Tuesday’s primaries were a big test of Donald Trump’s political might and the results weren’t what he was expecting. After doling out a number of endorsements in key races across the country many Americans saw it as a test to see if Trump still maintained control over most of the Republican Party.
In North Carolina, Trump-backed firebrand Madison Cawthorn conceded his bid for re-election, losing the primary to state senator Chuck Edwards.
per The Daily Wire:
Cawthorn’s campaign was buffeted in recent weeks by a number of leaks about his personal behavior prior to holding office, including the leak of a nude video. Cawthorn called Edwards to concede defeat late Tuesday after results showed him trailing by about two points with almost all precincts reporting.
However, it wasn’t all bad news for Trump in North Carolina.
Congressman Ted Budd, who was one of the first candidates to secure Trump’s endorsement, won the Republican Senate nomination. Budd had been leading in the polls for months to replace retiring Sen. Richard Burr.
per The Washington Examiner:
The race also included former Gov. Pat McCrory and former Rep. Mark Walker. While Budd originally lagged in the polls, Trump at one point tried to get Walker to exit the race to consolidate his supporters behind Budd, but Walker stayed in the race.
Budd’s fortunes, however, began to turn not just due to Trump’s endorsement but also his backing from outside groups, perhaps most notably the Club for Growth, which reportedly spent about $11 million to support him.
Budd will likely go on to face Cheri Beasley, a Democrat former chief justice of the state Supreme Court, in the general election.
Separately in North Carolina, another Trump-endorsed candidate secured a big win Tuesday night.
Sandy Smith secured the Republican nomination in North Carolina’s 1st District for the second election cycle in a row, emerging from a crowded primary as she competes for the district’s first open seat since 1994. Smith will face off against Democrat state Sen. Don Davis in November’s election
Moving up to Pennsylvania the highly anticipated GOP Senate primary is off to a rocky start. Trump-endorsed candidate Mehmet Oz and Dave McCormick are going into overtime after the primary results were too close to call Tuesday night.
The margin is currently within the 0.5%which triggers an automatic recount, so it may be a while before a winner is determined.
Mail-in ballots are still being counted, and absentee ballots take days to count. By law, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State must order a recount by 5 pm May 26 if the margin stays with .05%.
per Fox News:
“We’re not going to have a result tonight,” Oz said before predicting, “after the votes are tallied, I am confident that we will win. We are making a ferocious charge.”
“Let’s start with 45 – President Trump,” Oz said to cheers. “President Trump, after he endorsed me, continued to lean into this race in Pennsylvania…. God bless you sir for putting so much effort into this race. I will make you proud.”
McCormick told supporters at his gathering in Pittsburgh that “we’re not going to have resolution tonight, but we can see the path ahead. We can see victory.”
However, in Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial primary Trump-endorsed Doug Mastriano secured the Republican nomination
