In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster — who Trump campaigned for Monday night — faces a runoff against John Warren, a businessman who was endorsed by the third- and fourth-place finishers in the primary two weeks earlier.
In New York, GOP Rep. Dan Donovan faces a challenge from convicted felon and former Rep. Michael Grimm. Trump has backed Donovan, but Grimm is seen as the more Trump-like candidate.
Colorado, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah are holding elections Tuesday — with runoffs in South Carolina and Mississippi and primaries elsewhere.
Colorado and Oklahoma will select nominees to replace their outgoing governors, Democrat John Hickenlooper in Colorado and Republican Mary Fallin in Oklahoma.
New York is holding only its federal primaries. That makes the battle between Donovan and Grimm Tuesday’s headliner. The Democratic gubernatorial matchup between two-term incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo and actress and activist Cynthia Nixon won’t take place until September.
The major question of Tuesday’s primaries is Trump’s influence with his party’s primary voters. As the US Senate runoff in Alabama between interim Sen. Luther Strange and Roy Moore showed last year, Republicans have at times favored the candidates they see as closer to Trump’s outsider political brand — even if that means breaking with Trump.
McMaster got the job because Trump named former Gov. Nikki Haley his US ambassador to the United Nations. And McMaster was one of Trump’s earliest strong supporters within the party.
Trump told South Carolina supporters that a McMaster loss would be portrayed by the “fake news” as “humiliating” for the President.
“So please get your asses out tomorrow and vote,” Trump said.
In New York, Donovan will face off against Grimm, who is mounting a comeback bid after a stint in federal prison for tax evasion.
A Siena College poll found that 54% of GOP primary voters believe Grimm would work better with Trump, even though the President endorsed Donovan.
“There is no one better to represent the people of N.Y. and Staten Island (a place I know very well) than @RepDanDonovan, who is strong on Borders & Crime, loves our Military & our Vets, voted for Tax Cuts and is helping me to Make America Great Again. Dan has my full endorsement!” Trump said on Twitter in late May.
He followed up: “Very importantly, @RepDanDonovan will win for the Republicans in November…and his opponent will not. Remember Alabama. We can’t take any chances on losing to a Nancy Pelosi controlled Democrat!”
The winner of Tuesday’s primary will take on Max Rose, a combat veteran who’s a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” list of top-tier challengers.
Source : CNN
