Donald Trump has long dominated Texas politics, using his sway with the state’s Republican voters to dramatically shape elections at all levels.
Even then, this year’s primary stands out. Trump has backed over 130 candidates ahead of Tuesday’s primary, making it the biggest test of his intraparty strength in Texas yet. While he has stayed out of some of the blockbuster contests — most notably the U.S. Senate primary — he has otherwise spread his endorsement generously in an effort to further remake the state in his political mold.
“We’ve got to win the midterms,” Trump said Friday during an event in Corpus Christi that was ostensibly meant to discuss energy policy but doubled as a de facto pre-primary rally. “We brought this country back. We don’t want to lose the midterms.”
