Primary interests

Politics | Georgians reject Ralph Reed as other states gear up for high-profile votes | Jamie Dean

On the night that Ralph Reed and his wife celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary, the couple had also hoped to celebrate something else: a victory for Reed in Georgia's Republican primary for lieutenant governor. But Georgia voters decided differently, and by 10:00 p.m. on July 19 Reed conceded the race to Casey Cagle. By early the next morning, Cagle had claimed 56 percent of the vote.

Reed told supporters that his wedding anniversary put the loss in perspective and that "I'm glad I ran." But the defeat was a deflating end to a primary that Reed, a well-known Republican and a savvy political operative, had once seemed sure to win.

Georgia's primary elections were the first in a rapid succession of nearly two dozen state primaries that will follow in the next three months before general elections in November. State primaries don't typically garner national attention, but this year a handful have higher stakes than usual and have drawn a wider following.