Top 10 Closest Primaries: January to June 2018
The 10 closest primaries held between January and June 2018 all had only seven or fewer votes separating the winning and losing candidates. The closest primary was for a state legislative seat in Pennsylvania, which was won by one vote. Three races were determined by a margin of two votes, and one race was determined by a margin of three votes.
This analysis included all of the 6,197 federal, state, and local elections covered by Ballotpedia in the first half of 2018. Thirty states held their statewide primaries during that time span, and New York held its federal primary during it.
Data table
The table below lists the state, office, party, candidates, and vote totals of the closest primaries in the United States between January and June 2018. Incumbents listed in the table below are marked with an (i).
| Closest primaries from January to June 2018 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Winning candidate | Losing candidate | Winning votes | Losing votes | Vote difference |
| Pennsylvania | State House of Representatives District 193 | Republican | Torren Ecker | Vincent Cockley | 1,784 | 1,783 | 1 |
| Arkansas | State House of Representatives District 90 | Republican | Jana Della Rosa (i) | Kendon Underwood | 1,068 | 1,066 | 2 |
| Oregon | State House of Representatives District 53 | Republican | Jack Zika | Ben Schimmoller | 3,771 | 3,769 | 2 |
| Montana | State House of Representatives District 92 | Republican | Mike Hopkins (i) | DJ Derek Smith | 414 | 412 | 2 |
| California | San Diego City Council District 8 | Nonpartisan | Antonio Martinez | Christian Ramirez | 4,087 | 4,084 | 3 |
| West Virginia | State House of Delegates District 16 | Republican | Vera Miller | Jarred Cannon | 848 | 844 | 4 |
| Nevada | Clark County Public Administrator | Republican | Aaron Manfredi* | Thomas L. Fougere | 29,518 | 29,514 | 4 |
| Oklahoma | State House of Representatives District 12 | Republican | Kevin McDugle (i) | Nick Mahoney | 2,338 | 2,333 | 5 |
| Texas | State House of Representatives District 107 | Republican | Joe Ruzicka | Brad Perry | 2,064 | 2,058 | 6 |
| Maine | State House of Representatives District 110 | Republican | Mark Andre | Jacob Imes | 210 | 203 | 7 |
| *While Manfredi received four more votes in this primary, he was later defeated by Fougere in the special primary that was held to determine who would advance to the general election. The special primary was scheduled after election officials found there were 43 instances in which a voter may have inadvertently voted twice. | |||||||
1.) Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 193
The closest primary vote difference in primaries held from January to June 2018 was between Torren Ecker and Vincent Cockley in the Republican primary for the District 193 seat of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The primary for the open seat was held on May 15, 2018, and had a total of four candidates: Ecker, Cockley, Andrew Myers, and John Wardle. Ecker defeated Cockley by one vote, taking 1,784 votes to Cockey's 1,783. Wardle came in third with 1,537 votes, and Myers came in fourth with 1,404 votes. Ecker faced Democrat Matthew Nelson in the general election on November 6, 2018. Nelson ran unopposed in his primary.
2.) Arkansas House of Representatives District 90
The Republican primary for the District 90 seat of the Arkansas House of Representatives was one of three races between January and June 2018 to have a difference of only two votes between the winning candidate and the losing candidate. Two-term incumbent Jana Della Rosa received 1,068 votes in the primary on May 22, 2018, defeating Kendon Underwood, who received 1,066 votes. Della Rosa faced Democrat Kati McFarland in the general election on November 6, 2018. McFarland ran unopposed in her primary.
3.) Oregon House of Representatives District 53
Two votes separated winning candidate Jack Zika from his opponent Ben Schimmoller in the Republican primary for the District 53 seat of the Oregon House of Representatives on May 15, 2018. Zika received 3,771 votes, and Schimmoller received 3,769 votes. Another 30 votes in the race were cast for write-in candidates. The final winner of the open seat was determined in the general election on November 6, 2018, when Zika faced Democrat Eileen Kiely. Kiely also defeated an opponent to advance to the general election. She received 4,005 votes to Bill Trumble's 1,361.
4.) Montana House of Representatives District 92
A difference of two votes determined the winner of the Republican primary for the District 92 seat of the Montana House of Representatives on June 5, 2018. Incumbent Mike Hopkins won with 414 votes. DJ Derek Smith came in second with 412 votes, and Larry Dunham came in third with 182 votes. Hopkins faced Democrat Lee Bridges in the general election on November 6, 2018. Bridges earned a spot in the general election by receiving 703 votes, compared to his opponent Duane Schlabach's 609 votes.
5.) San Diego City Council District 8
In the nonpartisan, top-two primary for the District 8 seat of the San Diego City Council on June 5, 2018, Antonio Martinez advanced to the general election by receiving three more votes than Christian Ramirez. Vivian Moreno received the most votes in the primary with 5,327. Martinez received 4,087 votes, and Ramirez received 4,084 votes. Zachary Lazarus came in fourth with 1,365 votes. Moreno and Martinez faced off in the general election on November 6, 2018.
6.) West Virginia House of Delegates District 16
In the Republican primary for the three District 16 seats of the West Virginia House of Delegates on May 8, 2018, Vera Miller advanced by receiving four more votes than Jarred Cannon. Miller received 848 votes to Cannon's 844. The other two winning candidates in the primary were John Mandt Jr. and Daniel Linville, who received 1,345 votes and 1,142 votes, respectively. Steven Davis, Chris Burger, and Andrew Dornbos were defeated in the primary along with Cannon. They received 736 votes, 679 votes, and 367 votes, respectively.
The three Republican primary winners faced the three Democratic primary winners in the general election on November 6, 2018. Incumbent Sean Hornbuckle, Dakota Nelson, and Matt Spurlock defeated David Fattaleh in the Democratic primary.
7.) Clark County Public Administrator
A difference of four votes was deemed too close to determine a winner in the Republican primary for Clark County Public Administrator that was held on June 12, 2018. In the race, Aaron Manfredi received 29,518 votes, and Thomas L. Fougere received 29,514 votes. After election officials found there were 43 instances in which a voter may have inadvertently voted twice, a special primary election was held on July 17, 2018. In that special primary, Fougere defeated Manfredi by receiving 16,091 votes to Manfredi's 10,079. Fougere faced Democrat Robert Telles, who was unopposed in his primary, and Independent American Party candidate Victoria Kay DaCosta in the general election on November 6, 2018.
8.) Oklahoma House of Representatives District 12
Incumbent Kevin McDugle defeated challenger Nick Mahoney by six votes in the Republican primary for the District 12 seat of the Oklahoma House of Representatives on June 26, 2018. McDugle received 2,338 votes, and Mahoney received 2,333 votes. McDugle faced Democrat Cyndi Ralston in the general election on November 6, 2018. Ralston was unopposed in her primary.
9.) Texas House of Representatives District 107
In the Republican primary for the District 107 seat of the Texas House of Representatives that was held on March 6, 2018, Joe Ruzicka won a spot in the primary runoff election by receiving six more votes than third-place finisher Brad Perry. Deanna Maria Metzger received the most votes in the primary with 3,413. Ruzicka received 2,064 votes, and Perry received 2,058 votes. Ruzicka was later defeated by Metzger in the primary runoff on May 22, 2018. Metzger faced Democratic incumbent Victoria Neave Criado in the general election on November 6, 2018. Neave ran unopposed in her primary.
10.) Maine House of Representatives District 110
The winning candidate in the Republican primary for the District 110 seat of the Maine House of Representatives on June 12, 2018, received seven more votes than his opponent. Mark Andre won the race with 210 votes, while Jacob Imes received 203 votes. Andre faced Democratic incumbent Colleen Madigan in the general election on November 6, 2018. Madigan ran unopposed in her primary.
See also
- Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
- 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government
- Ballotpedia's Top 10 primaries, 2018
- Ballotpedia's Top 10 Democratic primaries, 2018
- Ballotpedia's Top 10 Republican primaries, 2018
- Democratic Party battleground primaries, 2018
- Republican Party battleground primaries, 2018
