Trump this time is trying to help GOP avoid messy primary fights
President Trump is using his influence to help Republicans avoid messy primary fights as the party prepares for the midterms.
Trump recently waded into both Michigan’s Senate race and the New York gubernatorial contest in an effort to convince notable candidates — Rep. Bill Huizenga (R) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R), respectively — to opt out of the contests. In both cases, the candidates bowed to pressure.
The president’s moves underscore how Republicans are already seeking to coalesce around candidates in some of next year’s most high-profile races, as they look to buck historical trends that suggest the president’s party will lose congressional seats and other contests.
“He’s clearly far more involved in this round than he was in 2017 and 2018 but at the same time it’s a totally different situation,” one national Republican operative said of Trump.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5421237-trump-influence-republican-primaries/