Trump tested his power in last night's primaries — and won
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Republicans saw a trend continue in South Carolina, where an incumbent who opposed President Trump lost his primary just one week after an incumbent congresswoman in Alabama, who was critical of the president, was forced into a runoff.
Why this matters: The president is becoming a one-man litmus test for Republicans all over the country, proving the GOP has little room for an agenda or ideas that don't align with his.
Be smart: This isn't all that surprising. President Trump has an 87% approval rating with Republicans (the second highest since George W. Bush after 9/11). We've seen Republicans across the country shift their loyalty to him and away from the party itself.
South Carolina
The Trump factor: The Republican incumbent in South Carolina's 1st district, Mark Sanford, has criticized President Trump for his tariffs, his behavior, and he's called on him to release his tax returns. His lack of loyalty to the president ended his congressional career.
- The president tweeted his support for Sanford's challenger Katie Arrington just hours before the polls closed. Sanford lost his primary for re-election just one week after Martha Roby — a Republican representative in Alabama — was forced into a runoff after she was tagged as disloyal to Trump. (Roby criticized him after the "Access Hollywood" tape was released during the 2016 election.)
Governor's race: Henry McMaster, a Republican candidate running for governor, was the first statewide elected official to endorse Trump in 2016, which went a long way: President Trump weighed in twice for him on Twitter.
- He didn't make the 50% threshold, so he's heading to a runoff on June 26, but expect the president to renew his support then.
Virginia
Democrats look poised to keep their blue wave washing over Virginia after last night's primaries. Strong Democratic women candidates were nominated in the state's four most vulnerable GOP-held districts (2nd, 6th, 7th and 10th) and a controversial conservative candidate was nominated for U.S. Senate.
- Why it matters: Women have been outperforming in Democratic primaries across the country, and they dominated in last year's elections, with women winning 11 of the 15 state legislature seats Democrats flipped. Overall, Democrats swept Virginia in the 2017 elections for governor and state legislature.
- GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock will face Jennifer Wexton in Virginia's 10th district. The real warning sign here is that Comstock, a two-term incumbent, couldn't prevent her random Republican challenger from getting nearly 40% of the vote.
Virginia's GOP Senate primary is already giving Republicans a headache. Controversial candidate Corey Stewart won; he'll face Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine in November.
- Just look at what Republicans are saying. The state's former Republican lieutenant governor said he was "extremely disappointed" in Stewart's victory. "Every time I think things can’t get worse they do, and there is no end in sight," he tweeted.
- "Stewart will bring down the entire ticket," a national Democratic source told Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter Patrick Wilson.
- The Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman predicts Stewart's victory will weaken Republicans' chances in four House races across the state.
The bottom line: The two most powerful forces in this year's midterm elections so far are women and President Trump.
