Sorting Out The Statewides
In Maine, voters finalized a matchup between the states two most recent governors: incumbent Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and former Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
And while GOP Sen. Tim Scott and GOP Gov. Henry McMaster are both heavy favorites to win their respective elections in South Carolina in November, the primary to face McMaster was a bitter one between former Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham, the nominee, and state Sen. Mia McLeod.
More: Gop Rep Tom Rice Says Impeaching Trump Was ‘the Conservative Vote’
But finally, on Tuesday, Trump was able to handedly bump off one of the most vocal of that list, GOP Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina, rendering him out of a job come November. Rice was one of 10 Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment, a “conservative vote” he told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl that he would make again in a heartbeat, even if it cost him his job. And lost his job he did, to MAGA-world challenger Russell Fry, who was quick to paint Rice as a traitor to his party. The demographic makeup of Rice’s district, toward the northern border of the state where voters trend far more conservative, may have also contributed to the massive backlash against him, pushing folks toward Fry’s direction.
Now, with newly-won swagger, Trump will undoubtedly charge on to try to defeat another Republican who supported impeachment, and maybe his biggest enemy yet, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney. The question remains: Can Trump’s lightning — and political luck — strike twice?
Nancy Mace’s tightrope walk pays off in Trump proxy war
Trump seems to be trying to save face somewhat, saying on Truth Social Tuesday night that Arrington was a “long shot” and Mace will “easily” be able to defeat a Democratic opponent come November.
‘Big lie’ gets big win in Nevada senate race
Election Deniers Win In Nevada
Adam Laxaltwon a Senate primary and will face the incumbent, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, who is seen as one of the most vulnerable Democrats this fall. Mr. Laxalt, a former attorney general, was endorsed by Mr. Trump and had helped lead his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Nevada.
Joseph Lombardo, the Las Vegas sheriff, won the Republican nomination for governor and will face the incumbent, Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat.
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Trumps Future: Nine Possibilities
As former President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial begins, it shines a light on a new reality: although its been nearly 100 days since Trump lost his re-election he is not going away, at least in the short term. What will become of Trump? Here are nine possible outcomes for Trumps futurethe first four possibilities keep him in the middle of national politics in the latter five, he would more likely fade away.
1. Leading the Trumpublican faction of the GOP
Over the course of four years as president, Trump masterfully consolidated Republican voters into a cult of personality. His hardcore supporters were willing to believe anything that left his lips, regardless of evidence to the contrary. They were willing to put their own lives at risk as he huddled them together at rallies and mocked those taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They were willing to commit insurrection against their own government, all in his name and to support his lies about election malfeasance.
That non-trivial group of Republican and Republican-leaning voters is not going away, and they remain loyal not to the party but to Donald Trump. It remains to be seen exactly how large this group is, how much power they will wield in Republican primaries and whether a non-Trumpublican candidate can consolidate the remainder of the party.
2. Uniting MAGA to form a third party
Donald Trump Is Losing More Primary Races Than He’d Like You To Know
The question of how much influence Donald Trump‘s influence continues to have for GOP voters continued in the wake of the primaries in Nebraska and West Virginia, with the former president’s endorsements having a mixed night.
Before the polls opened on Tuesday in both states, Trump had endorsed 55 candidates who all went on to win their respective primaries or advance into a runoff22 in Ohio and Indiana and 33 in Texas.
The run came to an end after Trump’s pick in the GOP gubernatorial election in Nebraska, Charles Herbster, lost the election to Jim Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent endorsed by outgoing term-limited Governor Pete Ricketts.
However, as noted by Politico, Trump may have also lost another election in Nebraska that night as Representative Don Bacon managed to hold onto his seat after getting a resounding 77 percent of the votes on Tuesday.
Trump has held a grudge against Bacon for several months and has frequently spoken of his desire for the congressman to be voted out of office.
In November 2021, Trump urged people to run against Bacon and 12 other Republicans who voted to approve President Joe Biden‘s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Also on the list was Representative David McKinley, who lost the GOP primary to Trump-endorsed Representative Alex Mooney in West Virginia‘s newly-formed 2nd Congressional District.
“I think Steve will do well. Good luck, Steve, whoever the hell you are,” Trump said.
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Republican Primaries Offer Look Into Future Of Trumpism Without Trump
The ex-president suffered some humiliation when his candidates lost in the Georgia primaries but the hard-right strain of Republican politics will survive
In his campaign heyday, Donald Trump would declare it the greatest movement in the history of politics and promise: Were going to win so much, youre going to be so sick and tired of winning.
What never occurred to him was that the Make America Great Again movement or Maga might get sick and tired of him first.
The former US president suffered some humiliation on Tuesday when four candidates he handpicked in Georgia lost Republican primary elections in a landslide. It was a stinging rebuke in what has become ground zero for his big lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
But it was no rebuke of Maga and all it stands for.
The hard-right, nativist-populist strain of Republican politics predates Trump and will surely survive him. This years primary season winners in Georgia and elsewhere have been careful not to disavow the movement, or its patriarch, even when they lack his blessing.
Donald Trump has transformed the Republican party over the past five years and it is now a solid majority Trumpist party with everything that entails in policy and in tone, said Bill Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington. On the other hand, Republicans, including very conservative ones, are clearly willing to entertain the possibility of Trumpism without Trump.
Top Takeaways From Tuesday’s Primaries As November’s Key Contests Come Into Focus
CNN’s Eric Bradner, Dan Merica and Gregory Krieg
Donald Trump on Tuesday once again showcased his control over the GOP’s open primaries, as the former President’s chosen candidate won Wisconsin‘s Republican primary for governor over a rival backed by former Vice President Mike Pence and much of the party’s establishment in the battleground state.
In Minnesota, meanwhile, Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive “squad,” survived a surprisingly close contest for her Minneapolis-based House seat.
In Vermont, state Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint is on a path to become the first woman to represent the state in Congress.
And in Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont and Sen. Richard Blumenthal got their GOP challengers in reelection races they’re expected to win in November.
Here are some of the big takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries:
Trump triumphs as Wisconsin’s GOP establishment falls
Former President Donald Trump again demonstrated his influence over the Republican Party on Tuesday, as the Trump-backed construction company owner Tim Michels defeated former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary.
Michels’ win is the end of an era in Wisconsin: Kleefisch was backed by former Gov. Scott Walker, who built the political machine that won three governor’s races, including a recall election.
She was also endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence, who has attempted in recent months to steer the GOP away from Trump’s election denialism.
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Victories In Illinois With Outside Help
State Senator Darren Bailey, who got a last-minute endorsement from Mr. Trump, won the Republican primary for governor. Democratic spending, including by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, may have helped Mr. Bailey, whom Democrats saw as easier to beat in the general election.
Representative endorsed by Mr. Trump months ago, won her House primary against fellow Representative Rodney Davis after redistricting put them in the same district.
In Georgia Several Losses And One Victory
Gov. Brian Kemp easily defeated former Senator David Perdue, Mr. Trumps handpicked candidate, in the Republican primary for governor. Mr. Kemp became a Trump target after he refused to overturn the presidents loss in the state in 2020. He will face the Democratic nominee, Stacey Abrams, whom he narrowly defeated four years ago.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who refused Mr. Trumps demand to find additional votes after his 2020 loss, also defeated a Trump-endorsed challenger, Representative Jody Hice.
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A Bad Democratic Bet In The Gop Primaries
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In February, 2021, a few weeks after Peter Meijer became one of only ten Republican members of Congress to vote to impeach Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection, he met with some of the people in his district, in western Michigan, for a virtual town hall. One of them said that she was very disappointed by his vote. Why, she asked him, arent you doing what your constituents want you to do?
That question weighed on me, Meijer replied. Hed known that many of the Trump-supporting voters whod just sent him to Congressit was his first termwould believe that hed betrayed them. Thinking about their reaction made him heartsick. But what he asked himself, he said, was, How do I balance that immediate feeling with what we need to do as a country, what I feel my party needs to do, and where I hope we can go?
Voters may tire of it, tooanother risk for Democrats. If, when surveying the strange shape of the G.O.P. field, with its collection of the extreme, the improbable, and the outlandish, Democrats sound gleeful rather than dismayed or alarmed, voters faith in their seriousness could be diminished. They could come across as hypocrites and fakes, at a time when voters say they are looking for authenticity. And they could sound like part of a party that doesnt have faith in its ability to win an election on the strength of its own policies and ideals.
Cnn Projection: Democrat Peter Welch Will Face Republican Gerald Malloy In Vermont Senate Race
From CNN staff
Rep. Peter Welch will win Vermont’s Democratic Senate primary, CNN projects, and will face Republican nominee Gerald Malloy in the general election in November.
Both candidates defeated two other challengers in each of their primaries on Tuesday.
The candidates are running to fill retiring Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahys seat.
Welch, who has held the states at-large congressional seat since 2006, announced his run for Senate last year after Leahy said he would be retiring at the end of the term.
Welch is a chief deputy whip of the House Democratic Caucus and has pushed for energy reform.
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Trump Bet On 13 Candidates In Tuesday’s Primaries Here’s Who Won
Donald Trump tried to defeat two South Carolina reps that crossed him. He managed to take down one.
06/15/2022 07:46 AM EDT
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Former President Donald Trumps focus on two congressional races in South Carolina shows just how far hell go to get back at Republicans who he feels have spurned him.
GOP Reps. Nancy Mace and Tom Rice both blamed Trump for his role in perpetuating the events of Jan. 6. After the riots, Mace called out the then-president, saying he needed to get off Twitter to communicate peace, while Rice voted with nine other House Republicans to impeach Trump . Then, Trump endorsed challengers against both of them in primaries this year.
Mace survived, defeating Trump-backed Katie Arrington. But Rice cratered notching just a quarter of the vote on his way to primary defeat.
Rices loss was yet another example of Trumps taste for revenge against those who crossed him.
No Maine candidates got a Trump endorsement Biden won the state by around 9 percent in 2020.
Endorsements By Donald Trump
| Donald Trump |
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This page is updated weekly with endorsements made by President Donald Trump .
During Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021, Ballotpedia tracked 305 endorsements. Since Trump left office, Ballotpedia has tracked 240 additional endorsements for a total of 545 endorsements. This page was last updated August 8, 2022.
Endorsements include official statements, appearances at campaign rallies, and direct participation in campaign ads and materials. Endorsements issued prior to a special election where the candidate is also running in a regularly scheduled election on the same day are counted as endorsements in both races. Battleground primary endorsements are listed in the appropriate general election or special election section, in addition to the battleground primary section.
Are we missing an endorsement? Email us at .
This page organizes Trump’s endorsements into three groups:
- Regular endorsements: Trump’s endorsements in regularly scheduled elections, both before and after primaries.
- Battleground primary endorsements: Trump’s endorsements in Ballotpedia’s battleground primaries.
| Endorsements overview |
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Trump Made 42 Endorsements In Recent Primaries Here’s Who Won
Trump’s endorsement board was filled with a slate of election denying candidates. But some key races have been tighter than he would like.
08/10/2022 09:37 AM EDT
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Former President Donald Trump went all-in on several election-denying candidates for the Aug. 2 primaries but as the votes rolled in, he seemed to come out on shaky ground.
Many highly watched races have yet to be called, including for two GOP pro-impeachment incumbents: Washington Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse. Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, who voted to impeach Trump as one of his first acts in Congress, conceded defeat to a former official in Trumps administration early Wednesday morning. The fact that these battles were, and are, close might signal Trumps hold on the party is loosening.
A couple races have been tighter than Trump would like: Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has just a few points over Karrin Taylor Robson and the results are pending. Still, Trumps chosen candidate for Arizona secretary of state, Mark Finchem, blew past the competition and Senate hopeful Blake Masters also ended the night more than 10 points ahead of rival Jim Lamon.
Aug 9:
The former president also endorsed more down ballot candidates in Michigan than anywhere else, making good on his promise from when he visited the state in April: This is not just about 2022 This is about making sure Michigan is not rigged and stolen again in 2024.
Trump Endorsed 16 Candidates In Tuesdays Primaries Here Are The Winners
The former president ran the table with his endorsements Tuesday. But he largely backed candidates who were likely to win anyway.
06/09/2022 09:39 AM EDT
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Donald Trump came into Tuesdays primaries on the heels of a dismal May 24 performance, when his endorsements in Georgia largely proved to be a flop.
This time around, he didnt have as much at stake: Trump didnt endorse in any heavily contested primaries, nor did he support any challengers to Republican incumbents. For the most part, the former president backed incumbents who were expected to easily dispatch little-known opponents and a few open-seat House candidates in California.
Among his endorsements this week: GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California.
Notably, Trump refrained from backing a primary challenger to California Rep. David Valadao, who was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him last year.
Made the general election by finishing in first place.
He voted to overturn 2020 election results.
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The Results Came Amid A Nationwide Battle Over The Future Of The Gop That Raged In Primaries Across Five States Tuesday
Several election deniers backed by former president Donald Trump prevailed in closely-watched primaries held Tuesday, as a nationwide battle over the future of the GOP played out in state and federal races across five states.
In Michigan, Rep. Peter Meijer, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump last year, fell in defeat to John Gibbs, a former Trump administration official who ran with the ex-presidents support and embraced his false claims of a stolen election. Meijer, who is in his first term, becomes the second GOP House member ousted in a primary after supporting the impeachment of Trump for inciting a riot with false claims of a stolen election. Meijer issued a statement conceding before the race was called.
In Arizona, state lawmaker Mark Finchem part of a national coalition of far-right candidates who baselessly reject the 2020 election results and want to oversee the vote in 2024 was projected to win the Republican nomination for GOP secretary of state. Blake Masters, a first-time candidate who spent most of his career in Silicon Valley as a protege of tech billionaire Peter Thiel and has said he thinks Trump won in 2020, was projected to win the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the state. Both were backed by Trump.
Trump signaled Monday he would weigh in at the last minute then announced his support for ERIC, leaving voters to choose between two people who had clamored for his approval.
