Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Smart Success Strategy – Investing and Stock NewsSmart Success Strategy – Investing and Stock News

Latest News

Trumpism costs the GOP in a crucial election, again

The Republican Party’s increasing Trump-era tendency toward more extreme nominees and its struggles to account for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade have already cost it plenty. It’s quite possible that these things cost it control of the Senate in both the 2020 and 2022 elections.

If unpopular GOP nominees in key states had merely matched the political fundamentals, Republicans might have held the Senate for the duration of Joe Biden’s presidency and had a much more significant House majority with which to work today.

Now, these same things may have cost Republicans control of a state.

New Hampshire on Tuesday became the latest state in which Democrats over-performed in a special election — a trend that has held very steady ever since Roe was overturned last summer.

Democrat Hal Rafter won by 12 points in a state House district that went narrowly for Donald Trump in 2020. The 12-point improvement on the 2020 margin is in line with Democrats’ encouraging continued over-performances in special elections this year; Daily Kos Elections and FiveThirtyEight data on more than two dozen special elections show the party running an average of 7.6 points better than their 2020 margins — margins from a 2020 election that, it bears noting, were already good for Democrats — and double digits better than the normal partisan fundamentals.

New Hampshire wasn’t even the only state in which Democrats lodged a crucial win and an overperformance in a special election Tuesday. They also took back the majority in the Pennsylvania Capitol by defeating a Trump-aligned candidate. That result was expected in a blue-leaning district, but Democrats again beat the fundamentals by around double digits.

The New Hampshire victory is especially significant because it could ultimately deprive Republicans of their governing “trifecta” — that is, full control of both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship.

Democrats now have one fewer seat than Republicans, but if upcoming special elections break as expected, the chamber would be tied. Whether Democrats will ultimately tie the chamber and, if so, for how long, is to be determined; the New Hampshire state House’s 400 members make it the third-largest English-speaking legislative body in the world, which means frequent vacancies. Two members also recently left their parties to become independents.

But the race in a highly competitive district was seemingly crucial for maintaining the trifecta. And the tale of how Republicans lost it is a familiar one: by nominating an extreme, Trumpy candidate who proved unpalatable.

Northwood Selectman Jim Guzofski (R) defeated a candidate backed by much of the local Republican Party apparatus in last month’s primary. In Guzofski, the GOP had not only a candidate who raised very little money — less than $500, or about 1 percent of what Rafter raised — but who espoused many of the kinds of extreme and conspiratorial positions that have dogged other Republicans.

For example:

He was a 2020 election “truther” who on Jan. 6, 2021, accused then-Vice President Mike Pence of having “betrayed” Trump by not trying to overturn the election. He later cited “prophets” who said the election was stolen and that “President Trump is still the elected president.”He said supporters of abortion rights desire “blood sacrifices to their god, Molech.” He also had a long history of anti-LGBTQ+ comments.He espoused various hard-right theories about the coronavirus and vaccine.He repeatedly attacked Gov. Chris Sununu (R), including calling him “toxic” and saying he was on “China’s most favored governor’s list.”

Whether any of these positions truly cost Guzofski is difficult to say in a low-turnout race. But certainly these statements would appear symptomatic of a candidate who lacks the kind of broad appeal you’d want in such a race.

And the story was similar in Pennsylvania. The GOP nominee there? Someone who was apparently in Washington on Jan. 6 because Trump was the only “person who has stood up to Pedophilia, Sex Trafficking of Children, and Satanic Worship,” the candidate posted on Facebook.

After Guzofski’s defeat, Republican state Rep. Ross Berry remarked to the New Hampshire Journal, “If you cozy up to and campaign with former president Donald Trump, you can expect to lose votes.”

“No amount of money, campaigning, or deep roots to your community will overcome the voters’ absolute rejection of Trump-affiliated candidates in New Hampshire,” Berry added.

While Sununu was cruising to reelection in November 2022 by 16 points and the state GOP held on to its control of both houses, Guzofski-esque U.S. Senate candidate Don Bolduc lost by more than nine points, while two Trump-aligned congressional candidates who defeated more palatable primary opponents also underperformed the 2020 results in defeat.

And now, a state-level governing trifecta might be gone as well.

This post appeared first on The Washington Post
Enter Your Information Below To Receive Latest News, And Articles.



    Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

    You May Also Like

    Editor's Pick

    The energy revolution is here to stay, and electric vehicles (EVs) have become part of the mainstream narrative. Despite geopolitical tensions and uncertainty, the...

    Editor's Pick

    Overview Mexico’s Sinaloa state hosts a number of prolific silver and gold mines, including McEwen Mining’s (TSX:MUX) El Gallo Complex, Americas Gold and Silver’s...

    Editor's Pick

    Uranium is an important energy sector commodity, and its rising value has attracted investor interest. 2023 has seen uranium prices solidly above the important...

    Investing

    A new survey shows that the presidential race between former President Donald Trump and President Biden is thin, but Biden faces a deficit in...

    Disclaimer: smartsuccessstrategy.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2024 smartsuccessstrategy.com