Trump keeps winning Republican primaries; his losses may be more revealing
President Donald Trump took to social media ahead of the latest round of Republican primary elections to emphasize, “My Endorsements are stronger than ever….There has never been anything close!”
The numbers back up the president’s assertions that despite some setbacks, he remains the ultimate kingmaker in GOP nomination showdowns.
According to a Fox News Trump Primary Endorsement Tracker, the president is batting a thousand in Senate primaries so far this cycle, with all 24 of his endorsed candidates winning their contests.
In House races, Trump has a nearly perfect record, with 214 of the 218 candidates he endorsed winning their primaries.
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In gubernatorial showdowns, Trump-backed candidates have suffered a handful of high-profile defeats, but overall, 16 of the 21 contenders for governor the president has endorsed have captured the party’s nomination.
This week, Trump-backed candidates scored statewide victories in two very competitive contests.
Trump-endorsed Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina, who was recently appointed to fill the remaining months of her late brother Sen. Lindsey Graham‘s current term, edged conservative Rep. Ralph Norman in a runoff to win the GOP Senate nomination for November’s election. Graham will face the Democratic nominee in November in the race for the final months of her late brother’s Senate term.
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In Oklahoma, former state budget secretary and former state Sen. Mike Mazzei captured the GOP gubernatorial nomination by just 2,000 votes over rival Gentner Drummond, the state attorney general.
“I supported and ENDORSED two so-called ‘underdogs’ yesterday, one from South Carolina, and the other from Oklahoma, and they BOTH WON,” the president posted on social media Wednesday, following Tuesday’s primaries.
The president pulled out all the stops to help push Graham, whose stumble over international affairs during a debate last week grabbed national attention, over the finish line.
Trump headlined a rally for Graham on Friday in Myrtle Beach, where he pledged federal funding for a long proposed new interstate highway in South Carolina. He also held a tele-rally for her on the eve of the primary. And MAGA Inc, the top Trump-aligned super PAC, dished out nearly $900,000 to support Graham’s campaign.
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But the Trump endorsement hasn’t proven to be a sure bet this cycle in South Carolina.
Trump backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for the GOP gubernatorial nomination — in the race to succeed the term-limited McMaster — ahead of the state’s early June primary.
Evette was the top vote-getter in the primary but lost the ensuing runoff election against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in a landslide. And Trump, ever hungry for a victory, endorsed Wilson in addition to Evette days before the runoff.
It’s undeniable that Trump has dramatically reshaped the GOP since his first White House victory a decade ago, with the populist MAGA and America First wings gaining prominence over more traditional fiscal and social conservatives.
And the president’s grip over party politics remains extremely firm.
But he has had some setbacks, with five of his gubernatorial picks in Republican primaries this year going down to defeat. Besides South Carolina’s Evette, that list includes Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa, who lost nominating contests this spring. And two weeks ago, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder and Minnesota businessman and “My Pillow” founder and former CEO Mike Lindell fell short.
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Meanwhile, two House incumbents endorsed by the president also lost their bids for renomination this month: Reps. Andy Ogles of Tennessee and Cory Mills of Florida, who was facing multiple controversies.
“The Republican Party is Trump’s party, and there’s no question that an endorsement from the president provides a tremendous boost in a Republican primary. But it doesn’t necessarily mean the candidate’s going to win,” veteran GOP strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News Digital.
Williams said that “the president still has a firm grip on the party, even in places where a candidate he backed loses a nomination.” But he noted that “if there are underlying issues with a candidacy, those can pose problems that even an endorsement can’t overcome.”
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