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CNN Projects John Fetterman Wins PA Senate Dem Primary; Biden Statement On Fetterman Win: "Democrats Are United Around John;" CNN Projects Trump-Endorsed Mastriano Wins PA GOP Gov Primary. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired May 17, 2022 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome back to CNN ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA. We can now make a major projection.
CNN projects that John Fetterman, the Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, is the winner, of Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate primary, beating his leading opponent, Congressman Conor Lamb. Fetterman locking up the nomination, on the same day that he had a pacemaker implanted, after suffering a stroke, just days ago.
Fetterman will face the winner of Pennsylvania's Republican Senate primary, for the seat now held by retiring Republican Senator, Pat Toomey.
Let's go to Jessica Dean now, who's at Fetterman headquarters, in Pittsburgh.
Jessica, a very important day, in the life of John Fetterman.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. He's had a lot happen, in the last not even 12 hours, Jake.
He had that pacemaker put in, just a short time ago, coming out of that procedure at 6 P.M. It's now what, roughly, 9 P.M. on the East Coast. And they just found out here that John Fetterman is going to be the Democratic nominee, for this Senate seat.
It is an open Senate seat in Pennsylvania. It's where Democrats are really hoping to pick up a seat in the Senate, and keep control of the Senate, going into the 2022 midterms.
But this crowd is very excited. We know that Fetterman is actually about four hours away. He's in Lancaster, at his hospital room, tonight, recovering from that procedure. He suffered a stroke, on Friday. That took him off the trail, for five days.
We're told, he's doing very well after his procedure that he is expected to make a full recovery that he will be hitting the campaign trail soon, Jake. But we're not exactly sure, when soon will be. He still has to be released from the hospital. And his wife, Gisele told me yesterday, she wants at least a week of him getting extra rest beyond what the doctors are ordering him to do. Now, speaking of his wife, she is here, with their children. We're expecting to hear from her in a little bit. She's going to be standing in, as the candidate, tonight.
It's unclear, if we'll be hearing from the Lieutenant Governor, whether virtually or a message of some sort. But we are expecting to hear from his wife, as she thanks supporters, here, in Pittsburgh, where he thought he would be tonight, Jake. But instead, he is now the Democratic Senate nominee, from a hotel room, in Lancaster.
Jake?
TAPPER: All right, Jessica Dean, at Fetterman campaign headquarters.
Let's go to Dana Bash, and Abby Phillip.
And Abby, you and I were talking about this earlier. Fetterman, clearly, the progressive candidate, compared to Conor Lamb. But also, difficult to pinpoint.
And he's somebody, who politically, at least, Democrats hope will be able to appeal to blue-collar voters, in Pennsylvania, who have been trending Republican now, for some time.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN ANCHOR, INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY: Yes. I mean, I think that's the thing, to keep in mind, here, with Fetterman, is that it's not going to be a sort of clear left-center-right type of dynamic, with him.
One thing that you hear a lot, of voters talk about, is that they just they like the guy. They think that he looks like one of them, they want to have a beer with him.
How that factors into this race, in a state that is going to be about cobbling together a coalition? The voters in the suburbs, in the collar counties, Black voters, the voters in those rural counties? Can he be competitive in those Trump areas? That's what remains to be seen.
But, I think, the thing about Fetterman is not so much his positions on all of these policy ideas. But whether Democratic voters, based on how they voted tonight, think that he can resonate in a general election.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN STATE OF THE UNION CO-ANCHOR: No, it's so true. We have been talking, understandably, because of the races we've been covering, about the sort of divide, in the direction, of the Republican Party.
But this is a moment to take to look at the Democratic Party. And if you look at just the records, Conor Lamb, who lost, and John Fetterman, who we're projecting won, this primary, you would say, "Oh, the progressive one against the more moderate candidate." And Conor Lamb is like textbook, the kind of moderate candidate that you would think that the Democratic Party would want to run, particularly in a purply state, like Pennsylvania.
But the question is whether or not, just like you were saying, Abby, it's almost not irrelevant how progressive Fetterman's policies are, but second to the fact that people look at him, as different, as outside the box as, Jake, as somebody, who is truly authentic. And that authenticity is still the name of the game, when it comes to politics, particularly now, when people are just fed up.
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TAPPER: Well, if he wants to continue the reputation of authenticity, let's bring in Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He's going to have to authentically disclose, and be transparent, about his health situation. Because, this is a very serious procedure, to have, a pacemaker and defibrillator, put into his chest.
DR. JONATHAN REINER, CARDIAC CATH LAB DIRECTOR, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Right, Jake. I think there are real questions about, now, the Democrat candidate's health.
And if he is going to continue to be this sort of down-to-earth kind of persona, in Pennsylvania, then I think he should be open about what's going on with his health. I don't think there's any - almost any medical condition, which should preclude you, from holding any kind of office.
But he really needs to be honest with his constituents. And what I would do is, I would bring on his medical team, tomorrow, and just simply let them answer the pressers' questions, put that behind them, and then he can take some time, to recover, and then move on with the campaign.
TAPPER: All right, Dr. Reiner, thanks so much.
Anderson?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Jake, thanks very much.
Back now, with the team here, in New York.
Chris, I mean, John Fetterman, for - it's quite unusual to have the candidate be in a hospital room, on--
CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
COOPER: --to say the least.
WALLACE: As opposed to being in a hotel room!
COOPER: Yes.
WALLACE: Yes. And obviously, we're going to have to see how this plays out. We wish the Lieutenant Governor all the best. I will say, I have to disagree slightly with the previous panel. Because while his authenticity, and down-to-earthness, if there's such a phrase, played very well, in the Democratic primary? You get to a general election, particularly if you end up with a moderate, like Dave McCormick? There are a lot of things that the Republicans are going to have to work with, in going after John Fetterman.
This is a guy, who is against limits on abortion. He is for universal background checks. He wants to end the filibuster. He wants to legalize pot. And interestingly enough, for a progressive, he's also going to have an issue, he's going to have to deal with the Black community.
Because, with the Mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, in 2013, he was out, one night, and heard what he said was gunfire, and ended up confronting an unarmed Black jogger, with a shotgun.
And nothing came of it. It turned out the fella was unarmed. In fact, the man is now in jail, and he is endorsing Fetterman, from jail. But you can understand how a Republican candidate could work with that, to try to hurt Fetterman, in the--
DAVID AXELROD, FORMER OBAMA SENIOR ADVISER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think one of the concerns that--
WALLACE: --Black community--
AXELROD: --one of the concerns, you hear, from Democrats, is how Fetterman will do, in those suburban areas, around Philadelphia that are so critical, in Pennsylvania elections? And will he get the kind of vote that a Democrat needs to get out of that area? Because some of the things that make him more appealing, the unconventionality, as you point out, may not play as well, in those areas.
But I do think that when you look at the poll, the CNN poll that we heard earlier, about how fundamentally jaundiced people are, about politics, I do think what everyone has said, that authenticity, and sort of unconventionality, this may be a year, where that plays.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: And that's--
WALLACE: Yes. But issues matter too.
AXELROD: It is.
BORGER: Sure. Yes, they do, depends.
WALLACE: They do. And you could see a lot of people concerned. You could see the Republicans, playing him, as being hard on gun control, soft on abortion, a number of issues that would play very well.
BORGER: Well, and that might work, in his favor, given, depending on what the Supreme Court does. I mean, to me, what's so interesting, about this particular race, is that Conor Lamb, as I think Dana was saying, is sort of on paper, the perfect candidate.
WALLACE: Agree.
BORGER: The perfect candidate.
COOPER: He's a Marine?
BORGER: Yes, everything.
AXELROD: Yes, a prosecutor.
BORGER: He's spent, $2.5 million, which normally would be OK. Fetterman spent $6 million.
But he - in this focus group, my pollster was telling me about, he doesn't come across as the fighter. And Kasie (ph) is saying people are angry. Well, when you're angry, you want someone to fight for you. And I think that Fetterman, seems like somebody, who's going to fight for you. He's big guy.
COOPER: Does his health become--
BORGER: It might.
COOPER: --an issue that would be brought up by his opponent, in a campaign, like this?
AXELROD: No. I don't think his opponent would bring it up. And I honestly think, by November, this thing should maybe in the rearview mirror.
BORGER: Yes.
AXELROD: And I don't know how it affects a Senate race, in the way that it might affect a race, for another office. But the interesting thing, about what you said, Gloria, is there were a lot of people, who wanted the Democratic establishment, in Washington, to pour money, into--
BORGER: Conor Lamb.
AXELROD: --the Conor Lamb campaign. And they came to the conclusion relatively early that they didn't think he could beat Fetterman, in a primary.
BORGER: And--
AXELROD: And they didn't do it.
COOPER: Let's check--
BORGER: And they were right!
COOPER: Let's check back in with Wolf.
Wolf?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM WITH BLITZER: Anderson, I want to bring in Kasie Hunt, Michael Smerconish. They've been watching this very closely.
[21:10:00]
Let's, first of all, talk about Fetterman. You've covered this candidate, for a long time. Tell us about him.
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well a lot has already been said that, I think, is accurate.
A few things that I think I would add to the mix. First of all, I wish him Godspeed and a full recovery. He did have the stroke, on Friday, and not reveal it, until Sunday, in the final week of the campaign.
I think there's a question there, as to whether they should have been immediately forthcoming. I don't know that it would have altered anything. But I just wish there had been immediate candor, in that regard.
Chris Wallace referenced the incident, in 2013, with the unarmed Black jogger. Conor Lamb never really went there, certainly didn't go there.
BLITZER: Hold on. Hold on one moment.
SMERCONISH: Whether it'd be the campaign ads.
BLITZER: I just want to point out. Take a look at this. Doug Mastriano is winning, right now, in the governor's Republican primary contest, in Pennsylvania. This is a significant development. 10 percent of the vote is in, and he's ahead, what, by almost 15,000 votes. 30.8 percent to Lou Barletta's 20.2 percent.
It doesn't mean it's necessarily going to stay that way, Michael and Kasie. But it's a significant moment.
SMERCONISH: Yes.
BLITZER: What does it say?
KASIE HUNT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, I think, certainly, the Pennsylvania Republicans, I've talked to - and Michael, you can - I'm confident you'd back me up here too.
This is a nightmare, for the Republican Party, to have Doug Mastriano, potentially winning this race. And that's because he was at the Capitol, or rather, I should say, he was at the "Stop of Steal" rally, on January 6.
He and Kathy Barnette, are tied together. Donald Trump, of course, jumped in, for him, at the 11th hour, over the weekend, basically trying to hedge his bets against, in case Dr. Oz, who he endorsed in the Senate race, actually loses.
But I haven't talked to anyone, in the state, who, if you talk to people, who want to see Republicans, get elected, in the state, who want to see Doug Mastriano, in the governor's office? SMERCONISH: I think that President - former President Trump panicked about what was going on in the Oz-McCormick-Barnette race. Came out for Mastriano, where he probably otherwise would not have.
I happen to believe that if he'd come out for Lou Barletta? By the way, one of the most loyal members, as a congressman, was among the first, if not the first, to come out for Donald Trump. Trump instead of going with Barletta, went with Mastriano, and arguably sealed the deal for Mastriano.
BLITZER: He also suspected that Mastriano was going to win, and he wanted to be with the winner.
SMERCONISH: Absolutely. He wanted to make sure that he left Pennsylvania, with at least one W tonight.
BLITZER: Yes.
HUNT: And, Wolf, one thing, just to bring this back to Fetterman also, I mean, the - Gloria and Chris Wallace were talking a lot about, whether Fetterman can pull this out. I think one of the key questions, and this is why we're so interested, in the Republican Senate primaries, who is Fetterman going to be running against?
Because, in a state, like Pennsylvania, it's much different, for Fetterman, to face, someone like David McCormick, than it would be for him to face Kathy Barnette. And if he's got Doug Mastriano, to run against, in the governor's race? I think that helps him.
SMERCONISH: I want to make - I want to make clear that a lot needs to be vetted, among all of these candidates, going forward that did not come out in the primaries.
BLITZER: It'll all come out in the general election.
SMERCONISH: Absolutely.
BLITZER: That's for sure.
Anderson, back to you.
COOPER: Wolf, thanks very much.
I want to talk to, here, with our political team.
David Urban, if Doug Mastriano wins, as a Republican, what does that mean in that state?
DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, MEMBER OF TRUMP'S 2020 ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Look, it's obviously, like Michael said, it's going to be challenging, right? Doug Mastriano, patriotic guy.
COOPER: I think "Nightmare" was the term - or maybe that was Kasie Hunt method (ph).
URBAN: Well, listen, he's obviously a patriotic guy. Served his country, with honors, in the military, right? But again, he's way too conservative, for Pennsylvania general election, and he's going to lose. Josh Shapiro is an incredibly popular--
COOPER: You think he would lose against Shapiro?
URBAN: I think Josh Shapiro will do extremely well. And he'll beat him, yes. I do. Josh Shapiro--
COOPER: Josh Shapiro won twice as--
URBAN: Josh Shapiro's had basically every public office, you can have, in the State of Pennsylvania, right? He's wildly popular, in the Philly suburbs, which where all the voters are, right? And so, he'll do extremely well.
And Mastriano will lose. And that's the fear, is he'll drag the ticket down, right? And it'll impact races, like the old Charlie Dent seat, right? Or there are a few other competitive seats that are being - that are run, right now. And the fear is that those seats will not be competitive, with Doug Mastriano, on the top of the ticket, right, come November.
VAN JONES, FORMER OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I mean, your definition of patriotism, is strange to me.
I mean, he was there, at the Insurrection. Some people say, he actually breached the police lines, and stuff like that. So, I think, it says something very awful, about where the Republican Party is that this is who they want.
When the Insurrection happened, we were here, in this room. And we thought there's a small number of nuts, who have gone way too far.
And now, you have millions of Americans, who are voting for the same kind of ideas and, particularly tonight, the same kind of action. That's not good for the country. Certainly not good for Republican Party.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: Well--
URBAN: Well, just to be clear, I'm not lauding his activities, on January 6.
JONES: Well--
URBAN: I'm saying, he served his country, honorably, in the military, as a military officer, and a Colonel, obviously, you know?
JONES: Yes, fair enough.
URBAN: So, just let's be clear.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Well, not to get too insider baseball, but what's interesting about the last-minute Trump-Mastriano endorsement, is I've heard from some folks saying, he thinks that he's going to lose on the Dr. Oz endorsement.
[21:15:00]
So, he wanted to come out with one primary victory, tonight, which is why that kind of last minute 11th hour endorsement came. So, he may get that initial win of, as he did tonight. But yes, he does not stand a chance, in my view, in a general election. It's going to be very challenging.
JONES: And Trump's, right now, having a bad night, in terms of McCormick might pull it off. That's not good for Trump. Madison Cawthorn might go down. And then, this. So, this is our--
COOPER: Still early.
JONES: Still early. Still early. I'm just saying. Just saying.
URBAN: Well, I'm excited down here.
JONES: I bet that you are.
COOPER: We now know who the Democratic Senate candidate will be, in Pennsylvania. Who will John Fetterman face in November? The Republican Senate nominations still up for grabs.
More results, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: And we have some key race alerts for you now, on CNN's ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA.
Take a look at this, in the Senate Republican primary. Former hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick, still in the lead, with 31.9 percent of the vote.
[21:20:00]
He's almost 7,000 votes ahead of Mehmet Oz, the TV doctor, who has Trump's endorsement, with 28.2 percent. In third place, as of right now, firebrand Kathy Barnette, who has 22.1 percent of the vote.
Again, McCormick in the lead, right now, by about 7,000 votes, with only 14 percent of the vote in. Still a lot of votes to count, in the Senate Republican primary, in Pennsylvania.
Let's look at the gubernatorial primary, right now. And look at that. Doug Mastriano, who is Trump-endorsed, has taken a strong lead.
He has now 35.8 percent of the vote, more than 26,000 votes ahead, of former congressman, Lou Barletta, who has 21.7 percent of the vote. Bill McSwain, the former U.S. attorney has 17.1 percent of the vote. Businessman Dave White, 9.5 percent of the vote.
Doug Mastriano, the Trump-endorsed candidate, has skyrocketed, ahead of the competitors, although there is still only 13 percent - or now, 14 percent of the vote that has been counted. Still, a lot of votes to count.
Let's go down to North Carolina, now, if we can, where you see incumbent Congressman Madison Cawthorn, has closed the gap, with State Senator Chuck Edwards, who is still in the lead.
Chuck Edwards, he has 33.9 percent of the vote. He's about 1,700 votes ahead of incumbent Congressman Madison Cawthorn, who has 31.6 percent of the vote. A lot of more of the vote has been counted, in North Carolina's 11th congressional district. 70 percent of the vote has been counted there.
And a reminder, the rules here, in this primary race, is that if no candidate gets above 30 percent, they have a runoff. If both get above 30 percent, then whoever wins, gets to - obviously wins. And then if one candidate is above 30 percent, and one's under 30 percent, the one that's over 30 percent wins.
But Madison Cawthorn needs to get over 30 percent of the vote, plus one, in order to avoid a runoff. So, right now, Madison Cawthorn, fighting back, with about 30 percent of the vote, to go.
John King, at the Magic Wall, you're looking at Pennsylvania, right now. How did Barletta jump ahead - not Barletta. I'm sorry. Mastriano. How did Mastriano jump ahead, as he did, so quickly, as these votes came in, in the last few minutes?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN ANCHOR, INSIDE POLITICS: It's fascinating, to look at, especially when you compare it to the Republican Senate primary, which we'll do in just a minute.
Key to remember, just 15 percent of the vote in, in a big state, the big Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A long way to go. And Jake, not much vote in, over here. About 30 percent of the vote is Philadelphia, and the suburban collar around it, known for more Democrats, in November, but a lot of Republicans, on those areas. So, we have a ways to go.
But how did Doug Mastriano jump, to the lead, in the race, where he's up now? You look, 21 percent, Lou Barletta, to 40 percent, if you round that up, 39,000-plus votes. That's a big lead, in a crowded primary. Still a long way to go.
Look at it out here, right? And what makes this clear? Look at the middle of the state, right? Let's go back to 2020, in the presidential race. This is Trump country. These are small rural counties, some of them not very populous. But this is where Donald Trump makes the state competitive.
Trump lost to Biden, by 81,000 votes. He beat Hillary Clinton, by a very narrow margin, four years before that. He does it by running it up here. The Democrats get the votes, in the population center.
Trump country is rural Pennsylvania. Trump country is rural America. So, you come back now to the governor's race. What's happening? That endorsement is clearly helping Doug Mastriano, in these rural counties, in the state. Still a long way to go though, as we count the votes. You do see Bill McSwain, the former U.S. attorney, is leading in Allegheny County. It's pretty tight. They're splitting the vote. But he has a lead there.
And then, you come over, to the eastern part of the state. Again, if you look at Philadelphia, right now, this is Montgomery County, just outside of Philadelphia, 15 percent of the vote, into Philadelphia proper, 11 percent of the vote.
Let's look at Bucks County, 12 percent of the vote.
So, we have some major population centers, Jake, that are slower to report their votes. So, we have a ways to go.
But you do see that big jump. And that is proof-positive on the map. When you compare them, Trump's endorsement, without a doubt, helping Doug Mastriano, for now. Lou Barletta in a distant second place. Long way to go. But that was a big switch, for Mastriano, who started the night off more slowly.
And again, look at this part of the state, right? Think of the governor's race. Remember all this pink, for Mastriano, right here. Then you come to the Republican Senate primary. And you have more of a split.
You have Dave McCormick still leading, in some of these counties. Look how close this is. 31.7 percent. So round it up, 32 percent, to 29 percent, to 23 percent. This is getting closer, as we get more votes in.
And you see some, for Barnette, in these rural counties. Again, she does not have the Trump endorsement, but she says she was MAGA, before Trump, if you will. But look again, 33 percent, 26 percent, 26 percent, or 27 percent, if you round up McCormick there.
Move one county over. So, these are small counties. This is 28th largest county in the state. It's not as tiny as some of the others. 30 percent, 27 percent, 25 percent. So, you have a split Republican field. They are fracturing the vote, as you go through, on the Senate Republican side, up to 17 percent.
[21:25:00]
This is an interesting map, which tells us two things. It's a very competitive primary, and we're going to be at this a while. Same point in the governor's race. A lot of votes to be counted. About 30 percent, of the state population, lives, right here, in the east, where Jake Tapper is from.
TAPPER: Right!
KING: And we all - so we got a long way to go.
TAPPER: So, that's - the Senate primary, it's still just a horse race, between those three. Go back to the gubernatorial results, right now, if you could? And again, we're still, just a minority of the votes have been counted. But this is exactly what Republican leaders were worried about.
Many Republican leaders in Pennsylvania were worried that Doug Mastriano is too extreme to win in November. So, there has been a big push, to get everyone else, out of the race, except for one challenger, against Mastriano. That didn't happen. They have two.
And, right now, you have McSwain and Barletta - and not that Barletta is any moderate.
KING: Right.
TAPPER: But McSwain and Barletta splitting the anti-Mastriano vote, because Mastriano has been in the lead, for months, now.
KING: Right. And so, it is a fascinating conversation, in a statement about today's Republican Party, where you're talking about Republicans, saying, Lou Barletta, who is a very conservative candidate, look at his record on immigration and other issues, that he was the mainstream.
They were trying to get mainstream Republicans to be for Barletta, because they were worried that Mastriano was even further.
I'm not even sure "Right" is the right word anymore. We say, the more conservative candidate. That's not fair to anti-tax, smaller- government conservatives, because a lot of these Trumpy candidates, in these Republican primaries, are not conservatives, as we used to define conservatives.
But Doug Mastriano is the Trump candidate in the race. And you're right. They tried to get some of these other candidates, in the end. Dave White's getting 9 percent of the vote. The businessman, McSwain, getting 16 percent of the vote.
The question is, is it split enough that this guy goes across the finish line? Again, a long way to go. But, without a doubt, in the middle of the state, where Trump proved to us, you win a ton of votes here, it offsets some losses elsewhere? For now, it looks good. But again, it's a big state. There's a lot of counting to do.
TAPPER: Yes. And just to remind people, one of the reasons, why this is so important, is that the Governor of Pennsylvania appoints--
KING: Right.
TAPPER: --the Secretary of State, who then supervises the elections. Doug Mastriano is not somebody, who, I think, it's fair to say, can be relied upon, to preserve democracy, and the integrity of the vote.
He has been one of the strongest election liars, one of the strongest supporters, of Trump's Big Lie about the election, in Pennsylvania. So, that's why so many Republicans don't want him to be the nominee, for many reasons. All eyes are on the Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth, and those two big outstanding Republican races, for Senate, and for Governor.
This primary night is still unfolding, more votes being counted. Stay with us. We'll be right back.
[21:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Let's get a key race alert. Let's look at Pennsylvania. With 22 percent of the vote in, you have McCormick, at 31.9 percent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, at 29.5 percent, and Kathy Barnette at 22.9 percent.
Also now, in the race, for governor, in Pennsylvania, you have Doug Mastriano, at 41.2 percent, Lou Barletta at 22.2 percent, Bill McSwain at 15.1 percent, and Dave White at 8.2 percent. Again, with 22 percent of the vote now in.
Let's go to Melanie Zanona, at Mastriano headquarters, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
So Melanie, as Mastriano takes the lead, how's Trump's influence, being felt within the campaign?
MELANIE ZANONA, CNN REPORTER: Well, Doug Mastriano is running to be the Pennsylvania governor, in 2022. But he has made his campaign all about 2020.
He has really made lies about the 2020 election, a cornerstone of his campaign. He was in Washington, on January 6, for the "Stop the Steal" rally. And he has been leaning into the Big Lie, here, tonight.
In fact, moments ago, he had Jenna Ellis, a former Trump lawyer, up on stage. Jenna Ellis and Doug Mastriano, were two leading figures, in the effort, to overturn the election. And they both have been subpoenaed by the House Select Committee, investigating the January 6 attack, on the Capitol.
Now, it's worth reminding viewers at home that the Governor of Pennsylvania is going to appoint the Secretary of State, who will oversee the state's election process. So, the stakes here are incredibly high.
That is one of the reasons why some Republicans, here, are also privately panicking, over the prospect of Mastriano winning the nomination. They worry he is too extreme for the general election. Some of them are starting to blame each other, behind-the-scenes.
So, we'll see what happens, later tonight, Anderson.
COOPER: Now, let's go to the White House, where President Biden is monitoring the primary results. Our Kaitlan Collins is there.
The President's reacting to John Fetterman's Senate primary win, in Pennsylvania, Kaitlan? KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson. Obviously, the White House is watching this closely, especially what was going to happen in Pennsylvania, though Fetterman was widely expected to win.
And the President is already previewing, what the message is going to look like, no matter who it is that John Fetterman, is running against, when it comes to the Republican side of this, as we still wait to see what the results, in that are going to look like.
And he says that he does believe Fetterman can win in November. And the reason he says that, Anderson, is because "While we await the results, of the GOP primary, one thing is clear. These candidates are not your father's GOP. They have fought a malicious, chaotic primary campaign to be the most extreme. And they have shown people their authentic selves - that whoever emerges will be too dangerous, too craven, and too extreme to represent Pennsylvanians in the United States Senate."
Anderson, that goes back to this message that you've heard, emanating from the White House, in recent days, as the President has invoked this term, "Ultra MAGA" that he has been using to describe the party, something the White House believes is going to be a negative point, for them to use.
Though, of course, loyalists of the former President say they believe that that is not the dig that the White House thinks it is.
But it does show you that the way the White House is going to frame this, no matter if it's Dave McCormick, who wins, Dr. Oz or, of course, Barnette, in this race in Pennsylvania.
COOPER: Yes. Kaitlan Collins, at the White House, thanks. We'll check in with you, a little bit later.
Van Jones, is this Democratic line going to work, in Pennsylvania?
[21:35:00]
JONES: I don't know if it's going to work. But it's an authentic thing. I do think that Democrats are looking at a Republican Party, and - with a lot of fear. This is not - he says it's not your father's - this is not a normal party at all.
To have - the idea that a Mastriano, who was a part of the Insurrection, could be the governor of a state, appoint the Secretary of State, to overturn the election results? That's even possible in America, is shocking!
And I think the President is authentically trying to sound that alarm. He's trying to raise the stakes a little bit. Because if you just - if you just say, "Well, I'm mad, I'm frustrated, on like gas prices, I'm going to sit (ph) at home," you could lose your democracy. And I think the President wants people to know that.
URBAN: So, again, let's just remember. It's a Republican primary. It's not the general election, right?
JONES: Yes.
URBAN: So, I wouldn't get too carried away about it. And we'll see that. We got a lot - we got a lot of election going on, still here. We'll see.
It'll be interesting to see, if John - if Doug Mastriano wins, and Dave McCormick wins, what message does that send, right? Because, clearly, they're two completely different candidates.
COOPER: We should point out, you're a donor.
URBAN: Yes, no - I'm a supporter, donor, friend--
COOPER: You've given advice to them as well.
URBAN: --of Dave McCormick.
COOPER: What does it say to you that he is in the lead, right now? I mean, there was a lot of talk about Kathy Barnette, coming up. That maybe seems to have been somewhat overblown, or although, again, it's very early, 22 percent of the vote in.
URBAN: Look, again, Anderson, I think Pennsylvanians are smart. They want to elect the most conservative person that can win in the fall.
And in the Senate race, it's clear. I think that's - it's much clearer in a Senate race, where there's less candidates. There were 14 candidates, in the governor's race, to begin with, right, down to a pretty - still pretty big stable.
In the Senate race, it really came down to these three candidates. And Dave McCormick was the most authentic, the most conservative that people think can win in the fall. And I think that's what we're just seeing, right now.
FARAH GRIFFIN: But what's interesting, with Mastriano, and the Trump endorsement there is, it has bearings for 2024.
If this is a winnable potential pickup, for the GOP, in Pennsylvania, and if he endorsed somebody who, in my opinion, does not have a shot? That could end up hurting Trump's viability, in 2024. And you've seen other potential candidates back others in this race.
But, I think, the question to Van Jones' point is, is crazy going to win, tonight, respectfully? And, I think, the fact that McCormick is actually ahead, shows that the voters may be more animated, by what looks like competent leadership, somebody who has the experience, to take on the issues, inflation, economy, et cetera, that are really animating voters.
There was a lot of buzz around Barnette. But it looks like she's trailing, at this point. So, I think, we will see where this goes.
COOPER: I liked that you said "Crazy, respectfully." FARAH GRIFFIN: Respectfully!
COOPER: But the fact that, I mean, Dr. Oz was endorsed by Trump, why do you think that was?
URBAN: Well, listen, candidates matter. I think the President liked Doctor - looked in the - looked at Dr. Oz, and saw a lot of himself, right? Here's a - here's a very successful television--
COOPER: TV person.
URBAN: --yes, very successful television personality. Very successful businessman. I think the President saw a lot of that.
I think you had a lot of folks around the President, advising him, maybe giving him some bad advice, on that endorsement, in my opinion. I think the President for sure (ph) sat that one out, or endorsed Dave McCormick, here, in the race. But I think he saw a lot of himself in Mehmet Oz, and he decided to go with him.
COOPER: All right. We're going to take a quick break. Can the leaders in Pennsylvania maintain their lead?
We're going to go to the Magic Wall, John King, when we come back.
[21:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: Joining us right now, Gisele Barreto Fetterman. She is the wife of Lieutenant Governor, John Fetterman. Mr. Fetterman, of course, the projected Democratic Senate nominee, in Pennsylvania.
And she is at campaign headquarters, in Pittsburgh, although her husband is in the hospital, right now, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
First of all, Second Lady Fetterman, thank you so much for joining us. Congratulations. Obviously, most important, right now, what can you tell us about your husband--
GISELE BARRETO FETTERMAN, JOHN FETTERMAN'S WIFE: Thank you so much.
TAPPER: --what can you tell us about your husband's condition? How is he feeling? He had a defibrillator and a pacemaker put inside him today.
BARRETO FETTERMAN: Yes, he is bionic man, now. He's feeling great. He - the surgery was perfect. And he is impatient. And he is just ready to get back on the ground. But I am not letting him just yet.
TAPPER: When do doctors expect him - not you, I understand, your cautiousness. And you're the one that made him go to the hospital, on Friday. So, kudos to you, for that.
But when did doctors expect him to be well enough to leave the hospital? And when do they think he'll be well enough to campaign? BARRETO FETTERMAN: I don't have that date yet. They said it a couple days. But they didn't give me a firm date yet.
He was under observation, today, after the surgery, today. The surgery was great. And I think they'll just watch him. And then, hopefully, we'll have a firm date, when I get him home.
TAPPER: So, your husband won his race, today. He obviously has a long campaign, ahead of him, before the election, in November. Do you think his condition is going to affect his ability to campaign?
BARRETO FETTERMAN: I don't. The more I learn about the procedure he's had, over a million Americans, have this done, every year. They lead great lives. I am confident that he'll be able to perform his job, and do a great job. Continue to do so.
TAPPER: I know this is all very sudden, and you're dealing with it in real-time. But I know you understand, the need for voters, to know exactly how he's doing.
Do you think the campaign has been completely transparent? And can we expect, can the voters of Pennsylvania expect, your husband, and his doctor, to come, and answer any questions that reporters might have?
BARRETO FETTERMAN: Absolutely, they can. I feel that we've done a great job. I mean, we turned around the news, in under 48 hours.
[21:45:00]
My kids knew just right before the rest of the world did. And we've been open and transparent through the whole thing. We'll continue to be. The exciting news to share is that surgery was perfect, and he's well on the road, to full recovery.
TAPPER: It's still early. We still don't know who's going to win the Republican Senate primary, in Pennsylvania. Is there a candidate that your husband would rather run against? Dave McCormick? Mehmet Oz? Or Ms. Barnette?
BARRETO FETTERMAN: No. I think we'll wait to see what we're up against. And we'll prepare to continue the trail, and continue working for Pennsylvania, until November.
TAPPER: Your husband has - in the past, he called himself a progressive. Now, he says he's not a progressive. He claims he's also not a moderate. How do you think his pitch will be to voters?
Policy issues, obviously very important. As you know, Pennsylvanians, like so many Americans, across the country, worried about inflation, worried about health care prices, worried about health care access.
What is his pitch going to be? Why should voters vote for him?
BARRETO FETTERMAN: Because he's someone who listens, he's someone, who wants to understand your issues. Whether you voted for him now or not, he wants to be a Senator for all of Pennsylvania. So, he really cares about people. And he wants to understand what your needs are, what your priorities are.
And, the label of progressive or not, the things he's running now, are the things, he ran back then, when they called them a progressive. Now, it's where the party has shifted.
I think he's someone, who's always has been able to shift the needle, on issues. And, I think, he'll continue to do that. He is passionate about the work that he does. He works on tough issues, and he slowly moves the needle, so that he gets others on board, on this work.
TAPPER: The Second Lady of the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Gisele Fetterman, congratulations, again. I know it's been a wild roller coaster, of a few days, for you and your family. But congratulations on the hard-fought victory, this evening.
BARRETO FETTERMAN: Thank you so much, Jake.
TAPPER: And we're all praying for him, and wishing him well.
Before you go, how you're - bring her back, for one second. How are--
BARRETO FETTERMAN: Thank you so much.
TAPPER: --how are your kids doing? Before you go. How are your kids? Are they dealing with this all OK? I know it's tough. You got three little kids.
BARRETO FETTERMAN: They are. I mean, we're a family, like any other family that will have a health scare that we'll face it, and keep going.
The kids are involved in everything. They - kept them in the loop. They know what's happening. They've been to see daddy. They were excited to see how good he looked, and they know that he's going to be back out soon. So, it is a little hard time for our family. But we'll be back together, soon again.
TAPPER: OK. Thank you so much, for joining us, on this evening. It's got to be a wild day, for the Fettermans.
BARRETO FETTERMAN: Thank you so much, Jake.
TAPPER: We're watching the race, for the Republican nominee, who will face off against Lieutenant Governor Fetterman. And, of course, the critical Republican race, for Pennsylvania Governor, as well.
We're going to dig into the results, at the Magic Wall, with Mr. John King. Stay with us. We'll be right back.
[21:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: Yes, it's ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA, and CNN can now make a major projection.
CNN projects that Doug Mastriano, is the winner of the Pennsylvania Republican primary, for Governor.
Mastriano, who received President Trump's endorsement, is a very vocal advocate, of Trump's bogus efforts, to overturn the 2020 election. Mastriano prevails in a crowded primary race. He will go on to face Democrat Josh Shapiro, the current Attorney General, in the fall.
And Dana and Abby, it is hard to overstate, how significant this is. We now have the Republican nominee, for Governor of Pennsylvania, somebody who has been one of the most full-throated supporters, of Donald Trump's lies, about the 2020 election, somebody who actually supported, not counting the votes of Pennsylvania voters, in 2020.
I don't know that we've ever had something like this, and a dynamic like this, where you have a nominee, for governor, who will, of course, appoint the Secretary of State, in charge of the state elections, who has a position of having wanting to disenfranchise, all of his Commonwealth's voters, in the previous presidential election.
BASH: Right. There are Republicans, who are going along with Donald Trump's election lies, because they see it as advantageous, to their candidacies, or to their hold on power, if they're here in Washington. And there are those, who were in it, from the jump.
PHILLIP: Right.
BASH: And that is exactly who Doug Mastriano, who CNN is projecting, to be the nominee for governor, in Pennsylvania is.
And all you have to do is look at the, frankly, the Johnny-come-lately Donald Trump endorsement, just this past weekend. He explicitly said that it's because Mastriano, in his words, "Revealed the deceit, corruption and theft of 2020, in the presidential election," which is bogus, that statement is bogus. But that's what Donald Trump led with.
And one of the subplots here, in addition to the most important storyline, which is what Jake said, which is that, this is a guy, who is going to be up for the top job, the top executive job, in Pennsylvania, a critical purple state.
But the other subplot is the Donald Trump endorsement. By all accounts, and talking to Trump sources, Donald Trump endorsed him, at the sort of the late end of the campaign, because he saw him heading towards the finish line, and he wanted to--
PHILLIP: Wants to back a winner.
BASH: --jump on that.
PHILLIP: Yes. And against the advice of a lot of people around him--
BASH: Yes.
PHILLIP: --who wanted him to endorse someone else.
[21:55:00] I keep coming back to a number from the polling that David Chalian was talking about, tonight, which is the 53 percent of Pennsylvanians, who said they were burned out, by politics. And I can't help but think that one of the reasons why, might be these election lies, might be the kind of vitriol, and the infighting.
And when you're looking at this race, and you're looking at the contrast that's before voters? One of the reasons Republicans are so worried about Mastriano, is because he kind of embodies a lot of that politics that I think a lot of voters are over it.
Whether they call themselves Democrats or Republicans, a lot of voters actually just want to move on from that kind of politics.
And, as you pointed out, he's pretty deep in it. He was subpoenaed by the January 6 committee. He was at - in Washington, on January 6, for the "Stop the Steal" rally. He wanted to propose policies that would literally have allowed the State of Pennsylvania to appoint their own electors, and disregard the will of the voters.
So, the reason you're seeing so much alarm, among Republicans, is because he is as far down, in those partisan rabbit holes, as you can be. And the voters want a break, from that.
Either a break, to not think about it, or a break, cleanly, from that kind of politics? They're not going to get it with that kind of choice. And that's the opportunity, for Democrats, here, in this race.
BASH: Yes, absolutely now. Does it mean that this race is over? Absolutely not. I mean, we have seen, in two elections that the Trump ideals are very strong, but it certainly is going to be very, very tough, for Republicans.
TAPPER: Anderson?
COOPER: We continue to talk about the races, in Pennsylvania, with Mastriano, now declared the winner of the Republican primary.
David Axelrod, what does a Mastriano-Shapiro race look like?
AXELROD: Well, more favorite, probably more favorable, for a Democrat, than in most places, in the country.
Josh Shapiro is a really popular Democrat, really popular office- holder, I should say, in Pennsylvania, primarily because he is seen as a moderate, and he works the state really, really hard. Has a personal relationship with voters. And now, he's got the contrast he wanted.
As I mentioned earlier, they spent millions of dollars, basically helping Mastriano, get elected, by calling him a - the Trumpiest of Trump candidates. And so--
COOPER: They were running commercials of that?
AXELROD: They were running commercials, basically mentioning all of the positions that would actually excite the Republican base, to support him.
COOPER: So, they wanted to run against Mastriano?
AXELROD: They wanted to. Now, what you can account for, is the nature of the year--
COOPER: Right.
AXELROD: --which could be very hard, for Democrats.
But I will say this. I would look for a lot of prominent Republicans, to distance themselves, from Mastriano. And some, to endorse Shapiro, in this race, now. Because he is so far from what a Pennsylvania Democrat - Pennsylvania candidate should look like.
This is a swing state. This is a state that very closely divided. And I think Shapiro is in tonight--
WALLACE: Yes. I just want to say is--
AXELROD: --in pretty good shape.
WALLACE: --if you're the Republicans, in Pennsylvania, and not in that ballroom with Mastriano, you're pretty unhappy, because this was a state--
AXELROD: A 100 percent.
BORGER: Yes.
AXELROD: A 100 percent.
WALLACE: --in the midterms, in this year, 2022 that you thought you had a real chance of taking. It's been the Democratic Governor Tom Wolf, what, for two terms now.
And, particularly, you look ahead, to 2024, nobody's going to win the presidency without winning Pennsylvania. And suddenly, the odds are much better that the Democrat wins, the Democrat appoints the Secretary of State--
AXELROD: Absolutely.
BORGER: Well that's right.
WALLACE: --who then presides over the election. So, Republicans could not be happy. If it were Lou Barletta, the former congressman, or Bill McSwain--
(CROSSTALK)
WALLACE: --the U.S. attorney, who incidentally, Trump did an anti- endorsement--
AXELROD: Right.
BORGER: Right.
WALLACE: --because he did not fight hard enough, after the 2020 election. You got to be pretty unhappy--
BORGER: Well--
WALLACE: --is the one person - the last person, you wanted to see, get the nomination.
BORGER: Lou Barletta, who was more electable?
AXELROD: Yes.
BORGER: Came out this weekend, after Trump did his 11th hour endorsement, because he wanted somebody, whom he thought he could win. Came out and said, "Where's the loyalty?"
AXELROD: Yes.
BORGER: About Donald Trump. And that was sort of stunning to me, because I'm sort of like, "Are you kidding? Where's the loyalty?" Lou Barletta was one of the first people--
AXELROD: Yes.
BORGER: --to endorse Donald Trump. He has been out there, for him. Perhaps, he wasn't on, at the January 6 rally, or leading a group there. But, if he would have thought, if Trump - Donald Trump had any loyalty, to someone, it would have been - it would have been Lou Barletta.
AXELROD: Yes.
WALLACE: Yes, but Mastriano was going to win the race!
AXELROD: Right. He took on--
BORGER: Well, that's why he did it.
WALLACE: Exactly.
BORGER: He only did it--
AXELROD: He took out Oz insurance.
BORGER: That's right.
AXELROD: He was - he became - he began to worry about whether Dr. Oz could get over the finish line. He wanted a winner. Mastriano looked like he was going to win.
BORGER: Right, exactly.
AXELROD: So, he threw Barletta overboard.
COOPER: Let's go back to Wolf. Wolf?
BLITZER: We just got a statement, from Josh Shapiro, who is going to be the Democratic nominee for the governorship of Pennsylvania.
And we're waiting for Doug Mastriano. He's about to speak there.
