Swearengin wins Dem Senate primary in W.Va

Joe Biden has won the Democratic presidential primaries in Georgia and West Virginia.The former vice president was declared the winner Tuesday, after a day of voting problems plagued Georgia.

A progressive candidate featured in a Netflix documentary on politics has won the Democratic Senate primary in West Virginia to face Republican Sen. Shelly Moore Capito in November. Paula Jean Swearengin was featured in the 2019 Netflix political documentary "Knock Down the House." She accepted only individual donations during her campaign and outraised one of her two opponents, former state Sen. Richard Ojeda, by a more than 10-to-1 margin. Also seeking the Democratic nomination was former South Charleston Mayor Richie Robb.

The Senate race wasn't Swearengin's first bid for public office. She received 30% of the vote in the 2018 primary against Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. In the Republican primary, Capito easily defeated the Family Policy Council of West Virginia President Allen Whitt and former craftsman Larry Butcher.

Primary polls are closing across Nevada and elections officials are cutting off any voters from joining long lines at polling places. Election officials say any voter in line before the 7 p.m. cutoff will get to cast a ballot. The secretary of state's office says no election results will be released in Nevada until every one of those voters has been able to vote.

Voters were waiting in lines for three hours and more Tuesday at limited polling places in Las Vegas despite Nevada officials encouraging people to cast their primary election ballots by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nevada Deputy Secretary of State for Elections Wayne Thorley said his office had received a report of a three-hour wait at one Clark County polling place.

Voters waiting to cast ballots at the Clark County Election Department official told The Associated Press they had been waiting in line for four and five hours. Two incumbents have won the Republican nominations for governor in West Virginia and South Dakota.

Gov. Jim Justice was declared the primary winner in West Virginia on Tuesday, while Gov. Doug Burgum captured the GOP nomination in South Dakota. Justice, a billionaire coal and agricultural businessman defeated Woody Thrasher, Mike Folk, and others to win the GOP nomination. This week, President Donald Trump tweeted a message of support for the governor: "Big Jim is doing a tremendous job for West Virginia. Vote for Big Jim!" Burgum, a former software executive, defeated Michael Coachman in the election, which was conducted exclusively by mail. He's expected to be a heavy favorite in November over Democratic political newcomer Shelley Lenz, a veterinarian, and small-business owner.

Two Republican incumbent senators also won their primaries on Tuesday: Shelley Moore Capito in West Virginia and Lindsey Graham in South Carolina. Joe Biden has won the Democratic presidential primaries in Georgia and West Virginia.

The former vice president was declared the winner Tuesday after a day of voting problems plagued Georgia. Voters reported long lines, equipment not working and absentee ballots not received. Polling places in at least nine counties extended voting hours because of the problems. Biden had already amassed enough delegates to be Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee. His status will be formalized at the party's convention in August.

Georgia is considered a potential battleground state in November's election. It hasn't gone for a Democratic presidential contender since 1992. West Virginia is a reliably Republican state.

Polling places in at least nine Georgia counties will remain open later than expected because of voting problems. Voters reported long lines Tuesday, voting equipment not working and absentee ballots not received, among other complaints. The extensions span the northwest corner of the state to the southeast coastline.

In Bartow County, a heavily Republican county on the suburban fringe of Atlanta, county officials extended the hours at one polling place by half an hour, saying the polling place was unable to open on time because of "unforeseen circumstances." A judge in DeKalb County signed an order approving extended voting hours for seven polling places. The extensions, ranging from 15 minutes to three hours and 10 minutes, were the result of delays in voting because of "technical and logistical issues." Laurens County Probate Judge Helen Harper says hours were extended at one of the rural middle Georgia county's 16 polling places by an hour after workers couldn't get the computerized devices using for signing in voters to work on Tuesday morning.