Brutal primary battle is putting the value of Trump's endorsement to the test: report

A political race in Ohio is putting Donald Trump's influence over the Republican Party to the test after he endorsed car dealership owner Bernie Moreno in a three-way race against State Senator Matt Dolan and Secretary of State Frank LaRose. All candidates are Republicans.

The polls show the race to be close, with single digits separating the candidates as they begin to ramp up mudslinging, with Moreno's allies accusing LaRose of being soft on transgender rights and LaRose's team bringing up a recent report by the Associated Press that accused Moreno of being registered on a hookup website.

According to The Independent's John Bowden, the race's vitriol can be attributed to the fact that Moreno is drawing support from Trump's MAGA movement while LaRose represents the GOP's former party establishment.

"A faction represented by Mr. LaRose — the segment of the GOP which remains loyal to Donald Trump in the latter’s own races but back more traditional conservative politicians in local races; Ted Cruz and Josh Mandel to Donald Trump and JD Vance," Bowden writes, adding that another reason for the race's intensity, "Is the massive swathe of undecideds who are making up their minds this final weekend of the primary."

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Signaling the effect of Trump's endorsement is a poll released Monday, after Trump appeared with Moreno at a rally Saturday, which shows that Trump's support might be working.

Speaking to The Independent, rally attendee Stan Strohmenger said a Trump endorsement is as good as gold.

“You know what you have with Donald Trump … guaranteed ironclad,” Strohmenger said. “Why would you even look at anyone else?”

“With Trump, the proof is in the pudding. He made promises, he kept them. He loves his country, he loves God. He wouldn’t endorse somebody that wasn’t the real thing," Strohmenger added.

According to Bowden, that's what will determine this Tuesday's result.

"Though Mr. Trump’s event was considerably smaller than the crowds which have been drawn to his events in past years, the fact remains that his support of Moreno could have a strong effect on the final results," Bowden writes, adding that even with three candidates, there are really only two outcomes for Tuesday: "A defeat or a victory for Donald Trump."

Read the full article over at The Independent.