Nikki Haley remains in the Republican presidential race despite losing in Iowa and New Hampshire, but conservative outside groups that oppose Donald Trump are shifting their focus from the primaries to the Senate.
Donors who had backed Haley and other GOP challengers are concerned that Trump, who has all but nailed down the Republican nomination already, will drag down candidates in congressional races as he's done in every election since winning the White House in 2016, reported CNN.
“If Trump ultimately is the nominee, the threat of a repeat of the last three elections and a Democrat sweep increases dramatically – making the Senate and the House that much more important,” said Bill Riggs, a spokesman for Americans for Prosperity Action.
That Charles Koch-aligned conservative group has given millions to Haley after endorsing her in November, but their biggest investment this year will go toward flipping Senate seats currently held by Democrats in six states – Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – and other Haley donors are doing the same.
“It’s all hands on deck for the Senate," said Haley donor Eric Levine.
Trump easily won both primary contests so far this year, but exit polls show a substantial number of Republican and independent voters would not consider voting for him in November, and some GOP lawmakers are uneasy sharing a ballot with the quadruple-indicted former president.
“It’s every man for himself,” said one Republican member of Congress. “It is going to be chaos and mayhem and a free-for-all. You have to look after you. You’re going to have to make (the campaign) about what you’ve done or what you’re going to do locally."
