Trump wins 5 primaries, but protest vote looms large
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Former President Trump greets Ohio Republican candidate for Senate Bernie Moreno at a rally last weekend in Vandalia, Ohio. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Former President Trump cruised to easy wins in five Republican presidential primaries Tuesday, and his candidate of choice in Ohio's crucial Senate race won — but once again, there were signs Trump has work to do in shoring up support in his party.
Why it matters: Trump, the only GOP candidate still running for president and the party's presumed nominee, once again saw a big percentage of Republican voters — almost 20% in most of Tuesday's contests — cast ballots for someone else.
- Most of those non-Trump votes in Ohio, Arizona, Florida, Kansas and Illinois went to former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, who suspended her campaign two weeks ago.
- The results were the latest warning signs that a sizable percentage of GOP voters may not show up for Trump in November, complicating his push to defeat President Biden.
- Biden easily won the Democratic primaries in Ohio, Illinois, Kansas and Arizona, posting larger margins than Trump did on the GOP side. Florida did not hold a Democratic primary.
Between the lines: Early exit polls Tuesday offered a reminder of the challenge Trump faces in uniting the GOP.
- 18% of Republican primary voters in Ohio said that they wouldn't support Trump in November, with 10% of those voters saying they prefer Biden, per ABC News' analysis of preliminary exit poll results.
Zoom in: Trump still flexed his influence within the GOP with wins for candidates he endorsed in down-ballot races.
- Chief among those was the Ohio Republican Senate primary, a contest at the center of the broader battle between MAGA and what remains of a GOP establishment. Trump endorsed Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno, who was projected to win on Tuesday.
- Moreno will now take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November, a contest that could go a long way toward determining which party controls the Senate next year.
Trump-backed state Rep. Derek Merrin was also projected to win in a competitive race in a northwest Ohio congressional district against former state legislator Craig Riedel.
- In California, Trump-endorsed state Rep. Vince Fong was heading for a May runoff in the special election to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), AP projected.
- Fong, competing with eight other candidates, did not earn a majority of the vote to avoid a runoff. He'll likely face Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux (R) or Marisa Wood (D), a teacher.
Go deeper: Trump and Senate Democrats unite to boost Bernie Moreno in Ohio
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional details throughout.
