The hold that former President Donald Trump has over the GOP was put to the test Tuesday in the first of a series of weekly primaries in Ohio and Indiana, with results that showed he is still very much a kingmaker, and a potential liability.
In Ohio’s Republican Senate primary, “Hillbilly Elegy” author J.D. Vance came out ahead after Trump’s late endorsement catapulted him to the top of a crowded field.
But in the state’s 9th House District, which the GOP sees as one of its best pickup opportunities in November, far-right Air Force veteran J.R. Majewski won the nomination to challenge 20-term Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur with the support of a pro-Trump outside group, cueing attacks from Democrats who see him as a bad match for the district — even after its lines were redrawn to favor Republicans.
