from Walter Cronkite school of
journalism at Arizona state
university.
Judy: Nearly half the party has
chosen nominees for America's
midterm elections.
Yesterday's primaries made clear
that for many Republicans,
loyalty to Donald Trump is key
to success.
The biggest win for the former
president came in the palmetto
state, where Tom rice, one of 10
house Republicans who supported
trump's impeachment, was pushed
out by Russell fry.
Annie Linsky has been following
yesterday's results and joins me
now.
Let's talk about the south
Carolina house races.
There were do I wanted to ask
about, one the resounding
rejection by Tom rice in the
Republican primary.
He never backed down in his
criticism of president trump.
Annie: He essentially doubled
down, employing a different
strategy than other Republicans
we have seen get the ire of
trump.
He voted to impeach the
president and continued to talk
about it on the trail.
He said to one of my colleagues
calling trump a tyrant.
The president reads this
coverage closely.
He continued and attracted a
trump backed challenger and we
saw him lose.
We had gone into yesterday
thinking perhaps it had gone
into a runoff but it was a
resounding defeat.
Judy: A different story and
another South Carolina district,
Nancy mace.
She didn't vote to impeach
president trump but she did side
with president trump saying he
could not refuse to certify the
2020 election results.
President trump didn't like that
, he went after her, but she
continued to say nice things
even though she wasn't endorsed
by him.
Annie: And had a different
result.
She also had a primary
challenger backed by trump self
it's not as though trump
accepted the olive branch.
But on the trail, her posture
was different and she even went
to trump tower and famously
reported -- recorded a video
explaining why she is with him
and why his supporters should
back him.
She bowed down to him in a way
rights did not and you saw very
different results where she was
able to stay in power.
What's emerging as a potential
playbook for Republicans who
cross trump in some ways.
If they stand up to him, they
better quickly turn around and
try to make amends.
Judy: Depending on how they read
their constituents.
Let's talk about Nevada, a
couple statewide races.
This is where former president
trump's endorsement is a clear
plus.
Adam wax all running for the
senate, eagerly endorsed, lashed
himself to president trump.
Really interesting secretary of
state candidate.
Annie: Coming out of Nevada,
Donald Trump did have a royal
flush.
Every person he endorsed and it
up advancing.
The waxhall seat is particularly
interesting.
He was backed not only by trump
but also by Donald Trump junior
who and the last days of the
campaign campaign with him.
You are seeing Donald Trump
junior establishing a power base
of his own.
He did the same thing in Ohio
where he went big for J.D. Vance
and there was success there too.
The secretary of state race is
really the one to watch.
We are not used to paying close
attention to secretary of state
races.
Most people probably didn't know
what that position did before
2020.
In this case, the secretary of
state candidate who is an
election denier and has
organized other election deniers
around the country to run --
Judy: He has played an active
role, Jim Marchant.
Annie: Pro-democracy groups are
watching that race closely and
are worried about his advance.
Nevada is a swing state and he
will have an incredible amount
of influence over how Nevada's
election is run in 2024.
Judy: The role of a secretary of
state typically is to oversee
elections, which could had huge
consequences.
You have been doing interesting
reporting the last few days
about in a few places around the
country, Democrats, we know they
are running ads against
Republicans, but they are
running ads in some places for
Republicans who they think may
be a weaker opponent.
Annie: This has been a tactic I
have been astounded by.
You have Democrats in the
January 6 committee hearings
talking about the importance of
drawing a line between, as Biden
calls them, ultra mag of
candidates.
Some of the committees are
running ads to help promote the
far right candidates, believing
they will be easier to beat.
The democratic strategists I
have talked to say this is
dangerous and you have to be
careful what you wish for.
You'll remember Heather a
Quentin thought Donald Trump
would be easy to beat and that
was not the case.
When you play these games you
need to be careful what you wish
for.
Judy: We have seen it before in
American politics, but right now
it is something we are keeping a
very close eye on.