Trump supporter Mike Carey wins GOP special election election in Ohio’s 15th District, AP projects

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CLEVELAND Mike Carey, a coal industry lobbyist endorsed by former President Donald Trump, won the Republican primary in the Ohios 15th Congressional District, The Associated Press expected Tuesday.

The race was watched closely in its final days after a Trump -endorsed candidate was defeated in a special House election in Texas last week. A loss of Carey raises further questions about Trump’s ability to guide a stable future for the GOP.

Tonight, Republicans across the Ohios 15th Congressional District sent a clear message to the nation that President Donald J. Trump is, without a doubt, the leader of our party, Carey said in his victory statement. I will not be overly grateful for his support, and I am proud to convey this success to advance his agenda in America First.

Carey will face Rep. Allison Russo of the state, who expected The Associated Press on Tuesday to win the Democratic nomination, in November.

The seat opened in May, when Republican Rep. Steve Stivers for a job in the private sector. The district stretches from the Columbus suburb to the farmlands southeast of Ohio.

Since he left office in January, Trump has fueled speculation that he could run again as president in 2024 and has worked to assert his influence by endorsing chaotic GOP primaries and pushing his own policy agenda. .

However, in Texas, Rep. Defeated. Jake Ellzey, a former state legislator, is Trump-backed candidate Susan Wright for the seat in the 6th District Congress representative of Wrights ’late wife. And Senate Republicans have ignored his threats of multiple primaries for those compromised with Democrats on an infrastructure spending deal. Careys ’victory saved Trump another high-profile political embarrassment and showed that his endorsement carried weight.

Trump went all out for Carey, giving him time on stage at a rally in June outside the district in Wellington, Ohio. Corey Lewandowski, an adviser to Trump, has sponsored financial aid through the Making America Great Again Action group he runs. The group poured at least $ 350,000 in last -minute spending to boost Carey, including text messages and digital and TV advertising.

Great Republican win for Mike Carey. Big numbers! Thank you to Ohio and to all of our amazing American patriots, ”Trump said in a statement Tuesday night.

Ohio’s 15th, like Texas’s 6th, may be an imperfect size of Trump coattails. Special elections, especially in mid-summer, can be a low attendance issue and local dynamics can be a factor no matter how nationalized a Trump endorsement can make them.

Stivers, who practiced a more moderate style of Republicanism during the Trump era, endorsed state Rep. Jeff LaRe and take from his campaign fund still in the House flush to run ads introducing his choice.

Many of Careys ’other rivals also have strong constituencies that have earned them the share of the primary vote. State Senate Bob Peterson boasts an endorsement list of legislative and local managers from across the district. State Senate Stephanie Kunze is the supporter of the Franklin County Republican Party being the largest district.

And on the massive field, some Trump allies worried that the pro-Trump vote would be broken with other candidates boasting endorsements from Trump-friendly party wings. A committee for political action affiliated with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Has invested heavily to support Ron Hood, a former state legislator. Debbie Meadows, the wife of former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, supported Ruth Edmonds, a former Columbus NAACP president.

As other outside groups, such as Paul PAC, have become more involved in the race and the risk of losing another special election has become clearer, Trump has reiterated his support for Carey several times.

A lot of people are watching this one, Trump said in a “telerally call that the Careys campaign hosted for voters Monday night, on the eve of the main.

Henry J. Gomez is a national politics reporter for NBC News.

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