $4.2 million raised with about $1.29 million in cash-on-hand.

Eskin had $5.6 million raised with about $2.24 million in cash-on-hand.

The money advantage didn't help Eskin, who struggled to win over disaffected Conservative voters.

Drake and his allies, including the Grassadellian Conservative Union (GCU), National Rifle Club (NRC), and the Conservative Labor Council (CLC), cast Eskin as an out-of-touch, wealthy elite.

Eskin acknowledged his blue blood background, but said his knowledge of financial markets and the economy were just what Carova needed in its next governor.

Both men were vying for a chance to take on NAT Gov. Dan Sallovich, who is seeking reelection this fall.

Drake went viral when he first announced his candidacy, especially after he openly talked about his purposeful lack of higher education.

"I purposely didn't go to college right out of high school," said Drake back in January. "I hated school. I didn't want to be stuck in a classroom. I knew I wanted to work with my hands. So I went to work for a contractor and he taught me how to build things. And now I own a multi-million dollar construction and concrete business."

Allies of Eskin pointed to Drake's lack of higher education as a drawback, not an asset.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with someone not going to college. There are a lot of great Carovans and Grassadellians who didn't go to college," said Buzz Freeman, chair of the Carova Business Council. "But when we're talking about running the state's economy, when we're talking about billions of dollars being allocated in a state budget...would you rather have someone with knowledge of all the stuff, or would you rather have someone who is not remotely familiar with it?"

Drake pushed back, saying he runs his business himself and makes all financial decisions pertaining to his company.

Additionally, he owns a rental property company, which he also runs, although he contracts the property management out to a third party.

"I resent this notion that just because I didn't go to college, I can't manage money, I can't run a business," said Drake at a June campaign event in Beren County. "I may not have a degree framed on my wall, but you know what, I know how to make money, I know how to manage payroll, I know how to grow a business. And there are a lot of Ivy League eggheads who might have the piece of paper, but they don't have the real world experience."

Endorsements in the race largely fell along establishment versus grassroots lines, with many establishment and moderate figures backing Eskin, and more grassroots and right-wing groups backing Drake.

Though he enjoyed support from the party's right-wing, Drake disputes that he's a hardcore Conservative. 

"I don't think of myself as a right-winger, I think of myself as a businessman. I'm not ideological at all. I'm about making money and balancing a budget," he told reporters at an event in Bruce Junction last week.

After months of dueling campaign ads attacking the other, Eskin and Drake finally talked for the first time in months when Eskin called Saturday night to concede.

"I wished Michael Drake well, and I pledged to support him this fall," said Eskin, as he addressed his supporters at a ritzy eatery in Beren County, north of Carlingford.

Drake, gathered in the eastern suburbs of Carlingford where he's from, thanked his supporters and said the real battle begins now.

"I appreciate Andrew Eskin calling me and conceding. I appreciate the competitive race we ran against each other. But the reality is, the hard work really begins now. Because now we're going up against an entrenched NAT governor who has a lot of money and support behind him, especially support from people in Mavocke. So we need to focus and gear up and get ready. This is going to be a hard fight but it's a fight we can and will win."

When reached on Sunday morning, Sallovich's office said the governor called Drake and congratulated him on winning the Conservative party's nomination.

"The governor looks forward to a respectful campaign that addresses the issues and the differences between the candidates," the governor's press secretary Stephanie Hanna wrote in an official statement.

Defeating Sallovich won't be easy. The incumbent governor remains relatively popular, though his approval rating has dipped in recent months as the state's economy has struggled.

New data shows the state has lost population over the last decade, during both Sallovich's administration and that of his Conservative predecessors.

The governor's allies say the state's economy always fluctuates, due, in part, to its reliance on oil and energy.

"Overall, I think Dan Sallovich has done a great job, and I'm confident the voters of Carova will return him for another four years," said State Senate President Charles Billidge (N-Port Bay).

***Unofficial Election Results -- Carova Governor's Race -- Conservative Primary***

675,461	Turnout:	56.08%	43.92%			378,811	296,650
675,461	15.83%	56.08%	43.92%
100.00%		Drake	Eskin

Kirkpatrick coasts to victory in Remmington CNS primary

ANNINGTON, Rem. -- Remmington's Attorney General Andy Kirkpatrick easily won his party's nomination for governor Saturday.

Kirkpatrick took nearly two-thirds of the vote, while former Lt. Gov. Raquel Marquez received only a quarter of votes cast.

The attorney general was heavily favored to win. He enjoyed strong support from the party's base and from moderates, while Marquez's support came mostly from the party's far-right fringes.

Marquez entered the race late, and she began her campaign with scandal.

The former lieutenant governor has been sued by former employees of her office who accuse her of harassment and creating a hostile workplace.

The allegations stem back to Marquez's tenure in office, almost a decade ago.

Though she admitted she's a tough boss and doesn't "take any crap," Marquez has denied creating a hostile work environment.

The Kirkpatrick campaign largely ignored Marquez, initially. But her repeated attacks on Kirkpatrick's conservative credentials, and even his masculinity, precipitated a response from the Kirkpatrick campaign.

"Andy Kirkpatrick wears suits and ties. He doesn't know what it's like to be a real man and work on a ranch," says the narrator in one pro-Marquez ad. The commercial featured a sweaty Marquez loading hay bales from a field onto a trailer.

"You can't trust someone who doesn't understand what hard work is all about," the narrator says.

Kirkpatrick fired back, defending his conservative record, in which he sued the McCaren administration more than 70 times.

"And not all men wear overalls and boots," he says in an ad for his campaign. The videos shows him walking into his house and wrestling with his young children in a dress shirt and tie.

Kirkpatrick later posted a commercial featuring him outside doing yard work. The commercial largely got panned by Marquez supporters as contrived.

In an interview with The Grassadellia City Times, Kirkpatrick admitted his white collar job, but he said he spends as much time outside as possible.

"I'm always outside with my kids, working in the yard, barbecuing, driving my tractor around my property, or I'm out at the lake or driving dirt bikes and ATVs with my boys," he said.

State party leaders largely stayed silent on the personal attacks during the CNS governor's primary race. But former governor-turned-senator Jen Stevens Taylor lamented that voters had to hear about personalities and masculinity instead of the issues.

"At the end of the day, I don't think the voters of Remmington really care much about how many hours Andy Kirkpatrick works outside. I think they care about the issues," said Stevens-Taylor.

In the end, the attacks did little to hurt Kirkpatrick. He won a majority in 28 out of 30 counties, and tallied over 90% of the votes in some counties.

The attorney general racked up huge wins in the state's most-populated counties, including over 91% in Ferrier County, the third most-populous county in the state, and almost 74% in Benham, the state's most-populous.

It was more than enough for Marquez to quickly concede. She called Kirkpatrick just 45 minutes into the vote counting.

"I congratulate Andy Kirkpatrick on his win in this race, and I hope he can beat Matt Hoffbourn in the fall," said Marquez at her election night party in Alexandria, southwest of Remmington City.

At his celebration up north in Annington, Kirkpatrick thanked his supporters and pledged to run a clean campaign against Hoffbourn, the incumbent Nationalist governor.

"Matt Hoffbourn and I disagree on just about every issue, and I look forward to showing Remmingtonians my vision for our state and how my ideas differ with his," said Kirkpatrick.

Hoffbourn, who is also from Annington in the state's northeast, congratulated Kirkpatrick on his X account (formerly Twitter).

"I look forward to debating the issues with you, Andy," wrote Hoffbourn.

The Remmington governor's race is rated as "Leans Conservative" by most political prognosticators. 

***Remmington Governor's Race -- Conservative Primary -- Unofficial Results***

25.37%	74.63%	0.00%	0.00%	142,837	420,193	0	0
				Marquez	Kirkpatrick
25.37%	74.63%	0.00%	0.00%	563,030

Mainstream Conservatives hold off far-right candidate in Armana Senate primary

LACKING HILLS, Ara. -- Conservatives avoided an embarrassing upset in the Armana Senate primary election Thursday night.

Conservative businesswoman Mary Shelley, from the northern suburbs of Marchande, won the party's nomination for Senate.

Her opponent was a far-right member of "The Proud Boys," an extremist right-wing group.

Cesar Canelo-Candide, 44, from the beach town of East Hampton on the north end of Cape Newton, had, at times, espoused violence, calling for a "conservative revolution."

His association with notorious members of The Proud Boys and other right-wing groups had earned him scorn from Nationalists and even from many fellow Conservatives.

There was some concern in Armana that Canelo-Candide might beat Shelley, who was hand-picked by the party establishment.

Polls had shown Shelley neck-and-neck with Canelo-Candide, and her lackluster fundraising numbers didn't reassure panicked supporters.

But ultimately, the little-known Shelley held off the bombastic Canelo-Candide by a wide margin, 60.6 - 39.4 percent, according to unofficial election results released by Armana Secretary of State Elaine Madaganan.

Voter turnout was just over 14 percent, Madaganan reported.

Support for the candidates didn't fall neatly into urban-versus-rural, with many rural counties backing Shelley, and some urban counties swinging in Canelo-Candide's favor.

Shelley won big in the Greater Marchande metro area, which put her so far ahead, there was no hope of Canelo-Candide overcoming the deficit. The race was called at about 10:00 pm, just two hours after the polls closed.

Despite having denied election results in previous elections, and casting suspicion on elections, particularly mail-in voting, Canelo-Candided did not contest the election results.

He issued a concession to Shelley around 10:30 pm, and the two reportedly spoke on the phone before Shelley gave an acceptance speech from her home in the northern suburbs of Marchande.

"Tonight, we have proven that you don't have to be the loudest, the most outspoken, the most hardcore candidate to win. We need to return the Senate to civility, and that begins with building relationships with other senators from other parties and by giving people the benefit of the doubt," said Shelley.

Canelo-Candide told his supporters gathered in his hometown on the cape that while he didn't win this race, "this is not the last of me."

"I'm not going nowhere," said Canelo-Candide, for whom English is a second language.

The 44-year-old was born in Venezuela, and had used his campaign to denounce communism.

He accused Shelley of being too soft on Nationalists, and not being conservative enough.

"When Nationalists are literally talking about socialism and buying property and taking over companies, we have to have a Conservative senator who will stand up to these lunatics and say 'hell no. Over my dead body.'"

Shelley also spoke out against communism, and disputed that her conservative credentials were in doubt.

"I'm a life-long Conservative. I'm from the party and movement of Edinough and Reagan. Everyone who knows me knows I don't support or tolerate communism or socialism, full stop," she said at a campaign event last week in Westernmyer.

Communism and socialism have become more prominent in international headlines, as left-wing politicians in multiple western countries have espoused the virtues of both socialism and, in lesser cases, communism. 

And incumbent Sen. Serap Figaori (N), who is up for reelection and whom Shelley is challenging in December, has been accused of supporting socialism in the past.

Back in 2020, Figaori, then a freshman senator, supported the federal government nationalizing utility conglomerates.

"If we want to drive down the cost of electricity for Grassadellians, we can't keep letting the rotten, nasty electric companies continue to rob our citizens blind," he said in an interview back in 2020.

The senator also appeared alongside striking iron workers in northern Armana, demanding higher pay and better benefits from employers.

His staunch pro-labor and pro-social democratic policies have given Conservatives much fodder, as they seek to defeat him in his quest for a third term in the Senate.

However, most polling has shown Figaori -- despite his left-wing views -- comfortably ahead in his bid for reelection.

With Shelley, a first-time candidate, having little name recognition, Conservatives will have to pour in millions of dollars just to raise awareness of Shelley. Polls have shown most voters don't know anything about her.

As of last week, Shelley's campaign reported it had raised $6.47 million, and had about $3.9 million in cash-on-hand.

Figaori's campaign reported the senator had raised $6.69 million, and had $4.2 million on hand.

In his previous campaigns, Figaori has been an adept fundraiser, with more than half of his campaign donations coming from outside the state.

***Conservative Senate Primary Election -- Armana -- Unofficial Results***

828,953	538,681
60.61%	39.39%
Shelley	Canelo-Candide