They may have flown a little under-the-radar nationally, but Tuesday’s elections provided some clues to where Republicans and Democrats stand heading into the November elections. And all arrows point to former President Trump’s strong grip on the GOP.
Trump-backed candidate former Army Capt. Sam Brown coasted to a win in Nevada’s GOP Senate primary to face Sen. Jacky Rosen (D) this fall.
The win came after the GOP fight took a dramatic MAGA-fied turn this week when Trump snubbed dermatologist Jeffrey Gunter, who served as the former president’s ambassador to Iceland.
Gunter insinuated the endorsement was part of a pay-to-play scheme from Trump’s “handlers.” Trump’s team and National Republicans denied the accusation and deemed Gunter a candidate who couldn’t win in the general.
Across the country in South Carolina, incumbent Rep. Nancy Mace (R) fended off a challenger backed by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Mace, one of the eight GOP House members who successfully voted to take the leadership post from McCarthy last year, defeated challenger Catherine Templeton, 57 percent to 30 percent.
A special election for a ruby-red Congressional seat in Ohio was unexpectedly close, but Republicans pulled off a win in the end with Michael Rulli (R) coming out ahead of Michael Kripchak (D) in a 54 to 45 percent outcome. Kripchak’s stronger-than-expected showing has been seen as a potential preview of Democratic turnout in swing states.
The Hill’s Jared Gans has more on the election night results.
