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Trump-endorsed candidates once again enjoyed massive victories in Tuesday’s Republican primary elections, giving President Donald Trump something to celebrate on his 76th birthday.
In a Wednesday post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Every single endorsed by Trump candidate won last night, by big margins, with the exception of one very long shot who did FAR better than anticipated against an incumbent.”
The 45th president’s endorsement record continues to be a key factor in the Republican primaries ahead of November’s crucial midterm elections. With all of Trump’s endorsed candidates winning in South Carolina, North Dakota, and Nevada on Tuesday, besides former state Rep. Katie Arrington, the 45th president clearly remains the leader of the Republican Party.
The most notable development in Tuesday’s primary elections was the massive victory of state Rep. Russell Fry over incumbent Rep. Tom Rice in South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District.
With 51 percent of the Republican primary vote, Fry avoided a potential runoff election with Rice. According to NBC News, Fry’s decisive victory over Rice marks the first defeat during this election cycle of those who voted to impeach the 45th president after the events of Jan. 6.
Rice’s vote to impeach Trump was expected to play a central role in his reelection campaign, Newsmax reported. The outlet described his loss as “a crushing defeat in his own party primary.”
In his celebration on Truth Social, Trump said, “The ‘Impeacher’ was ousted without even a runoff. A GREAT night!” He also wrote, “Congratulations to Russell on running a great campaign!”
The other key race Tuesday was between incumbent Rep. Nancy Mace and former state lawmaker Katie Arrington for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District. While Mace, a vocal critic of the 45th president’s alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot, defeated Arrington, Trump focused on the good news that Arrington performed better than analysts had anticipated.
According to Fox News, Trump encouraged his MAGA base to vote for his endorsees during a tele-rally last week, saying, “Give me a birthday present, please. Two birthday presents.” Trump’s supporters managed to give him one of these two birthday presents, along with several other victories.
Other candidates who won in Tuesday’s Republican primaries include South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, Nevada’s U.S. Senate candidate Adam Laxalt, and Nevada’s gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo.