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Factbox-Power of Trump’s endorsements faces test in 12 U.S. midterm primaries -Breaking

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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO – Former President Donald Trump addresses a rally in Selma (North Carolina), U.S.A, April 9, 2022. REUTERS/Erin Siegal McIntyre/File photo

(Reuters) -Ex-President Donald Trump seeks to show his dominance over the Republican Party by obtaining more than 190 endorsements from candidates in advance of the Nov. 8, midterm elections, which will decide the control of Congress for 2023-2024.

Twelve primary election picks stand out from the rest. Some of them are Republicans opposed to incumbent members.

STILL UNCONFIRMED

Mehmet Oz

* Seeks U.S. Senate seat for Pennsylvania vacated by retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey

Oz is the celebrity doctor Trump endorsed. He could now be headed to a recount against David McCormick (NYSE. The votes for the Republican primary on May 17, 2017 were still being counted. Oz was leading by about 1,000 votes, or 0.3 percent points. A gap that narrowly could trigger an automatic recount.

In what will be one of the most competitive races in November’s election, the eventual winner will meet Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman.

GOLDEN PRIMARIES

Ted Budd

* Seeks U.S. Senate seat for North Carolina vacated by retiring Republican Senator Richard Burr

Budd was a member of the House of Representatives rank and file. He had no statewide recognition prior to he ran for the Republican nomination. It is likely that it will be a close race in November. However, Trump’s endorsement helped him surge in opinion polls to easily defeat Pat McCrory (ex-North Carolina Governor) in the primary on May 17.

Budd, a Black woman, will take on Cheri Beesley in November.

J.D. Vance

* Seeks U.S. Senate seat for Ohio vacated by retiring Republican Senator Rob Portman

Trump-backed Vance won in a crowded Republican primary on May 3. He is favored for victory in November against Democrat Tim Ryan. However, some political observers anticipate a tough challenge from Ryan.

Vance is perhaps best known for his best-seller, “Hillbilly Elegy”, in which he documented the fall of Ohio factory towns to poverty and abuse of drugs. Vance has portrayed himself as an angry populist following Trump’s lead, in order to erase his previous reputation for being a Trump critic.

RACE INFO:

Herschel Walker

* Seeks to defeat incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia

* May 24 Republican primary

Walker, an ex-football player, is expected win the Republican nomination. Polls and opinion polls show that Walker could be in a tight race against Warnock who is a pastor. Trump-endorsed Walker has weaknesses, including allegations of domestic abuse. Walker-backed groups are planning ads that claim Walker can’t beat Warnock due to his baggage.

David Perdue

* Seeks to defeat Georgia incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp

* May 24 Republican primary

Perdue admitted that he had lost his U.S. Senate Seat to Jon Ossoff in 2021. However, he reversed course and claimed that the election was rigged. The evidence of fraud he cited, however, was part of a case which was eventually dismissed by a judge. Trump was furious that Kemp dismissed the false claims of his former president about election fraud, but Kemp holds an opinion poll lead of double-digits over Perdue.

Katie Arrington

* Seeks to defeat incumbent U.S. Republican Representative Nancy Mace

* June 14 Republican primary for South Carolina’s 1st congressional district

South Carolina’s state representative has challenged a Republican lawmaker who voted for Trump’s impeachment. Mace was annoyed by the ex-president shortly after he took office in January 2021. She said that Congress should consider disciplining Trump for his involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021. Arrington is trailing Mace according to public opinion polls.

Russell Fry

* Seeks to defeat incumbent U.S. Republican Representative Tom Rice

* June 14 Republican primary for South Carolina’s 7th congressional district

Trump’s choice to unseat Rice is one of only a few Republicans who voted for impeachment of the former leader. He chose a state representative with nearly half a million dollars in his campaign on March 31. This suggests a possible race against Rice.

Loren Culp

* Seeks to defeat incumbent U.S. Republican Representative Dan Newhouse

* Aug. 2 Republican primary for Washington’s 4th congressional district

Trump picked Loren, an ex-small-town chief police officer to challenge Newhouse. Culp had in March demanded the execution of a Black man who is accused of injuring and throwing a woman down the train stairs. Trump had in February endorsed Culp, angered at Newhouse’s impeachment vote 2021.

John Gibbs

* Seeks to defeat incumbent U.S. Republican Representative Peter Meijer

* Aug. 2 Republican primary for Michigan’s 3rd congressional district

Former housing officer under Trump, Gibbs’ nomination for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management head fell apart after both lawmakers questioned his past of inflamatory tweets. These included references to false conspiracy theories about Democrats or Satanism. Meijer is a far more successful fundraiser than his opponent, having voted for Trump’s impeachment. A Democrat will challenge the nominee in what is likely to be the closest House race in November.

Joe Kent

* Seeks to defeat incumbent U.S. Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler

* Aug. 2 Republican primary for Washington’s 3rd congressional district

Kent, a former special forces officer, has campaigned alongside far-right U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida. He told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he had a strategy call on social media with Nicholas Fuentes with white nationalist Nicholas Fuentes. However, he stated that he did not agree with Fuentes “ethno nationalism”. Kent’s campaign was in excess of $1 million at the bank as of March 31. This gave him a formidable challenge to Herrera Beutler who voted for impeachment Trump.

Kelly Tshibaka

* Seeks to defeat incumbent U.S. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska

* Aug. 16 open primary contest

Trump supports Tshibaka (an ex-Alaska state commissioner for administration), to unseat Murkowski. Murkowski was one of seven Republican senators that voted in favor of Trump’s impeachment on charges that he had incited to insurrection. Trump has made Alaska a proxy battle with Mitch McConnell (Republican Senate Leader), who promised to support Murkowski’s campaign.

Harriet Hageman

* Seeks to defeat incumbent U.S. Republican Representative Liz Cheney

* Aug. 16 Wyoming at-large-district Republican primary

Trump gave his support to Hageman in September 2021 as a land-use attorney, to sanction Cheney. She was then stripped from her position of No. For voting to impeach Trump on an inciting insurrection charge, the 3 House Republican. In a December poll, Hageman was ahead of Cheney by 20 percent.

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