Republican candidate for Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District Tony Wied speaks on June 4, 2024, in De Pere, Wis. (Angela Major/Wisconsin Public Radio via AP)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin voters Tuesday rejected Republican-authored ballot questions that would have limited the governor’s power to spend federal money that comes to the state for such things as disaster relief, a big win for Democrats who mobilized against them.

In Wisconsin’s closely watched U.S. Senate race, Republican businessman Eric Hovde, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, easily won the primary. He advances to face Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in a race that could determine majority control of the chamber.

And in two competitive congressional primaries, Trump-backed Republican Tony Wied defeated a current and former state lawmaker in northeast Wisconsin, and Democrat Rebecca Cooke beat a state lawmaker in western Wisconsin.

Wied will face Democrat Kristin Lyerly, a doctor who sued to protect abortion rights, in the race for the open 8th Congressional District seat. Cooke will try to knock off incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL who is one of Trump’s loudest backers, in the 3rd District.

Rejection of the ballot measures was a huge win for liberals.

Democrats, including Gov. Tony Evers, and a host of liberal groups and others organized against the amendments. They had argued adopting them would slow down the distribution of money when it needs to be spent quickly.

“This was a referendum on our administration’s work and the future for Wisconsin we’ve been working hard to build together, and the answer is reflected in the people’s vote tonight,” Evers said in a statement.

Republican backers argued the measures would have added more oversight and serve as a check on the governor’s powers.

Republicans pushed the amendments after taking issue with Evers having the power to distribute billions of dollars in COVID-19 federal relief money without legislative approval.

The proposed constitutional amendment had two parts. The first stated the Legislature could not delegate its power to appropriate money. The second would require all federal funds Wisconsin receives to go through the Legislature before a governor could allocate the money.

Voters in Florence and Marinette counties voted in favor of the defeated ballot questions. In Florence County, the count was 616 yes to 354 no on the first question, and 639 yes to 334 no on the second question. In Marinette County, the first question drew 5,188 yes votes and 3,548 no, while the second question received 5,259 yes votes and 3,504 no.

Statewide, the measures failed by a margin of about 57% no to 43% yes.

In the Senate race, Hovde faced only nominal opposition and has been running as the presumptive nominee for months. He’s already spent at least $13 million of his own money on the race to knock off Baldwin, who ran unopposed in her party’s primary as she seeks a third term.

Baldwin has attacked Hovde as an out-of-touch California bank owner, while Hovde argues Baldwin is too liberal for Wisconsin. Hovde previously ran for the Senate in 2012 but lost in the primary.

In northeastern Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Marinette County, Wied defeated state Sen. Andre Jacque and former state Sen. Roger Roth.

Wied formerly owned a gas station chain and is running his first campaign for office. Trump endorsed Wied in April before Wied had officially entered the race. His primary victory was an early test of Trump’s support in a heavily Republican part of Wisconsin.

The seat is open due to former Rep. Mike Gallagher stepping down before his term was over in April. In Marinette County, Wied led with 2,882 votes, followed by Roth with 1,983 votes and Jacque with 744.

Across the district, Wied received about 40% of the vote, while Roth drew 35% and Jacque 24%.

In Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, which includes Florence County, Kyle Kilbourn won the Democratic primary and will face incumbent two-term Republican Tom Tiffany in November. Kilbourn, who has worked as a product designer and university professor, drew 58% of the vote while Elsa Duranceau received 42%.

In Florence County, Kilbourn prevailed over Duranceau, 124-119. Tiffany, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, got 657 Florence County votes.

In western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, Democrat Cooke defeated longtime state Rep. Katrina Shankland and political newcomer Eric Wilson. Cooke previously ran in 2022 for the seat but lost in the primary.

Cooke, 36, is a former small business owner and political fundraiser. She currently runs a nonprofit.

The district is a target for Democrats as they seek to win back majority control of the House. The district had been represented by a Democrat for 26 years before it flipped in 2022 and is the most competitive district in the state.

The election was also the first under new legislative maps more favorable to Democrats.

While the Trump-backed Wied won his congressional primary, two of Trump’s biggest supporters in the Wisconsin Legislature, including one endorsed by the former president, lost in primaries to more moderate Republicans.

State Rep. Janel Brandtjen, who Trump endorsed, lost in a primary to current state Sen. Dan Knodl, a race between two Republican incumbents created under newly drawn legislative districts. And former state Rep. Tim Ramthun lost to state Sen. Dan Feyen.

Both Brandtjen and Ramthun had pushed to decertify President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.

Legislative incumbents faced each other in six primaries, including four Assembly races where the new maps pitted them against each other.

The winners in Tuesday primaries will face off in November, when all 99 seats in the Assembly and half in the Senate are on the ballot.

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The Daily News contributed to this report.