HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) — Republicans have had success in Democratic home states such as Maryland and Massachusetts, fielding moderate candidates who can appeal to voters of both parties. With Democrats facing headwinds this year, Republicans hoped the strategy would pay off again.
But Republican voters are nominating supporters of former President Donald Trump in several Democratic states, including Maryland and Connecticut, further increasing the chances of the Republican Party winning these general election races. Massachusetts faces its own test next month as Republican voters decide between Trump-supporting conservatives and more moderate Republicans for the party’s gubernatorial nomination.
Christopher Shays, a moderate Republican and Trump critic and a former Connecticut congressman, said of the Republican party’s choice of pro-Trump candidates: “It can’t continue.” “One thing that will happen is that many Trump candidates who won the primary will lose the general election. There are many unhappy Republicans who are
Trump’s clout was in full display earlier this month when his last-minute endorsement helped galvanize Republican National Committee member Leora Levy, who opposes abortion rights, to victory. I was. Republican Senate Primary Election in Connecticut Concerning former House Majority Leader Themis Clarides, the party’s nominee. Clarides supports abortion rights and said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2020.
“A sad day in CT…” Brenda Kupczyk, Fairfield’s first female Republican nominee and former State Rep., tweeted after the August 9 race was called to Levy. Kaptic tweeted after Trump endorsed Levy on speakerphone at .
Kupchick’s tweet sparked criticism in both Republican camps. Trump supporters have accused Clarides of being “not a true conservative.” Levy’s nomination put Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal in his 11th place, even though moderate Republicans recorded their lowest approval ratings since his 2011 inauguration in the May Quinnipiac poll. Predicted that the moon would win. .
The last Republican to represent Connecticut in the United States Senate was Lowell P. Wyker Jr., who served from 1971 to 1989, but Connecticut recently elected a moderate Republican governor in 2006 alongside M. Jodi Rell. .
Levy, who has never held an elected office before, said her message of rising inflation and keeping energy prices in check, stopping “parent-child government intervention” and tackling crime resonated with a wide range of voters. claims to call
A similar move is underway in liberal Maryland, where Trump-backed far-right state legislator Dan Cox said: won the Republican primary He is a Trump critic in the gubernatorial election over a moderate rival backed by outgoing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. In Democratic-dominant Massachusetts, Republican voters cast their ballots in his Sept. 6 gubernatorial primary, taking a moderate view with Trump-backed former state congressman Jeff Deal. You will have to choose between businessman Chris Doughty. Centrist Republican Governor Charlie Baker, a critic of Trump, opposed seeking his third term.
Democratic candidates in Maryland and Massachusetts are seen as leading candidates to overthrow the governor’s mansion in those states.
Trump’s backing has led his candidates to win major election races in battleground states, boosting Democratic optimism that they will win the general election. In Arizona, former TV news anchor Kari Lake, who said he would not recognize President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, is a lawyer and businessman backed by former Vice President Mike Pence and outgoing Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. Karin Taylor of He defeated Robson. In Wisconsin, Trump-backed businessman Tim Michels defeated former Lieutenant Rebecca Kleefish, who was backed by Pence and the state party. However, both Michels and Creefish falsely claimed that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.
In Connecticut, Levy’s nomination has already been used as a rallying cry for Democrats who claim they are out of the mainstream in the state, where Republicans outnumber independent voters and Democrats. Aside from disagreeing, reversing her years-old position to support abortion rights, Levy has spoken out against work-related COVID-19 vaccine requirements and transgender rights. In his acceptance speech, Levi thanked the former president enthusiastically and promised, “I won’t let you down.”
The day after the primary, Blumenthal’s campaign sent out a fundraising message warning: Put a rubber stamp on Mitch McConnell’s disastrous plans. “
Levy, in turn, ties Blumenthal to Biden, casting him as a “rubber stamp” for the Democratic president’s “failed policies” as president, with Blumenthal “creating virtually every challenge our country faces today.” played an important role in the
“Dick Blumenthal wants this election to be a presidential referendum. Donald Trump won’t be voted in November, but Joe Biden will.
Shays, who now lives in Maryland, said he considers Trump’s endorsement a disqualification. and said he would vote for Blumenthal if he still lived in Connecticut.
“I vote against anyone who asks for Donald Trump’s endorsement because it tells me a lot about their character and what they plan to do if elected. That’s the bottom line for me,” Shays said.
Connecticut Republican Party chairman Ben Proto has dismissed any suggestion that Levy’s first victory indicates a political evolution within the state Republican Party. Rather, he said, this year’s party “has candidates across the board who have different opinions on certain issues.”
But what they have in common is that they will keep inflation under control, make Connecticut more affordable, fight crime, and enable parents to be “major stakeholders” in their children’s lives. It’s a goal.
“At the end of the day, we’re firmly on an issue that matters to the people of Connecticut,” he said.
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