Three of Trump's favorites lost in the Republican primaries
His endorsement record this cycle now equals his combined primary-loss totals from 2018, 2020 and 2024, with November elections ahead.
kolmapäev, 19. august 2026 18:29
Three candidates endorsed by President Trump lost Republican primaries Tuesday night in Florida and Wyoming, raising his tally of backed primary defeats this election cycle to 10.
The losses included Representative Cory Mills in Florida’s 7th District, Catalina Lauf in Florida’s 19th District and Wyoming superintendent of public instruction Megan Degenfelder in the state’s gubernatorial primary, The New Republic reported.
Mills, an incumbent facing a Department of Justice investigation over sexual misconduct, campaign finance violations, financial disclosure violations, accepting inappropriate gifts and multiple ethics violations, lost to former TV reporter Ryan Elijah by 13 points. Days earlier, Mills refused to deny reports that he dated a 19-year-old while serving in Congress.
Lauf, a former Commerce Department adviser, received Trump’s endorsement last week in a crowded and expensive primary. Her opponents included former Representatives Chris Collins and Madison Cawthorn, several former congressional candidates, a January 6 rioter and many transplants to the state. Conservative radio host Jim Schwartzel, described as one of the few local candidates, won the race to replace Representative Byron Donalds, who is running for Florida governor.
In Wyoming, Degenfelder lost to state Senator Eric Barlow by nearly 16 percentage points and more than 20,000 votes. Wyoming is a deep-red state, and Barlow will likely be elected governor in November barring an unexpected development.
The 10 losses match Trump’s combined total of backed primary defeats in 2018, 2020 and 2024, and leave him one loss from matching his 2022 total. A Reuters poll cited in the report put Trump’s approval rating at 33 percent, the lowest level of his presidency. On Wednesday morning, Trump criticized Mills on Truth Social and then backed Elijah.
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