Election Favors GOP, But Squabbles Spawned By Trump Continue

In several states, including Arizona, Ohio, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, the primary fields are still wide open, with plenty of room for Trump or establishment Republicans to try to influence the outcome, Jennifer Haberkorn reported for LA Times.

Photo Insert: Former Governor Eric Greitens

The state that could provide Republicans the most heartburn is Missouri, where several Trump supporters are contending for the nomination — and the endorsement. Among them is former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in 2018 over investigations into claims that he sexually assaulted and blackmailed his hairdresser.

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt pleaded with Trump last month to not back him, expressing confidence that if Greitens got the nomination, Republicans would lose the seat. There are several candidates who have already garnered endorsements from Trump in contested primaries, including Rep. Mo Brooks in Alabama and Rep. Ted Budd of North Carolina.

Even if Trump-favored candidates don’t make it through primaries or end up losing their races, the conference is all but certain to be more closely aligned with the former president than it is today.

Several of the GOP senators who chose retirement kept varying degrees of distance from Trump and are close with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), including Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Rob Portman of Ohio, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Richard Shelby of Alabama. Toomey and Burr voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial.

“In some of the safer seats, who replaces them is going to matter,” said Jessica Taylor, who tracks Senate races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. “These are all people who would not make McConnell’s life easy by any means. He’d be getting more [Sens.] Josh Hawley-, Ted Cruz-types than he is John Thune-types, certainly.”

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic