All articles tagged with #gop primary
Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) said he is considering a 2028 presidential run but has not decided. He plans to seek Senate reelection but would switch if he feels ineffective in Congress or if the Republican field is weak. Kennedy criticized potential rivals as 'goobers' and declined to comment on VP JD Vance, the current frontrunner.
Sen. Ted Cruz accused VP JD Vance of 'feeling insecure' after Vance claimed Cruz was already running for president in 2028. Cruz insists his focus remains on the 2026 midterms, while Vance maintains he is not currently campaigning. The clash highlights a growing rivalry between two top GOP contenders, with Vance leading early polls despite a difficult midterm outlook for the party.
The Minnesota Supreme Court rejected Mike Lindell’s bid for a full hand recount of the GOP gubernatorial primary, ruling that the state’s approved recount plan follows the law and will first separate Democratic and Republican ballots before tallying Republican votes (including Lindell and Demuth) with all ballots subject to challenge. Lindell says he will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and pursue data via FOIA; Demuth’s primary victory is upheld.
Mike Lindell says he will personally fund a full hand recount of Minnesota's GOP primary for governor after losing by about 11 points, hiring his own team to probe irregularities and requesting a recount cost estimate of roughly $825,000 (likely rising to about $1 million). He plans to file the official recount request with a bond and send observers to county sites, continuing his push that electronic voting machines are involved despite previous defamation sanctions related to his 2020 election claims.
Ryan Elijah, a former local TV reporter, won a four-way Republican primary for Florida’s 7th District, defeating incumbent Rep. Cory Mills amid controversy including a House Ethics probe and a restraining order; Elijah will face Democrat Bale Dalton (NASA veteran) and Libertarian Christopher Dennison in November, with support from local sheriffs and Florida GOP leaders, while Mills struggled to raise funds despite Trump’s endorsement.
President Donald Trump voted by mail in Florida's Republican primary, with Palm Beach County records showing a ballot request in late July and return on Aug. 13, continuing his pattern of voting by mail in his adopted home state. He had previously voted by mail in a Palm Beach County special election this year. Florida allows universal mail voting with ID and renewal requirements, and the primary features a crowded field including Trump-endorsed Byron Donalds. The piece sits amid ongoing national debates over mail voting and related court actions, as the administration advocates for or against voting reforms.
Trump-aligned Mike Lindell refuses to concede the Minnesota GOP primary after losing to Lisa Demuth, claiming voting irregularities and uncounted ballots, even as Associated Press calls the race for Demuth 43-32. Demuth advances to face Amy Klobuchar in November; Lindell says he will review results and release a statement after further scrutiny of the counting process.
Former NBC sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya won Minnesota’s GOP primary for the U.S. Senate, defeating the endorsed Adam Schwarze and Royce White; with about 75% of precincts reporting, she led with 54% of the vote to Schwarze’s 23% and White’s 11%, advancing to the November ballot. Tafoya, who launched her campaign in January, framed the race as a rejection of Minnesota’s one‑party rule and campaigned on immigration enforcement and government accountability.
Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya won Minnesota’s GOP Senate primary with about 51% of the vote as roughly a fifth of ballots were counted, defeating Adam Schwarze and Royce White. Endorsed by the NRSC but not by President Trump, she pitched herself as a political outsider who can flip Tina Smith’s seat in November. Her platform includes cracking down on fraud, mandatory minimums for fraudsters, deporting illegal migrants who steal taxpayer money, opposing ICE abolition, and backing the SAVE Act, with Minnesota viewed as a competitive race for the 2026 midterms; she is set to face a Democratic challenger (likely Peggy Flanagan or Angie Craig) in November.
Rep. Andy Ogles lost Tennessee’s GOP primary to former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, despite Trump’s endorsement; Hatcher benefited from establishment backing (Gov. Bill Lee, former Gov. Bill Haslam, Sonny Perdue) and a heavy pro-clean energy ad push, outspending Ogles amid controversy and a DOJ investigation, setting up a likely general-election race in the deep-red district.
A SC GOP Senate primary debate to replace the late Lindsey Graham showed broad party agreement on general issues but split on the filibuster and Iran policy: Nordone (Graham’s appointed sister) said she would vote to end the filibuster, diverging from her brother’s stance; Sanford argued Congress—not the president—should declare any war in Iran; Fry warned against boots on the ground while aiming to degrade Iran’s capabilities; Lynch pressed local concerns about data-center expansion and energy use. The race ahead of the Aug. 11 primary will determine who faces Democrat Annie Andrews in November.
NBC News projects South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden won the Republican nomination in a runoff against Toby Doeden, moving on to face Democrat Dan Ahlers in November; Rhoden, elevated to governor after Kristi Noem left for a federal homeland security post, campaigned on tax cuts and crime reduction, while Doeden pushed bold conservative leadership and immigration measures; both aligned with Trump, who did not endorse in the race.
Former NFL kicker Jay Feely won Arizona’s 1st Congressional District Republican primary with Trump’s backing and a donor network from the sports world, advancing to a general race against the Democratic nominee (still to be decided between Amish Shah and Marlene Galán-Woods) in one of the cycle’s most competitive contests. Feely had initially pursued Arizona’s 5th District before pivoting to the 1st, helped by Trump-endorsed moves and a fundraising haul north of $1 million by end-2025, including more than $204,000 from figures like Roger Goodell, Jim Nantz, and Charles Barkley. His two-decade NFL/CBS career helped him build influential relationships that fueled his campaign.
Trump-endorsed Rep. Andy Biggs won the Republican primary for Arizona governor, defeating Rep. David Schweikert and advancing to a November showdown against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. The race in a battleground state has become a tossup, with Hobbs leading in fundraising and Biggs pivoting to a general-election message as both sides prepare for a marquee contest.
Victor Marx holds a slim 39.9% to 39.5% lead over Barbara Kirkmeyer in Colorado’s Republican gubernatorial primary as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, with the result too close to call and possibly decided after several more days of counting. Marx has momentum through his national following and narrative, while Kirkmeyer faced fundraising hurdles despite establishment endorsements; the winner will face Democrat Phil Weiser in November.