(JustPatriots.com)- In the first major test of the election cycle, it appears that the endorsement of former President Donald Trump holds a lot of weight.
This week, J.D. Vance claimed the Republican nomination for the open U.S. Senate seat in Ohio. Even though Vance wasn’t originally favored to win the nomination, and even though he was up against other candidates who had much more money at their disposal, Vance had one main advantage — the former president was backing him.
Vance’s ascent up the pre-election polls were fueled by Trump’s endorsement, which was handed out on April 15. That eventually led to him being able to capture the Republican nomination.
While it’s a big win for Vance, it’s also a huge win for Trump and his staying power in the Republican Party. Despite not holding official political office anymore, Trump’s words and influence are still extremely strong.
The former president has handed out a record number of endorsements of Republican candidates in both federal and local elections in an attempt to reshape the GOP in his vision. The Senate primary in Ohio was the first big test to whether Trump’s endorsement could vault a candidate to victory, and they passed with flying colors.
As a national consultant for the GOP, Dave Carney, commented:
“Anybody who dismissed Donald Trump as not a major factor in the party is crazy.”
Even Bill Kristol, who is an outspoken Republican critic of the former president, tweeted:
“When Trump talks, Republicans listen.”
Before Trump endorsed Vance, the now Republican nominee for the Ohio Senate seat found himself in third place in pre-election polling, garnering only 10% of support among voters. Two months ago, the super PAC that was backing Vance even went as far as announcing that he was not winning the race.
On the same day that Vance won the nomination for Senate, another congressional candidate Trump endorsed in Ohio, Max Miller, won his primary, too.
Vance’s margin of victory is almost as important as the fact that he won at all. The bigger the margin of victory, one of Trump’s confidants said, the more likely it will be that the former president will get more confidence.
That may ultimately lead to him becoming more involved in upcoming primary races in Georgia and Pennsylvania that are expected to be much tighter later this month. And it’s also possible Trump throws his support behind a candidate in Arizona’s primary for a seat on the Senate, with that election set for August 2.
One of Trump’s Republican associates, who has spoken to the former president about the endorsements, told NBC News recently:
“The greater the margin of victory for J.D. Vance, the higher the likelihood that Donald Trump endorses Blake Masters in Arizona. Vance’s win proves the concept that he can take someone from third or fourth place and pull them into the lead in a crowded primary.”
Thus far, Trump has backed roughly 120 candidates for office around the country. His advisers say those candidates are an undefeated 55-0 so far during this cycle.
