Sen. Tom Carper wins Delaware Democratic primary, fending off challenge from the left


Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) won his nomination for a fourth term in Thursday's Democratic primary, fending off a challenge from progressive activist Kerri Evelyn Harris, 65 percent to 35 percent. Harris' campaign got a boost after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unseated longtime Rep. Joseph Crowley (D) in New York, and Ocasio-Cortez sent staff to help Harris while other progressive groups contributed resources. Carper, 71, had time to adjust to the challenge from the antiestablishment left, and he outspent Harris 10 to 1 in the primary.
Carper has won 12 general elections in Delaware — he was governor for two terms, a congressman for five terms, and senator for three terms, among other offices — and lost none. And he is favored to win in November over Sussex County councilman Rob Arlett, the victor in Thursday's Republican primary. Arlett, who chaired President Trump's Delaware campaign, beat former PayPal executive Gene Truono, 67 percent to 28 percent. In a sometimes nasty primary, Arlett, 51, staked out socially conservative positions against abortion, immigration, and gay marriage. When asked the biggest difference between himself and Truono, who is gay, Arlett told the News Journal, "I'm married to a woman, and he is not."
Republicans also chose businessman Scott Walker to challenge first-term Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) for Delaware's lone U.S. House seat.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Book reviews: 'America, América: A New History of the New World' and 'Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson'
Feature A historian tells a new story of the Americas and the forgotten story of a pioneering preacher
-
Another messaging app used by the White House is in hot water
The Explainer TeleMessage was seen being used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
-
AI hallucinations are getting worse
In the Spotlight And no one knows why it is happening
-
ABC News to pay $15M in Trump defamation suit
Speed Read The lawsuit stemmed from George Stephanopoulos' on-air assertion that Trump was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law