Primary Election Results Highlight Status of Trump's Influence Over the Republican Party

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Primary election results on Tuesday highlight the status of former President Donald Trump's influence on the Republican party as his endorsements have faced struggles against rivals.

The situation has also put into question the strength of the Republican businessman's choices as the results underscored the extent to which the former president has molded the party in his image. Rep. Ted Budd, Trump's favored Senate candidate in North Carolina, won his primary decisively.

Republican Primaries and Trump's Influence

However, others who had received the former president's support and endorsement, including Rep. Madison Cawthorn and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, were defeated. What was even more disappointing for the Republican businessman is that his endorsed Pennsylvania candidate in the Senate primary, Mehmet Oz, is currently in a tight race against hedge fund manager Dave McCormick.

While some of the results showed Trump's endorsements lost, they did not indicate his defeat. However, they could stoke further questions about the extent to which he can clear primary fields and play kingmaker for the GOP, as per The Hill.

In a statement, Republican strategist Doug Heye said that Trump's endorsement was a good ticket but noted that it was not a "golden ticket." He noted that it was simply similar to endorsements by previous presidents, including Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

Heye noted that the Republican Party was more broadly turning "Trumpier," whether it was with or without the former president. He said that to him, that is the broader and more important story moving forward with the elections.

According to the Independent, the defeat of Cawthorn, who has been facing a scandal, was met with celebration among former President Trump's critics, including some from within the GOP. Many in the party have wanted to see the congressman removed from office because of his extreme statements and outlandish behavior.

The Republican Party

On the other hand, Trump has taken to his Truth Social platform to baselessly suggest that mail-in ballots were fraudulent in Pennsylvania. Only a small portion of the vote is yet to be counted, and Oz and McCormick are within the 0.5-point margin that triggers an automatic recount. The situation raises the possibility that mail-in ballots could put McCormick ahead of his rival.

In the last three weeks, the primary elections of the Republican Party have presented a muddled picture of Trump's influence. Some of the former president's endorsements have had a major impact in some races.

The Republican businessman has shown the ability, in most competitive primaries, to direct roughly one-third of Republican voters to support his chosen candidates. While the number may seem modest, it is the same percentage he received in the most competitive primary elections in 2016 when he was on his way to the presidential nomination.

Some of Trump's defeats include Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster who Republican voters rejected after being accused by a Republican state senator and numerous other women of predatory sexual behavior. The former president has chosen to stand by Herbster after the allegations were made and even held a rally with him, Yahoo News reported.