According to a report from Politico, some of the Republican Party hopefuls who received the blessing of Donald Trump to run for the U.S. Senate are finding rough sledding with donors ignoring them and, in the case of one former GOP lawmaker, watching the past catch up to them and destroy their chances.
Getting right to the point, Politico's Natalie Allison wrote, "Donald Trump's favorite in the Alabama Senate race is treading water. His pick in Pennsylvania just bowed out of the GOP primary after losing custody of his children. In Alaska and North Carolina, two other Trump-endorsed Senate candidates are behind in primary election polls."
While many political observers have claimed that an endorsement from the former president can lead to a primary win, a few Trump-anointed candidates are finding it can invite more scrutiny and damage their chances.
More concerning, writes Allison, Trump may start to ignore or criticize them so he is not linked to their failure to catch on.
According to GOP strategist Gregg Keller, while a Trump endorsement can be "highly effective," he has been making some missteps with his choices, telling Politico, "But if and when he has made political mistakes along those lines, it's been on behalf of the wrong candidate or not at the right time."
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"Trump has endorsed in 15 Senate contests to date. While roughly half are for incumbents who are expected to cruise to the GOP nomination, he's also waded into other nomination fights where his imprimatur was once thought to be determinative. So far, it hasn't worked out that way," the Politico reports, with Allison adding that Rep. Mo Brooks (R) is having trouble getting traction -- and funding -- for his run for an open seat representing Alabama.
"In Alabama, where Trump remains extremely popular, Rep. Mo Brooks has struggled despite Trump's endorsement," Allison reported. "Brooks, a veteran congressman who lost in a 2017 Senate primary bid, has raised less than half of the $3.7 million his primary opponent Katie Britt has received. Britt has also earned the endorsement of the state's largest farm organization, the Alabama Farmers Federation — a group that represents one of Trump's key constituencies."
In the case of Pennsylvania's Sean Parnell, not even Trump could salvage his candidacy after the former lawmaker lost custody of his kids in an ugly court case involving accusations of domestic violence.
"Trump endorsed Parnell, who lost a 2020 bid for Congress, at the urging of his son, Donald Trump Jr., and without awareness of the domestic violence allegations made against him, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation," the report states with one GOP strategist pointing out "If he spent a little more time and resources vetting and researching where he can have an impact and a little bit less time sh*t posting, he could actually help his own legacy and move the ball forward."
The report also notes that Trump's pick to fill an open seat in North Carolina is floundering as surprise pick Rep. Ted Budd trails former Gov. Pat McCrory by double digits in one poll.
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