This year, there will be special elections to replace cabinet nominees, there are the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, and preparations for the 2018 midterms will begin soon. No one knows how much Donald Trump will be involved, how much he will try to help friends — or how much he will work to punish detractors, defectors, and would-be challengers. Will the president-elect use his political capital to influence primary fights? And if he does, will it be an organized effort to leave his personal mark on the Republican Party, or a settling of scores?
Trump’s personal involvement in the Ohio GOP Chairman’s race suggests to some Republicans that the prospect could be realer than anticipated.
“I think the one thing that it does is send a signal that clearly he’s willing to play in primaries, at least from a party perspective, so one has to think he might be more willing to do so in the legislative primaries as well,” said Saul Anuzis, former Michigan GOP chairman.
A state party chair election, as one Ohio Republican put it, “is about as in the weeds as it gets,” suggesting that could foreshadow Trump involvement up and down the ballot. “I would say state representative races are on the table; I would say state senate races are on the table,” the Ohio Republican added.
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