By Jarrett Renshaw

PHILADELPHIA, Reuters – Although Donald Trump is not present in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate election race, he is still shaping the election. Republican candidates are competing for Trump’s support. The state party is considering skipping endorsements to stay at the same side as him.

Trump did not say whether or not he would support any current candidate in the race that could determine control of Congress during November’s midterm election.

There are many candidates in the Republican field that will be replacing Senator Pat Toomey, including Carla Sands (ex-ambassador to Denmark for Trump); Mehmet Oz, a celebrity doctor; David McCormick, CEO of hedge funds (NYSE:), whose spouse served under Trump.

Trump’s silence has left the state party considering the rare – and perhaps unprecedented – step of not endorsing a candidate in the state’s marquee race for fear of not moving in step with Trump, sources told Reuters.

Trump is attempting to make the Midterm Elections king-maker, proving that he can still hold the Republican Party’s iron grip.

Even though he lost his 2020 election bid, he appears to have succeeded in the battleground states, partly due to President Joe Biden’s victory there and false concerns about voting fraud.

Trump’s absence in Pennsylvania has left the Republican Party struggling for power. The party is uncertain how it will proceed with the endorsement. This year, this would take place in February. It has been an asset for candidates.

According to interviews with state party members from Pennsylvania and Republican Party officers in Pennsylvania, they said that it was difficult for them not to vote for one Senate candidate. Both the 12 strong candidates in the field and the possibility of Trump approving a third candidate were reasons they cited.

Some stated that they prefer to support multiple candidates in order to maintain the influence of the committee and to ensure their support for Trump if he chooses to participate. The party could not recall any instance in which it supported a candidate for more than one race.

The request for comment was not returned by the state partie.

“Trump is looming over this whole thing. Everyone knows if Trump comes out and endorses a candidate, then all bets are off,” said Val Biancaniello, a Republican organizer.

According to Reuters results, members overwhelmingly voted no in endorsements at regional caucuses before a state conference.

Frank Schiefer from Pennsylvania is a Republican state chairman who stated that he won’t vote for a Senate candidate. He said that Trump’s endorsement could have convinced him to vote against the candidate.

Schiefer stated that “It would have changed the way I approach it”, but not the only factor.

TRUMP TIES

McCormick entered the race in this month’s election and recruited several people from Trump’s circle to act as advisors. While the Oz campaign didn’t respond to queries about endorsements, they noted that McCormick has a “long-standing” relationship. McCormick and Sands did not reply to our requests for comment.

Jeff Bartos is a real estate developer and has strong support in the Republican Party, but he lacks some Trump ties like his rivals.

Two sources close to Trump’s thinking say that Trump may withhold his endorsement until he knows who the most likely winner is.

Former president is still haunted by his unsuccessful first run in the race. He backed Sean Parnell, but he dropped out of November amid claims that Parnell had abused his wife.

Sources said Trump would prefer to avoid embarrassing setbacks in states that are considered crucial if he ran for the presidency again. Tyler Budowich, Trump’s spokesperson, did not reply to inquiries for comment.

Although the primary election was originally scheduled for May, it is likely to be delayed due to difficulties in finalizing state and congressional district maps. Democrats are backed by a large number of Senate candidates. They hope that the Republican primary will produce a Trump-aligned candidate, which would be more difficult to appeal to moderate voters.

Lee Snover, a member of the state party committee said that Trump has not given her any indications about his plans. She asked each senator candidate how often they talked to him in order to get an idea of his future intentions.

Snover said, “I sure would like Trump to just endorse.” He is also chair of Northampton County Republican Party. It would simplify the whole process.