Two winners and two losers from the Nebraska and West Virginia primaries
VoxDec 28, 2021
Trump Receives Mixed Results in GOP primaries in West Virginia, Nebraska
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Image copyright: Politico
The Facts
Former Pres. Trump saw mixed results for his chosen candidates in the GOP primaries held in West Virginia and Nebraska on Tuesday.
In Nebraska, Trump-backed Charles Herbster was defeated by Jim Pillen in the race to be the Republican party's candidate for governor. This comes only a week after the former president spoke at a rally in support of the agribusiness executive.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
Trump is now 58-1 in midterm primaries victories so far, with J.D. Vance, who earned Ohio's GOP nomination for US Senate last week, being his most notable win. While the candidates have worked hard for their nominations, it's undoubtedly been Trump's stamp of approval - most obvious in Vance's case - that provided the final push needed to win. The former president clearly remains Kingmaker of the GOP.
Democratic narrative
The jury is still out on Trump's influence within the GOP. While he will almost certainly brag about his winning record - with Herbster being his first chosen candidate to lose - given that most so far have been incumbents likely to win anyways, the results aren't really all that impressive. Besides, right-wing candidates with strong media presence were doing well even before Trump showed up; perhaps the right's powerful media ecosystem is the real Kingmaker of the GOP?
