Former US President Trump continues to try to influence his party. For example, by supporting certain candidates in internal party races for candidacy. Some of his favorites are able to prevail - but others are now failing in primaries in the USA.
The US congressional and gubernatorial primary this fall continues to paint a mixed picture about former President Donald Trump's influence in his Republican Party. Candidates partially supported by Trump were able to prevail in the primaries in five states. However, some candidates who had the backing of the right-wing populist were also defeated.
In the important state of Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano, who was supported by Trump, prevailed as the Republican candidate for the governorship. The current senator in the Pennsylvania state legislature joined Trump's attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
There was a neck-and-neck race in the Pennsylvania primary for a seat in the US Senate in Washington. Trump-backed Mehmet Oz, a famous heart surgeon and controversial former TV doctor, recently had a wafer-thin lead over his fiercest internal party rival Dave McCormick, according to US broadcasters. It could be days before the result is known.
In the state of North Carolina, the Trump-backed, far-right young MP Madison Cawthorn was defeated by his party challenger Chuck Edwards. The 26-year-old Cawthorn has been making negative headlines for months.
He was stopped twice at the airport with a gun. He drew displeasure from his own party in March when he said on a podcast that he had been invited to a sex "orgy" in Washington and had seen politicians using cocaine.
Also in North Carolina, candidate Ted Budd, who is close to Trump, won a Senate primary. In the state of Idaho, on the other hand, incumbent governor Brad Little defeated Trump-backed challenger Janice McGeachin. There were also primary elections in Kentucky and Oregon on Tuesday.
In the US, midterm congressional elections and a series of gubernatorial elections will take place in November. In the ongoing primary, Trump, who remains well-liked by the conservative base, is flexing his power and voicing his support for Republican candidates loyal to him. The performance of these candidates is seen as a measure of how much influence the ex-president still has.
In the conservative party establishment in particular, many politicians would like to see Trump's influence on the Republicans reduced. The right-wing populist, who was clearly inferior to his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, regularly brings up a possible new candidacy in the 2024 elections.
Biden's Democrats are also currently holding their primaries. The victory of Pennsylvania's Deputy Governor John Fetterman for the Democratic nomination for a Senate seat caused a particular stir. Fetterman, who wore hoodies and shorts during the election campaign, suffered a stroke last week. However, he is already on the mend and says he should make a full recovery.
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