Trump irks GOP by praising three candidates in one Senate race
The president offers kind words to all, but no official endorsement to any. Some Republicans fear it could cost them a crucial Senate seat.
By JAMES ARKIN and ALEX ISENSTADT 08/16/2018 05:07 AM EDT
In Arizona’s Republican Senate primary, front-runner Martha McSally is airing ads featuring a video clip of President Donald Trump calling her “the real deal.” Her main challenger, Kelli Ward, is circulating mailers featuring a photo of her smiling alongside the commander-in-chief. The third-place candidate, Joe Arpaio, carries the rare distinction of having received a criminal pardon from Trump: The ex-sheriff recently sent a video of the president praising him to potential donors.
None of the three actually has Trump’s endorsement. But all of them are acting like they do — and the president seems just fine with it, even if many in his party are not.
The president’s decision so far to withhold his endorsement has led to a total muddle, prolonging the GOP slugfest in one of the most important Senate races in the country and allowing the presumed Democratic nominee, Kyrsten Sinema, to get a free pass.
With the Aug. 28 primary less than two weeks away, establishment Republicans have grown increasingly anxious that they’re squandering a critical window of time to define Sinema, who faces a nominal primary opponent. She’s spent millions of dollars running positive TV ads to boost her image and set the terms of the general election, while no Republican groups have countered.
The race is critical to both parties' hopes of controlling the Senate, as Republicans defend a 51-49 majority: If Democrats can capture Arizona for the first time in three decades, it will give them a legitimate opening to retake the chamber this fall.
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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/16/trump-arizona-senate-mcsally-ward-arpaio-778987
