The former president will use the results to gather implications for his potential 2024 rerun.
Since leaving the White House, Trump has endorsed over 150 candidates for a variety of offices. The outcome of these races will help determine support for a potential Trump-Biden rematch in 2024.
Scott Reed, a former chief political strategist, told the Wall Street Journal, “Up until now, everything about Trump has been speculation, with a little bit of polling data. But by the end of May, we will have hard data on him from these primaries.”
Here are the match offs that carry the most weight:
May 3rd: Ohio
After a bitter fight for Trump’s endorsement in a crowded primary, J.D. Vance came out on top. He has previously been critical of the former president, but softened his tone and lobbied hard for Trump’s attention. Among the top four candidates, Trump will be interested in how Vance does against Matt Dolan, a more traditional Republican state senator.
May 17th: Pennsylvania and North Carolina
Trump notoriously endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania to the bewilderment of his base that saw some criticism. The state exposes cracks in Trump’s influence on the party, as several of his former staffers are working for Oz’s competition, David McCormick. Trump’s former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has also give McCormick his endorsement.
In North Carolina, Trump’s candidate of choice finds himself immersed in a series of recent scandals. Madison Cawthorn, the youngest member of Congress, made unflattering comments about DC in a podcast. Those remarks have seemingly unleashed a shadowy vengeance campaign against his reelection, with old pictures and allegations emerging from his time before he was elected in an attempt to case doubt on his character.
May 24th: Georgia
One of Trump’s riskier endorsements, in Georgia he hand-selected David Purdue to unseat popular incumbent Governor Brian Kemp. Kemp holds a large polling lead over Perdue at this time. Trump holds a grudge against Kemp for refusing to toss out or delay Georgia’s 2020 election results over allegation of fraud.
Trump’s Senate primary pick in Georgia, Herschel Walker, is likely to deliver a win. But polls show a close general election race against Democrat incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock.
After May, Trump will look to high-profile races in August to guide his decision. Most anticipated are elections in Wyoming and Alaska where Trump is supporting challenges to Republican incumbents.
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