Neither of the candidates on Primary Defeat Watch are household names nationally. There is Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, who is trying to keep his Memphis-area seat that he won two years ago.

His problem? He's a white man who won in a majority-black district, and that outcome was not received well by some in the Congressional Black Caucus, and they've supported one of his primary challengers this time. Other CBC members though are standing with Cohen.

[Cohen caught a lot of flak when he arrived on Capitol Hill and applied for members in the Black Caucus, arguing that his majority-minority district should make him eligible for membership. He withdrew after his move drew opposition.]

Last week, Cohen was able to manage a resolution on the House floor in which the 110th Congress apologized to blacks for slavery and racial segregation in the U.S.

The timing was very interesting, and suggested to me that Cohen has friends high up in the Democratic leadership.

They didn't have to schedule that bill for a week before his primary. They could have let Cohen twist in the wind and see if he was going to win or not.

With a lot of extra money in the bank, I would be surprised if Cohen loses, but we'll see.

The other lawmaker in a bit of Primary Trouble is from Michigan, as Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick tries to move a step closer to winning re-election.

Her troubles are not of her own doing. It is simply that her son, Kwame Kilpatrick is the Mayor of Detroit. If you haven't been following his saga, then take a minute to Google it.

He's the Mayor who was caught sending rather salacious text messages to a top aide, who happened not to be his wife. If that wasn't bad enough, the Mayor didn't tell the truth about it to investigators, which has meant a broader probe for corruption.

Mayor Kilpatrick faces eight charges, including perjury and obstruction of justice.

Now his Mom has been placed in some election jeopardy as a result.

Her best hope is what helped Rep. Cohen in Memphis two years ago, and that is multiple challengers in the field, who will split a lot of the vote.

Usually, Kilpatrick hasn't had major primary opposition. That's true for most members of Congress.

What is most interesting about Kilpatrick's rise to Congress is how it parallels the situation she is in now.

Back in the 1996 Michigan primary, Kilpatrick defeated Rep. Barbara Rose Collins in a seven way primary. Collins had her own ethical issues to blame, but it shows an incumbent can be brought down, even if the field is large.

We'll see what tonight brings.