Will Republicans who challenge former President Donald Trump have any political future?
Evidence throughout this election cycle points to no, as Trump has successfully rallied his supporters to defeat opponents repeatedly. Tuesday’s primaries will provide another measure of the former president’s ability to seek revenge, with Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie confronting a Trump-endorsed primary opponent.
Massie has irritated the former president by advocating for Jeffrey Epstein file releases, opposing Iranian conflict, and rejecting Trump’s major tax bill from last year.
Voters in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon and Pennsylvania will head to the polls Tuesday in several key contests.
Trump has consistently demonstrated that GOP primary voters will support his choices, despite his declining appeal among general election voters.
In Kentucky, he’s backing newcomer Ed Gallrein against Massie, who has served since 2012. Massie is attempting to persuade Republicans they can back both him and Trump simultaneously, a strategy that has failed in other contests nationwide.
Last Saturday, Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy couldn’t even reach a runoff, failing to rebuild his Trump relationship five years after supporting conviction in the second impeachment. Earlier this month, Trump successfully removed five of seven Indiana Republicans he opposed for rejecting his redistricting proposal.
Trump is exercising his sway in additional Tuesday races.
For Georgia governor, Trump supports Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in a surprisingly contentious Republican primary fight. Jones, from a wealthy Georgia family, has contributed $19 million to his campaign. However, billionaire Rick Jackson, a healthcare mogul, has invested over $83 million of his personal wealth. Trump’s endorsement strength has seldom faced such dramatically unequal funding.
Trump remained neutral in Georgia’s Senate contest, leaving multiple candidates competing to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who faces no primary opposition. In Alabama, Trump backed Rep. Barry Moore for Senate to succeed Tommy Tuberville, who is seeking the governor’s office.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s potential White House ambitions are well-known.
Tuesday will test the Democrat’s political influence in Pennsylvania, where he’s promoting House candidates he believes offer the party’s strongest opportunity to capture Republican seats this fall.
Shapiro’s endorsed slate features Paige Cognetti, Scranton’s mayor; Bob Brooks, state firefighters’ union president; and Janelle Stelson, a former TV news anchor who came close to winning two years earlier.
Despite his popularity, Shapiro’s backing hasn’t deterred Democratic opponents, who are campaigning to beat the governor’s choices — possibly demonstrating he’s not as powerful as desired with 2028’s presidential race approaching.
Georgia will showcase contrasting approaches for Republicans who challenged Trump.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan were among few Republicans criticizing Trump’s efforts to reverse his 2020 defeat.
Both are now gubernatorial candidates — Raffensperger as a Republican and Duncan as a Democrat — attempting to persuade voters to overlook their previous statements.
Raffensperger is investing millions personally to reintroduce himself to Republicans by highlighting his extensive conservative political background before opposing Trump.
Duncan is working to gain Democratic trust after abandoning his previous stances against abortion rights, gun control and Georgia’s Medicaid expansion.
Primaries will advance to June 16 runoffs if no candidate achieves 50% Tuesday.
Alabama may experience widespread confusion Tuesday as votes in four of seven congressional districts might not count.
Republican Gov. Kay Ivey just last week delayed those primaries until Aug. 11, encouraged by the recent Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act. Republicans throughout Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee are now rushing to redraw congressional maps to remove some majority-Black House districts for maximum political benefit.
Thousands of civil rights advocates protested the changes across Alabama over the weekend, but redistricting continues.
Ballots cast Tuesday for Alabama’s 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th congressional district primaries will be invalidated, according to the secretary of state, while officials reinstate previous Republican-drawn district lines.
The situation is understandably confusing. Alabama voters will still select Tuesday nominees as scheduled for the 3rd, 4th and 5th congressional districts, plus U.S. Senate and complete state and local ballots.
The late Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., became the fourth Democrat to pass away in office this term, increasing left-wing concerns about the party’s elderly leadership. Scott, 80 at his death, was pursuing a 13th term.
Scott’s name remains on the ballot with five other Democratic primary candidates, but his votes won’t be tallied. Whether someone wins Tuesday or the contest proceeds to a June 16 runoff, the Democratic candidate will almost certainly capture the general election in this heavily Democratic district.
A July 28 special election will determine who completes Scott’s remaining term, with an Aug. 25 runoff if no candidate receives a majority.
