WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Is there a future in politics for Republicans who cross President ?
The signs this year suggest no, and Trump has convinced his voters to defeat his adversaries and . The next test of the president’s power to extract retribution is on Tuesday, when Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky faces a Trump-backed primary challenger.
Massie has been a thorn in the president’s side for pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, opposing the war with Iran and voting against Trump’s signature tax legislation last year.
Here are some things to watch as voters in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon and Pennsylvania cast ballots on Tuesday.
Will Trump鈥檚 endorsement continue to carry the day?
Trump has repeatedly shown that Republican primary voters will follow his lead, even as his popularity wanes with the broader electorate.
In Kentucky, he’s supporting first-time candidate Ed Gallrein over Massie, who has been in office since 2012. Massie is trying to convince Republicans that they can support at the same time, a proposition that has been tried unsuccessfully in other races around the country.
On Saturday, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana , unable to repair his relationship with Trump five years after voting to convict him during his second impeachment trial. And earlier this month, Trump successfully of seven Indiana Republicans he targeted for voting against his redistricting plan.
Trump is flexing his influence in other places on Tuesday as well.
In the race for governor, in an unexpectedly ugly battle for the Republican nomination. Jones, who comes from a wealthy Georgia family, has given his campaign $19 million. But billionaire , a health care tycoon, has put more than $83 million of his fortune into the race. Trump鈥檚 endorsement power has rarely been tested against that level of lopsided spending.
Trump stayed on the sidelines of Georgia鈥檚 Senate race, leaving a crowded field of hopefuls seeking to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who鈥檚 running unopposed for his party鈥檚 nomination. But in , Trump endorsed Rep. Barry Moore for Senate to replace Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor.
A test for Shapiro in Pennsylvania
It鈥檚 no secret that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro may run for the White House.
But on Tuesday, the Democrat鈥檚 political clout where he鈥檚 working to elect a slate of House candidates that he thinks will give his party the best chance to flip Republican seats in the fall.
Shapiro鈥檚 endorsed candidates include , mayor of Scranton; Bob Brooks, president of the state firefighters鈥� union; and , a former television news personality who narrowly lost two years ago.
As popular as he may be, Shapiro鈥檚 endorsements haven鈥檛 scared off Democratic rivals, who are fighting to defeat the governor鈥檚 picks 鈥� and perhaps send a message that he鈥檚 not as strong as he鈥檇 like to be with the 2028 presidential contest looming.
Politically homeless in Georgia?
Georgia is about to feature a fresh case study in the divergent paths available to Republicans who defy Trump.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan were among the few Republicans to speak out against Trump鈥檚 attempt to overturn his 2020 loss.
Both are now running for governor 鈥� Raffensperger as a Republican and Duncan as a Democrat 鈥� and both are trying to convince voters to look past things they said in the past.
Raffensperger is spending millions of his own money trying to by reminding them of his long career in conservative politics before defying Trump.
Duncan, meanwhile, that they can trust him after renouncing his prior opposition to abortion rights, gun control and the expansion of Georgia’s Medicaid program.
The primaries will go to a runoff on June 16 if nobody gets 50% of the vote on Tuesday.
Chaos in Alabama?
Confusion may reign across Alabama on Tuesday as votes cast in four of the state鈥檚 seven congressional districts may not be counted.
That鈥檚 because Republican Gov. Kay Ivey moved just last week to , emboldened by the recent that hollowed out the Voting Rights Act. Republicans across Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee are now scrambling to redraw congressional boundaries to eliminate some majority-Black U.S. House districts to .
Over the weekend, in Alabama against the changes, but the redistricting plan is moving forward.
That means that ballots cast Tuesday in primaries for Alabama鈥檚 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th congressional districts will be voided, the secretary of state says, while state officials restore a .
You鈥檇 be excused for being confused. Alabama voters will still choose nominees Tuesday as planned for the 3rd, 4th and 5th congressional districts, as well as for U.S. Senate and a full slate of state and local offices.
Rep. David Scott’s death is a reminder of Democratic gerontocracy
The late Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., was the this term, fueling a growing restlessness on the left over the party’s aging leadership. Scott, who was 80 when he died, was seeking a 13th term.
Scott’s name will appear on the ballot alongside five other candidates running in the Democratic primary, but votes for him will not be counted. Whether someone wins on Tuesday or the race goes to a runoff on June 16, the Democratic nominee is almost certain to win the general election in a district that tilts overwhelmingly toward the Democrats.
A special election on July 28 will decide who finishes the remainder of Scott’s term, with a runoff on Aug. 25 if nobody gets a majority.
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