Thursday, 22 May 2025
America Age
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Font ResizerAa
America AgeAmerica Age
Search
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
America Age > Blog > World > Trump’s influence tested in S.C., Nevada GOP primaries
World

Trump’s influence tested in S.C., Nevada GOP primaries

Enspirers | Editorial Board
Share
Trump’s influence tested in S.C., Nevada GOP primaries
SHARE

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Donald Trump notched a notable victory Tuesday when voters in South Carolina ousted a five-term incumbent Republican who supported the former president’s impeachment last year. But another Trump critic in the state held back a primary challenge, and as polls were closing in Nevada, a Senate race posed an even bigger test of the Trump’s influence over the GOP.

Nevada’s Senate GOP primary was originally expected to be a cakewalk for Adam Laxalt, one of the state’s most prominent Republicans, who has already won statewide office and attracted support from both Trump and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

Yet in the final weeks before Tuesday’s primary, Nevada’s former attorney general faced a surprisingly spirited challenge from Sam Brown. A retired Army captain and Purple Heart recipient, Brown has appeared before swelling crowds drawn to his profile as a political outsider. He bolstered his campaign with strong fundraising numbers, particularly among small-dollar donors who often represent the party’s grassroots.

Nevada and South Carolina were among several states holding elections about midway through a primary season that could reshape American politics. The races offered a chance for Trump to regain momentum after high-profile stumbles last month in his bid to dominate the GOP ahead of another presidential run. The Trump-backed candidate for governor in Georgia, for instance, was defeated by a 50-point margin.

But on Tuesday in neighboring South Carolina, one of Trump’s top GOP targets, Rep. Tom Rice, lost his primary after supporting the former president’s second impeachment last year. Trump endorsed Rice’s rival, state Rep. Russell Fry, and even traveled to the heavily Republican district earlier this year to encourage residents to vote against their congressman.

In another South Carolina House race, however, incumbent Republican Rep. Nancy Mace prevailed in her primary despite Trump recruiting someone to try to unseat her. Mace defeated former state lawmaker Katie Arrington even though she had drawn Trump’s ire for criticizing his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Speaking to reporters after the results came in, Mace sought to strike a tone of consensus, pledging to “work with anyone who’s willing to work with me, full stop.”

For his part, Trump posted a statement on his social media platform saying Arrington was a “long shot” who ran a “great race.” He offered his congratulations to Mace, who he said should easily prevail over a Democrat in the fall.

Still, much of the focus Tuesday was on Nevada, where the winner in a GOP Senate contest would go on to face Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto in what may be the GOP’s best opportunity to flip a Senate seat and regain control of the chamber.

Laxalt is well-known in the state for having served for four years as Nevada’s attorney general and campaigned unsuccessfully for governor in 2018. He’s also the grandson of former U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt.

And perhaps most importantly in GOP circles, he’s got ties to Trump. Laxalt worked on Trump’s reelection campaign and promoted his lies about election fraud in the state after the 2020 election. Trump in turn hosted Laxalt for a fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, and appeared in a campaign ad for Laxalt.

But the party’s anti-establishment base has muscled behind Brown, who was badly burned by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan and has highlighted his personal story in his outsider crusade.

“I wasn’t born into power,” Brown declared in a recent campaign ad in which he recounted how he nearly died in Afghanistan. He then smiles, saying, “It turns out I’m hard to kill.”

Brown, to the surprise of many in the state, won the endorsement of the Nevada Republican Party at a convention vote in late April and a straw poll of the Las Vegas-area GOP at a May gathering. Recent polls have shown him closing in on Laxalt, though the state, with a transient population and many late-shift workers due to the state’s tourism and casino industry, is considered fickle for pollsters.

Though Laxalt is still considered the favorite to win, both candidates are expected to have a similar chance in November at defeating Cortez Masto, who is expected to handily win her party’s endorsement over several little-known competitors.

“I imagine that Laxalt would be a stronger candidate in the general than Brown, but I don’t think it’s a substantial difference,” said Kenneth Miller, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

That’s because Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected to the Senate and successor of the late Sen. Harry Reid, is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats running for reelection this year.

Democrats broadly are facing headwinds this year, burdened by an unpopular president and rising costs. In Nevada, high prices for gas are acutely felt by residents of Las Vegas’ sprawling suburbs or those commuting from far-flung rural areas.

Those same factors could imperil the reelection of Democratic incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak, whose Republican challenger will emerge from Tuesday’s primary.

In the Nevada governor’s race, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo is considered the favorite in a crowded field and has earned the coveted endorsement from Trump.

The former president notably snubbed another Republican candidate in the race, former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, who was once a critic of Trump’s and earned a public scolding from the then-president.

Also challenging Lombardo is Joey Gilbert, a northern Nevada lawyer and former professional boxer who was outside the U.S. Capitol when it was stormed on Jan. 6, 2021. Like Brown in the Senate race, Gilbert has picked up support from the party’s base.

Trump’s false claims of fraud in the 2020 election are laced throughout some of Tuesday’s contests, including what’s normally a little-watched race for Nevada secretary of state. Republican Barbara Cegavske, who was censured by the Nevada GOP for declaring there was no fraud and defending the results as accurate, is term-limited. A crowded field of Republicans who have embraced “election integrity” concerns to varying degrees are vying to replace her.

___

Price reported from Washington.

___

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics.

Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Yellowstone flooding forces 10,000 to leave national park Yellowstone flooding forces 10,000 to leave national park
Next Article US Reps. Mace, Rice face GOP voters after defying Trump US Reps. Mace, Rice face GOP voters after defying Trump

Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!

Our commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and delivering breaking news as it happens has earned us the trust of a vast audience. Stay ahead with real-time updates on the latest events, trends.
FacebookLike
TwitterFollow
InstagramFollow
LinkedInFollow
MediumFollow
QuoraFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad image

Popular Posts

Russia’s ruble rebound raises questions of sanctions’ impact

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ruble is no longer rubble.The Russian ruble by Wednesday had bounced…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

NYT Strands hints, solutions for February 27

In the event you're studying this, you are searching for a bit assist enjoying Strands,…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Cooper Flagg’s Dunk On Saturday Is Going Viral

(Photograph by Grant Halverson/Getty Pictures)   NBA scouts and followers alike are raving about Cooper…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol Argues Ending Gender Ministry to Help Women

(Bloomberg) -- South Korea’s president argued that eliminating the ministry set up to protect women…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

You Might Also Like

Germany boosts Nato’s japanese flank amid risk from Russia – Europe stay
World

Germany boosts Nato’s japanese flank amid risk from Russia – Europe stay

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Justice secretary says new sentencing plans will result in ‘huge reduction in number of women going to prison’ – UK politics reside
World

Justice secretary says new sentencing plans will result in ‘huge reduction in number of women going to prison’ – UK politics reside

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Israel-Gaza struggle: UN dispatches assist as Netanyahu says he desires full management of Gaza – Center East disaster reside
World

Israel-Gaza struggle: UN dispatches assist as Netanyahu says he desires full management of Gaza – Center East disaster reside

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Suspect in custody after two Israeli embassy workers shot lifeless close to Washington DC Jewish museum – newest updates
World

Suspect in custody after two Israeli embassy workers shot lifeless close to Washington DC Jewish museum – newest updates

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
America Age
Facebook Twitter Youtube

About US


America Age: Your instant connection to breaking stories and live updates. Stay informed with our real-time coverage across politics, tech, entertainment, and more. Your reliable source for 24/7 news.

Company
  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement
Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
Terms of Use
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?