The Latest: Trump declares victory in race too close to call

WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) — The Latest on primaries in Missouri, Kansas, Michigan and Washington state and a congressional special election in Ohio (all times local):

11:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump is already taking credit for helping elect his favored candidate in a special House election in Ohio, though the race is too close to call.

In a tweet Tuesday night, Trump declared "a great victory" for Republican Troy Balderson over Democrat Danny O'Connor.

While Balderson has a slight lead, the race is close enough that there could be a mandatory recount. There are also at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed.

Trump says Balderson had been far behind in early voting before he hosted a rally for the candidate Saturday night in the suburban Columbus district. The president says that after his speech "there was a big turn for the better."

Trump offered another prediction — that Balderson will "win BIG" in November's general election.

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11:30 p.m.

Republican Susan Hutchison has gained a top-two finish in Washington state's primary to advance to the November general election.

The former television newscaster and GOP state party chairwoman was finishing second in the voting in Tuesday's contest. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters go on to November, regardless of party.

Hutchison is the former state Republican Party chairwoman.

She is making a longshot bid to oust the Democratic incumbent, Sen. Maria Cantwell, who is seeking a fourth term.

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11:25 p.m.

Sen. Maria Cantwell has advanced to the November ballot in Washington's primary election.

The Democrat seeking her fourth term easily outpaced all other candidates. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters go on to November, regardless of party.

Cantwell is Washington's junior senator and the ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Cantwell will likely face Republican Susan Hutchison in November. Hutchison is the former state Republican Party chairwoman.

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11:20 p.m.

The last special election of the year for the U.S. House is too close to call.

With election officials in Ohio done counting Tuesday night, Republican Troy Balderson has a slight lead over Democrat Danny O'Connor in the special election in the state's 12th Congressional District.

But there are at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough votes to force a mandatory recount.

The Associated Press does not declare winners in races that go to an automatic recount.

The race in suburban Columbus was one of the most-watched contests in Tuesday's primaries as O'Connor tried to pick up a seat long held by Republicans.

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11 p.m.

The deadline has passed for turning in primary ballots in Washington, a vote-by-mail state.

The contest getting the most attention is a U.S. House seat Democrats hope to capture in November for the first time since the district east of Seattle was created in 1980.

Voters began receiving their state primary ballots in the mail weeks ago, and Tuesday was the last day to get them in or postmarked for mail delivery. In some of the more competitive races, results may not be known for days as most counties will update vote counts only once a day.

In Washington's 8th District, Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is retiring after more than a decade.

Republican Dino Rossi, a former state senator, is expected to advance along with one of three Democrats.

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10:40 p.m.

Missouri voters have rejected a right-to-work law banning mandatory union fees in workplace contracts.

The vote Tuesday marked a major victory for unions, which poured millions of dollars into a campaign to defeat Proposition A.

The right-to-work law originally was enacted in 2017 by Missouri's Republican-led Legislature and governor. But it never took effect, because unions gathered enough petition signatures to force a public referendum on it.

Unions argued the measure would have led to lower wages, while business groups claimed it could have led to more jobs. Economic studies showed mixed and sometimes conflicting results.

Twenty-seven other states have similar laws against compulsory union fees, including five Republican-led states that have acted since 2012 — Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Kentucky.

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10:20 p.m.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) and Gov. Jeff Colyer are locked in a close Republican primary race for governor.

Colyer and Kobach topped a seven-candidate GOP field in Tuesday's election. President Donald Trump tweeted a full endorsement of Kobach on Monday.

Kobach is nationally known for advocating tough policies on illegal immigration and strict voter identification laws. He served as vice chairman of Trump's now-disbanded commission on election fraud after advising Trump's 2016 campaign and the White House.

Colyer had endorsements from Kansas political icon Bob Dole and the National Rifle Association in his quest to remain in office after becoming governor in January.

In the Democratic primary, state Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka held a lead over former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and ex-Kansas Agriculture Secretary Joshua Svaty.

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10:15 p.m.

A veteran Kansas legislator has won the Democratic primary for governor after stressing her Statehouse experience and fending off questions about her voting record.

State Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka defeated former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, former Kansas Agriculture Secretary Joshua Svaty and two other candidates Tuesday.

The 68-year-old Kelly has served 14 years in the Senate and is the top Democrat on the budget committee. She stressed those credentials in running and suggested that she was best able to fix problems created by Republican policies.

She faced criticism from Svaty and Brewer for votes she made in representing a GOP-leaning district for looser gun laws and for some of the nation's toughest voter identification requirements.

But she also had the backing of former two-term Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

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10:05 p.m.

Detroit-area businessman and Iraq War veteran John James has won the Republican nomination to run against Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow this fall.

James is a political newcomer endorsed by President Donald Trump. He defeated Sandy Pensler in Tuesday's primary.

Stabenow is seeking a fourth Senate term and has easily fended off past challengers, but Trump's narrow 2016 victory in Michigan has the GOP hopeful it can flip the seat.

The 37-year-old James is an executive at his family's automotive logistics companies and a West Point graduate who flew helicopters during the Iraq War.

He is Michigan's first black Republican nominee for a major statewide office in more than three decades, but he has said he only wants to be assessed on his character.

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9:55 p.m.

Gretchen Whitmer has won the Democratic nomination for Michigan governor, besting two competitors to advance to the November race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.

Whitmer, a former legislative leader, defeated chemical-testing businessman Shri Thanedar (shree TAN'-eh-dahr) and ex-Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed in Tuesday's primary. She will face Attorney General Bill Schuette (SHOOT'-ee), who defeated Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Dr. Jim Hines in the GOP primary.

Whitmer was considered the favorite because of her political experience and broad support from organized labor and other key groups. El-Sayed especially courted the party's more liberal, pro-Bernie Sanders wing, as did Thanedar, who spent millions of dollars of his own money on his campaign.

The Michigan governorship is a top target for the Democratic Party.

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9:50 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall has won the Republican primary in the sprawling rural 1st District of western and central Kansas.

He advances to a November matchup against Democrat Alan LaPolice of Clyde in the heavily Republican agricultural district.

Marshall, a Great Bend physician, first gained national attention in 2016 for knocking off then Rep. Tim Huelskamp in the Republican primary for the seat.

Democrats did not have a candidate in 2016, but LaPolice launched a long-shot bid as an independent. LaPolice, an educator, is taking another shot at it this year running as a Democrat.

While the district strongly supported President Donald Trump in 2016, some worry tougher immigration policies make it harder to fill agricultural jobs. Marshall wants to couple border-security measures with changes in visas for guest farm workers.

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9:30 p.m.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has won the Republican nomination in one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate races.

Voters on Tuesday picked Hawley as expected over 10 other GOP challengers in the race for Democrat Claire McCaskill's seat. He was the only candidate to have previously won a statewide election and had considerably more money than the other Republicans in the field. He's backed by President Donald Trump.

Republicans are eyeing the now-Democratic seat as a prime pickup opportunity in a state Trump won by nearly 19 points.

A McCaskill-Hawley matchup is expected to be one of the nation's top showdowns. McCaskill is running as a moderate in the red state. Hawley is campaigning largely on support for Trump. He is attempting to paint his rival as a liberal obstructionist.

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9:25 p.m.

Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri has won the Democratic primary in her campaign for a third term.

Voters picked McCaskill on Tuesday as expected over six other Democratic challengers.

Republicans are eyeing the Democratic seat in a state that President Donald Trump won by nearly 19 points in 2016. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley was favored in an 11-candidate Republican primary for the right to face McCaskill in November.

A McCaskill-Hawley matchup is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races in the nation. McCaskill is running as a moderate in the red state. Hawley is campaigning largely on support for Trump and is attempting to paint his rival as a liberal obstructionist.

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9:20 p.m.

State Attorney General Bill Schuette (SHOOT'-ee) has won the Republican nomination for Michigan governor, defeating three other candidates vying to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Rick Snyder.

Schuette beat Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Dr. Jim Hines on Tuesday. Democrats running were former legislative leader Gretchen Whitmer, ex-Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed and entrepreneur Shri Thanedar.

Schuette, a former congressman, state lawmaker and appellate judge, was endorsed by President Donald Trump. He says he would cut the state income tax, like Trump reduced federal taxes.

The Michigan governorship is a top target for the Democratic Party, which is eager to make gains in the Midwest, where Republicans have dominated state governments and which helped President Donald Trump take the White House in 2016.

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9 p.m.

Polls have closed in Kansas and Michigan primary elections that are testing anew President Donald Trump's political clout.

Tuesday's races, like dozens before them, are pitting the strength of Trump's fiery supporters against the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance. The results will help determine the political landscape before the GOP defends its congressional majorities across the nation.

One of the top races is in Kansas, where Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) is trying to unseat Gov. Jeff Colyer. Should Kobach win the primary, some Republican operatives fear he could lose the governor's seat to Democrats this fall.

In Michigan, three mainstream Democrats are among those vying for a chance at retiring Republican Rep. Dave Trott's seat. The field includes Fayrouz Saad (fay-ROOZ' sahd), who would be the first Muslim woman in Congress.

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8:10 p.m.

Democrat Danny O'Connor has jumped out to a significant lead over Republican Troy Balderson in early returns in Ohio's congressional special election.

Voters on Tuesday were choosing between Balderson, a state senator, and O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, to complete the term of a Republican who retired in January. The race is a test of voter sentiment before the general election in November, when Balderson and O'Connor will battle again for the full two-year term.

President Donald Trump campaigned for Balderson, arguing Republicans need to control Congress and casting the midterms as a referendum on himself.

A Balderson victory would buoy Republicans concerned about how Trump might be playing in political battleground states. An O'Connor win would elate Democrats hoping for a Trump backlash.

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8 p.m.

Polls have closed in Missouri and are beginning to close in parts of Kansas and Michigan on a night of primary elections.

Tuesday's races, like dozens before them, pitted the strength of President Donald Trump's fiery supporters against the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance. The results will help determine the political landscape — and Trump's standing within his own party — just three months before the GOP defends its House and Senate majorities across the nation.

One of the top races of the night is in Kansas, where Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) was trying to unseat Gov. Jeff Colyer. Kobach has been backed by the president.

Should the polarizing Kobach win the primary, some Republican operatives fear he could lose the governor's seat to Democrats this fall.

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7:30 p.m.

The polls have closed in Ohio, where a Republican state senator backed by President Donald Trump is competing with a Democratic county official in a special election for an open U.S. House seat long held by the GOP.

Voters Tuesday were choosing between Sen. Troy Balderson and Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor to complete the term of a Republican who retired in January. The race is a test of voter sentiment before the general election in November, when Balderson and O'Connor will battle again for the full two-year term.

Trump campaigned for Balderson, arguing Republicans need to control Congress and casting the midterms as a referendum on himself.

A Balderson victory would buoy Republicans concerned about how Trump might be playing in political battleground states. An O'Connor win would elate Democrats hoping for a Trump backlash.

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7:15 p.m.

A St. Louis County election official blames a "comedy of errors" for some voters being turned away in one Missouri town.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that turnout in the St. Louis region for Tuesday's primary election was brisk, with about 35 percent of registered voters going to the polls. But there were sporadic problems, most notably at Holman Elementary School in Berkeley.

Democratic elections director Eric Fey says a Republican poll worker had to leave because of a family emergency. The other two went to lunch, apparently got lost and didn't return.

It was unclear how many people were turned away during the 45 minutes it took to get additional Republican poll workers to the polling place.

Elsewhere in St. Louis County, some poll workers mistakenly gave voters nonpartisan ballots that included only issues, not party primary races.

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6:20 p.m.

Battleground Ohio is deciding the year's final special election, a congressional faceoff that tests anew President Donald Trump's political clout and the appeal of his signature tax cuts.

Seventy-one-year-old retiree Gregg Schirra voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Democrat Danny O'Connor on Tuesday in Westerville.

He says, "We gave Trump a fair chance and now it's time to get the legislature working and get back on track."

At Delaware Township Hall north of Columbus, 71-year-old retiree Katheryn Terry voted for Republican Troy Balderson, saying she felt the 31-year-old O'Connor was just too young and she wasn't happy with anything about his candidacy.

She says: "I'm trying to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, and so I'm trying to be as supportive as I can, because things have turned around."

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6:05 p.m.

Some Republican voters in Kansas say President Donald Trump's endorsement of Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) mattered to them as they cast votes in the GOP primary for governor.

Fifty-three-year-old math teacher Tanya Hein said Tuesday that she always planned to vote for Kobach, but Trump's endorsement was "icing on the cake."

She says incumbent Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer was part of former Gov. Sam Brownback's administration and she wanted someone with experience who was not tied to Brownback.

Seventy-three-year-old retired construction company owner Richard Cronister also says Trump's endorsement was important to him.

He says he thinks Trump's tax cuts have helped the economy and he likes Trump's stance against illegal immigration.

He also likes Kobach's style, saying, "It's refreshing to hear a politician tell the truth."

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2 p.m.

Candidates in a tight congressional race are making final rounds in the sprawling central Ohio district.

The seat is open following the retirement of former GOP U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (TEE'-behr-ee) after nearly 18 years in office.

Among stops for Democrat Danny O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, was speaking to volunteers and supporters at his campaign headquarters Tuesday morning in Columbus.

Republican Troy Balderson, a two-term state senator, included a visit to Genoa Baptist Church in Westerville in suburban Columbus Tuesday afternoon.

Jerry Cupp, a 61-year-old retiree in Westerville, voted for Balderson, but said he didn't see much difference between the candidates. He wants Congress to tackle health care.

Nick Losacco, a 79-year-old Columbus car salesman, voted for O'Connor, saying he wanted Democrats to have more control in Congress.

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11 a.m.

Voting is underway in an Ohio special election that may provide clues to whether Democrats will retake the U.S. House in November.

Democrat Danny O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, is running for an open congressional seat in central Ohio against Republican Troy Balderson, a two-term state senator. The seat opened up when ex-U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (TEE'-behr-ee) retired after almost 18 years.

Trevor Moffitt is a public health doctoral student at Ohio State University who voted for O'Connor Tuesday.

The 29-year-old resident of suburban Westerville said he liked O'Connor's willingness to work with Republicans.

Mike Flynn, a hospital unit coordinator from suburban New Albany, voted for Balderson as a show of support for Tiberi. Flynn said he didn't care for the mudslinging on either side of the campaign.