Attention on yesterday's GOP primary contests has centered on Donald Trump's mixed record of success; his preferred candidate in Nebraska — bull semen magnate Charles Herbster — lost in the gubernatorial contest, while his pick in West Virginia's 2nd congressional district — Rep. Alex Mooney — won in a romp.
Even so, it’s a mistake to conclude that Trump's influence on the party is waning.
In Nebraska, University of Nebraska Board of Regents member Jim Pillen, who had the backing of term-limited Gov. Pete Ricketts, narrowly edged out Herbster and the more moderate state Sen. Brett Lindstrom with 33 percent of the vote. For an early lead, Lindstrom racked up big margins in urban and suburban areas. But both Herbster and Pillen performed better in rural areas, but ultimately Pillen had a more even level of support across the state. Despite spending $11.3 million of his own money on the race, Herbster also faced credible allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women in recent weeks. In West Virginia, despite the fact that Rep. David McKinley represented more of
Subscribe Today
Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.