Incumbent Creamed in Michigan

Longtime Michigan Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick fell to a challenger in yesterday's Democratic primary, making her the fourth House incumbent trounced in a primary this year. In other closely watched incumbent races, Missouri GOP Rep. Roy Blunt skated to victory and GOP Sen. Jerry Moran narrowly squeaked by in Kansas. Around the country, candidates backed by the tea party movement saw mixed results, Politico reports.

The rival Moran defeated in Kansas had been backed by Sarah Palin, and former computer exec Rick Snyder, who branded himself a "tough nerd" and played to the center, defeated two tea party-affiliated rivals to take the Michigan GOP gubernatorial nomination. But in an open Missouri Rep. race, anti-establishment auctioneer Billy Long, who ran on the slogan "Fed Up?" defeated two state senators and a prosecutor to take the GOP nomination.
(More Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick stories.)