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Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2022
| 2022 Republican Party primary elections |
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In 47 states—all except Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah—the secretary of state is among the top executive offices. Although the duties and powers of the secretary of state vary from state to state, a common responsibility is management and oversight of elections and voter rolls, which are assigned to the secretary of state in 41 states. Other common responsibilities include registration of businesses, maintenance of state records, and certification of official documents. Of the 35 states in which the secretary of state is directly elected, 27 were on the ballot in 2022.
There were 14 Republican-held secretary of state offices and 13 Democratic-held secretary of state offices on the ballot in 2022.
On this page, you will find:
- List of seats up for election
- Election dates by state
- List of Republican primary candidates by state
- News and conflicts in these primaries
Click here for more on the Democratic secretary of state primaries in 2022.
Click here for more on the secretary of state general elections in 2022.
List of seats up for election
There were 14 Republican-held secretary of state offices and 13 Democratic-held secretary of state offices on the ballot in 2022. The table below shows which states held secretary of state elections in 2022.
Table last updated December 20, 2022.
| Secretary of State elections, 2022 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent running? | Battleground election? | Election winner | Last time office flipped | 2020 presidential result | 2018 election result[1] | 2022 election result |
| Alabama |  John Merrill |
No | No | Wes Allen |
2006 | R+25.4 | R+22.1 | R+34.8 |
| Arizona |  Katie Hobbs |
No | Yes | Adrian Fontes |
2018 | D+0.3 | D+0.8 | D+4.8 |
| Arkansas | John Thurston |
Yes | No | John Thurston |
2010 | R+27.6 | R+24.1 | R+34.2 |
| California | Shirley Weber |
Yes | No | Shirley Weber |
2006 | D+29.2 | D+29.0 | D+20.2 |
| Colorado | Jena Griswold |
Yes | No | Jena Griswold |
2018 | D+13.5 | D+8.0 | D+13.0 |
| Connecticut | Denise Merrill |
No | No | Stephanie Thomas |
1994 | D+20.1 | D+13.4 | D+12.5 |
| Georgia | Brad Raffensperger |
Yes | Yes | Brad Raffensperger |
2006 | D+0.2 | R+3.8 | R+9.2 |
| Idaho | Lawerence Denney |
No | No | Phil McGrane |
1966 | R+30.7 | R+25.0 | R+45.0 |
| Illinois | Jesse White |
No | No | Alexi Giannoulias |
1998 | D+17.0 | D+39.1 | D+9.7 |
| Indiana | Holli Sullivan |
Yes | Yes | Diego Morales |
1994 | R+16.0 | R+15.6 | R+13.9 |
| Iowa | Paul Pate |
Yes | No | Paul Pate |
2010 | R+8.2 | R+7.8 | R+20.2 |
| Kansas | Scott Schwab |
Yes | No | Scott Schwab |
2010 | R+14.6 | R+8.7 | R+19.7 |
| Massachusetts | William Galvin |
Yes | No | William Galvin |
1948 | D+33.5 | D+43.8 | D+37.9 |
| Michigan | Jocelyn Benson |
Yes | Yes | Jocelyn Benson |
2018 | D+2.8 | D+8.9 | D+14.0 |
| Minnesota | Steve Simon |
Yes | Yes | Steve Simon |
2006 | D+7.1 | D+8.7 | D+9.2 |
| Nebraska | Bob Evnen |
Yes | No | Bob Evnen |
1952 | R+19.1 | R+21.2 | R+100.0 |
| Nevada | Barbara Cegavske |
No | Yes | Cisco Aguilar |
2014 | D+2.4 | R+0.7 | D+2.2 |
| New Mexico | Maggie Toulouse Oliver |
Yes | Yes | Maggie Toulouse Oliver |
2016 | D+10.8 | D+20.6 | D+11.9 |
| North Dakota | Al Jaeger |
No | No | Michael Howe |
1992 | R+33.3 | R+8.1 | R+35.8 |
| Ohio | Frank LaRose |
Yes | No | Frank LaRose |
2010 | R+8.1 | R+3.7 | R+20.1 |
| Rhode Island | Nellie Gorbea |
No | No | Gregg Amore |
1994 | D+20.8 | D+34.9 | D+19.2 |
| South Carolina | Mark Hammond |
Yes | No | Mark Hammond |
1990 | R+11.7 | R+14.3 | R+26.8 |
| South Dakota | Steve Barnett |
No | No | Monae Johnson |
1978 | R+26.2 | R+30.4 | R+27.8 |
| Vermont | Jim Condos |
No | No | Sarah Copeland Hanzas |
1998 | D+35.1 | D+33.2 | D+30.0 |
| Washington | Steve Hobbs |
Yes | No | Steve Hobbs |
2021 | D+19.2 | R+7.3 | D+4.0 |
| Wisconsin | Douglas La Follette |
Yes | Yes | Douglas La Follette |
1974 | D+0.7 | D+5.5 | D+0.3 |
| Wyoming | Edward Buchanan |
No | No | Chuck Gray |
1994 | R+43.1 | R+42.0 | R+100.0 |
Election dates
The following table details 2022 secretary of state filing deadlines and primary dates in each state. The signature filing deadline was the date by which candidates had to file nominating signatures with election officials in order to have their name placed on the ballot.
| 2022 Election Dates | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Filing deadline | Primary election | ||||
| Alabama | January 28 | May 24 | ||||
| Arizona | April 4 | August 2 | ||||
| Arkansas | March 1 | May 24 | ||||
| California | March 11 | June 7 | ||||
| Colorado | March 15 | June 28 | ||||
| Connecticut | June 7 | August 9 | ||||
| Georgia | March 11 | May 24 | ||||
| Idaho | March 11 | May 17 | ||||
| Illinois | March 14 | June 28 | ||||
| Indiana | February 4 | May 3 | ||||
| Iowa | March 18 | June 7 | ||||
| Kansas | June 1 | August 2 | ||||
| Massachusetts | June 7 | September 6 | ||||
| Michigan | - | Convention[2] | ||||
| Minnesota | May 31 | August 9 | ||||
| Nebraska | February 15 (incumbent) March 1 (non-incumbent) |
May 10 | ||||
| Nevada | March 18 | June 14 | ||||
| New Mexico | March 24 | June 7 | ||||
| North Dakota | April 11 | June 14 | ||||
| Ohio | February 2 | May 3 | ||||
| Rhode Island | July 15 | September 13 | ||||
| South Carolina | March 30 | June 14 | ||||
| South Dakota | March 29 | June 7 | ||||
| Vermont | May 26 | August 9 | ||||
| Washington | May 20 | August 2 | ||||
| Wisconsin | June 1 | August 9 | ||||
| Wyoming | May 27 | August 16 | ||||
By state
Alabama
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Arizona
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Arkansas
Republican primary candidates
- John Thurston (Incumbent) ✔
- Eddie Joe Williams
Did not make the ballot:
California
Primary candidates
- Shirley Weber (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
- Robert Bernosky (Republican Party) ✔
- Gary Blenner (Green Party)
- Matthew Cinquanta (Independent)
- Rachel Hamm (Republican Party)
- James Paine (Republican Party)
- Raul Rodriguez Jr. (Republican Party)
- Desmond Silveira (No party preference) (Write-in)
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Colorado
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Connecticut
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Georgia
Republican primary candidates
Idaho
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Illinois
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Indiana
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Iowa
Republican primary candidates
- Paul Pate (Incumbent) ✔
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Kansas
Republican primary candidates
- Scott Schwab (Incumbent) ✔
- Mike Brown
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Massachusetts
Republican primary candidates
Michigan
In Michigan, political parties nominate candidates for some offices at their conventions instead of holding a primary. Candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, Supreme Court, and the boards of Michigan State University, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, and the state Board of Education are nominated at conventions.[3]
Minnesota
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Nebraska
Republican primary candidates
- Bob Evnen (Incumbent) ✔
- Robert Borer
- Rex Schroder
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Nevada
Republican primary candidates
- Kristopher Dahir
- John Cardiff Gerhardt
- Jesse Haw
- Socorro Keenan
- Jim Marchant ✔
- Gerard Ramalho
- Richard Scotti
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
New Mexico
Republican primary candidates
North Dakota
Republican primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Ohio
Republican primary candidates
- Frank LaRose (Incumbent) ✔
- John Adams
Did not make the ballot:
Rhode Island
Republican primary candidates
South Carolina
Republican primary candidates
- Mark Hammond (Incumbent) ✔
- Keith Blandford
South Dakota
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Vermont
Republican primary candidates
Wisconsin
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Wyoming
Republican primary candidates
- R. Mark Armstrong
- Dan Dockstader (unofficially withdrew)
- Chuck Gray ✔
- Tara Nethercott
News and conflicts in the 2022 Republican secretary of state primaries
The following were reprinted from Ballotpedia's The Heart of the Primaries newsletter, which captured stories related to conflicts within each major party.
September 15, 2022
Breaking down Trump's primary endorsements and outcomes
Perhaps the most persistent storyline throughout the 2022 GOP primaries was former President Donald Trump's (R) involvement, mainly via endorsements. We tallied 244 primaries and conventions in which Trump endorsed, 241 of which had taken place as of September 15, 2022 (the other three were in Louisiana). See our endorsements page for a full list.
Unopposed
Of the primaries completed at the time, 60 candidates (25%) Trump endorsed ran unopposed. (We counted candidates who only had write-in opposition as unopposed.)
Contested
Of the 176 contested primaries that had taken place in which Trump endorsed (excluding five races in which candidates didn't make the ballot), 159 Trump endorsees won and 17 lost. That's a success rate of 90%.
Endorsed GOP incumbent challengers
Some of the most noteworthy GOP primaries of the year were those where Trump endorsed a challenger to a Republican incumbent. There were 17 such primaries, and six endorsed challengers defeated incumbents. All are listed in the table below.
Note that we didn't include the two primaries in which GOP incumbents ran against each other due to redistricting. In West Virginia's 2nd, Trump backed Rep. Alex Mooney against Rep. David McKinley, and Mooney won. And in Illinois' 15th, Trump-endorsed Rep. Mary Miller defeated Rep. Rodney Davis. (More on these races below.)
Over the year, we covered a number of stories on battleground races in which Trump's influence was a major theme. Here are just a few stories capturing key moments:
- Trump to rally for Dunleavy, Palin, Tshibaka in Alaska (July)
- Trump endorses Vance in Ohio U.S. Senate primary (April)
- Trump endorses Oz in Pennsylvania U.S. Senate primary (April)
- RGA releases second pro-Kemp ad, Trump campaigns for Perdue in Georgia (March)
- Arrington challenges Mace in SC-01 with Trump endorsement (February)
Potential 2024 presidential contenders emerge as counter-force
We also saw a thread of counter-forces throughout the primaries. Sometimes it was contrasting endorsements, and other times, overt criticism of Trump's involvement.
Former Vice President Mike Pence (R) made five gubernatorial primary endorsements in 2022, three of which contrasted with Trump's endorsements. Pence backed Karrin Taylor Robson in Arizona, incumbent Brian Kemp in Georgia, and Rebecca Kleefisch in Wisconsin.
In one of our first Heart of the Primaries issues of the 2022 cycle, we wrote that Maryland's term-limited Gov. Larry Hogan (R) endorsed Kelly Schultz in the gubernatorial primary the day after Trump endorsed Dan Cox. Cox won the primary in July, and Hogan said he wouldn't support Cox in the general election.
Hogan said Trump's endorsements against incumbent Republicans hurt the party. Hogan branched out from his home state, fundraising for incumbents Trump opposed including Kemp and Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03).
Arizona's term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey, chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), endorsed Taylor Robson in Arizona's gubernatorial primary along with Beau Lane for secretary of state, countering Trump's endorsement of Mark Finchem in the latter primary.
We also wrote about the RGA spending $850,000 on pro-Kemp ads during Georgia's primary. The Hill's Max Greenwood said that "the spot for Kemp marks the first time that the group is financing a TV ad in a primary to support an incumbent facing a Republican challenger."
Trump, Pence, Hogan, and Ducey were all on our list of potential 2024 presidential candidates as of September 2022.
July 21, 2022
Pence, Ducey endorse for Arizona governor and secretary of state, countering Trump
In the last couple of weeks, former Vice President Mike Pence and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey have added to their lists of endorsements countering those of former President Trump.
Pence endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson for Arizona governor. This is Pence's fourth gubernatorial endorsement of 2022 and the second in which he has clashed with Trump. Trump backed Kari Lake for Arizona governor. Earlier this year, Pence endorsed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who defeated Trump-endorsed David Perdue in the primary.
AZCentral reported that Pence is scheduled to attend events for Taylor Robson in Phoenix and elsewhere on Friday, while Trump is holding a rally for Lake that day in Prescott Valley.
As we wrote last week, Ducey also endorsed Taylor Robson. Ducey is term-limited.
Ducey recently endorsed Beau Lane for secretary of state. Lane faces Mark Finchem, whom Trump endorsed, and two others in the GOP primary.
Ducey said, "The 2022 elections haven’t even been held yet, and already we’re seeing speculation doubting the results — especially if certain candidates lose. … It’s one of the most irresponsible things I can imagine."
AZCentral reported,
| “ |
Late last month, at a campaign stop in Chandler, Finchem said he would not concede his race if there was any suggestion of wrongdoing. "There ain’t gonna be no concession speech coming from this guy," Finchem said. "I’m going to demand 100% hand count (of ballots) if there’s the slightest hint of any impropriety. And I would urge the next governor to do the same thing."[4] |
” |
Arizona's secretary of state, Katie Hobbs (D), is running for re-election.
President Joe Biden defeated Trump 49.4% to 49.1% in Arizona in 2020. Three forecasting outlets rate the gubernatorial general election a Toss-up.
The primaries are Aug. 2.
June 23, 2022
Indiana Republicans nominate Diego Morales for secretary of state
Indiana Republican Party delegates nominated Diego Morales for secretary of state during the party’s state convention on June 18. Morales will run against Destiny Wells (D) and Jeff Maurer (L) in the general election. Four candidates competed for the nomination: Morales, incumbent Holli Sullivan, Paul Hager, and David Shelton.
In Indiana, political parties nominate candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, and attorney general at state party conventions.
Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) appointed Sullivan in 2021. The Indianapolis Star’s Kaitlin Lange wrote that "with some frustration within the Republican party over Holcomb's handling of the pandemic and other policy choices, [Sullivan's] ties to the establishment hurt her campaign more than they helped as she faced three other candidates. … [Morales] primarily garnered the support of the more conservative faction of the party, capitalizing on discontent with Holcomb and those associated with him."
According to the Associated Press’ Tom Davies, Morales said the 2020 presidential election was a scam. Brian Howey of Howey Politics Indiana wrote, "[Morales’] campaign says that he was misquoted … His campaign texted this statement from Morales: 'I proudly voted for Trump twice, but Joe Biden was elected president in 2020 and legitimately occupies that office today. … There were a number of irregularities in that election, including the secretary of state in Pennsylvania changing election rules only 30 days before election day. Those kinds of actions are unacceptable.'"
According to Davies, Morales wants to shorten the early voting period, require proof of U.S. citizenship from newly registering voters, and create an election task force.
June 2, 2022
Associated Press analysis: High number of 2020 Democratic primary voters participated in 2022 GOP primaries
An Associated Press analysis of early voting data published Tuesday showed that 37,144 people who voted in Georgia's May 24 Republican primaries voted in Democratic primaries in 2020. AP called this "an unusually high number of so-called crossover voters."
Georgia holds open primaries, meaning voters may vote in whichever primary they choose, regardless of their registration (voters may only participate in one party's primary in each election year).
The analysis said these voters supported incumbents Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), both of whom won primaries over challengers former President Donald Trump (R) endorsed. Kemp received 74% of the vote, avoiding a runoff by more than 280,000 votes. Raffensperger avoided a runoff by around 27,000 votes.
The Associated Press wrote that Country First, a political action committee that Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) created, conducted a mailer and text campaign encouraging Georgia Democrats to support Raffensperger.
Kinzinger, who is not seeking re-election this year, was one of 10 House Republicans who voted for Trump's 2021 impeachment. The Republican National Committee censured Kinzinger in February for his participation in the House select committee investigating the U.S. Capitol breach.
Raffensperger's campaign said that "there are people who stopped voting in Republican primaries after 2016 who are now reengaged."
AP said that "at least a portion of Georgia’s 37,000 party switchers in 2022 had been in the Republican camp before Trump took office. Roughly between 9,000 to 13,000 voted Republican in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 primaries, according to the L2 data."
Country First also weighed in on North Carolina's 11th Congressional District primary, where Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R) lost re-nomination by fewer than 1,500 votes. AP wrote that of the 38,000 early and absentee votes in that primary, more than 14% (5,400) were from voters who had participated in the 2020 Democratic primary.
AP found that fewer 2020 Democratic voters participated in the GOP primary in Pennsylvania this year, attributing the gap to the competitive Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and to the state's closed primary system.
Primary rules vary by state and, in some cases, by political party. Twenty-one states have open primaries.
Another 15 states have at least one political party that runs semi-closed primaries, meaning that members of that party and registered voters who are not members of any party may participate. In 11 states (including Pennsylvania) and the District of Columbia, parties run closed primaries, meaning only registered party members may participate.
May 26, 2022
Primary results roundup
Alabama, Arkansas, and Georgia held their primaries on Tuesday. Texas also held primary runoffs for races in which no candidate received a majority of the vote on March 1.
The big stories of the night: Kemp and Raffensperger win in Georgia, Britt and Brooks advance in Alabama
Georgia Governor: Incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp defeated former U.S. Sen. David Perdue and three others. Kemp received 74% of the vote to Perdue's 22%. There will be no runoff since Kemp received more than 50% of the vote.
Former Vice President Mike Pence (R), Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R), and Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) were among Kemp's endorsers. Perdue's endorsers included former President Donald Trump (R) and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R).
The 2020 presidential election results were a subject of debate in the primary, as we've discussed in several issues of The Heart of the Primaries. Perdue said Kemp had not done enough as governor to investigate the results, while Kemp said he took all appropriate actions within his constitutional authority.
Kemp was first elected governor in 2018, defeating Stacey Abrams (D) 50% to 48%. Kemp served as Georgia's secretary of state from 2010 to 2018. Perdue served in the Senate from 2015 to 2021, when Jon Ossoff (D) defeated him in a runoff 50% to 49%.
Kemp will face Abrams again in the Nov. 8 general election. Forecasters rate the general election either as a Toss-up or Tilt Republican.
Georgia Secretary of State: Incumbent Brad Raffensperger defeated three other candidates. Raffensperger received 52% of the vote, and Jody Hice received 33%. Since Raffensperger won more than 50%, there won't be a runoff.
Reuters' Joseph Ax wrote that Raffensperger "has been one of Trump's most frequent targets ever since he refused, emphatically and publicly, to capitulate to the demands of the former president, his fellow Republican, to 'find' enough votes to overturn the results in Georgia's 2020 presidential vote." Trump endorsed Hice.
In January, Raffensperger said, "Congressman Hice, he's been in Congress for several years. He's never done a single piece of election reform legislation. Then he certified his own race with those same machines, the same ballots, and yet for President Trump, he said you couldn't trust that."
At a debate earlier this month, Hice said, "The 'big lie' in all of this is that there were no problems with this past election. This past election was an absolute disaster under the leadership of Brad Raffensperger." Hice objected to the counting of Georgia's electoral votes during the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021.
Raffensperger was elected secretary of state in 2018. Hice was elected to the U.S. House in 2014.
Alabama U.S. Senate: Katie Britt and Mo Brooks advanced from a field of six candidates with 45% and 29% of the vote, respectively. As no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, Britt and Brooks will compete in a June 21 runoff. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R), first elected in 1986, did not seek re-election.
Britt was Shelby's chief of staff and the president and CEO of the Alabama Business Council. Britt's campaign website said she was an "advocate for smaller government, modern job growth, constitutional liberties and greater opportunity." Sen. Shelby, Maggie's List, and the Value In Electing Women PAC endorsed Britt.
Brooks has represented Alabama's 5th Congressional District since 2011. Brooks' campaign ads have highlighted his speech at Trump's rally on Jan. 6, 2021, which preceded the U.S. Capitol breach. Brooks' endorsers included Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.).
Trump endorsed Brooks in April 2021 and withdrew that endorsement two months ago. Trump said, "Mo Brooks of Alabama made a horrible mistake recently when he went 'woke' and stated, referring to the 2020 Presidential Election Scam, 'Put that behind you, put that behind you.'"
In response, Brooks said, "I am the only proven America First candidate in this Senate race . . . I am the only candidate who fought voter fraud and election theft when it counted, between November 3 and January 6."
Other marquee primary results
U.S. Senate
- Arkansas U.S. Senate: Incumbent John Boozman defeated three other candidates with 58% of the vote. Jake Bequette finished second with 21%. Boozman was first elected to the Senate in 2010. Three forecasters rate the general election Safe or Solid Republican.
- Georgia U.S. Senate: Herschel Walker defeated five other candidates with 68% of the vote. Gary Black finished second with 13%. Incumbent Raphael Warnock (D) is running for re-election. Former President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Walker. Three forecasters rate the general election a Toss-up.
U.S. House
- Alabama's 5th: Dale Strong and Casey Wardynski advanced from a field of six candidates. Strong received 45% of the vote and Wardynski received 23%. The runoff is on June 21. Incumbent Mo Brooks ran for U.S. Senate rather than for re-election. Three forecasters rate the general election Safe or Solid Republican.
State executives
- Alabama Governor: Incumbent Kay Ivey defeated eight other candidates with 55% of the vote. Lynda Blanchard finished second with 19%. Ivey took office in 2017 following Gov. Robert Bentley's (R) resignation. Three forecasters rate the general election Safe or Solid Republican.
- Alabama Secretary of State: Jim Zeigler and Wes Allen advanced to a June 21 runoff with 42% and 40% of the vote, respectively. Incumbent John Merrill (R) did not seek re-election.
- Arkansas Secretary of State: Incumbent John Thurston defeated Eddie Joe Williams 72%-28%. Thurston was first elected to the position in 2018.
- Texas Attorney General runoff: Incumbent Ken Paxton defeated George P. Bush 68%-32%. Paxton was first elected to the position in 2014.
- Texas Railroad Commissioner runoff: Incumbent Wayne Christian defeated Sarah Stogner with 65% of the vote. Stogner received 35%. Christian was first elected in 2016.
Media analysis
As of Thursday morning, the results of Tuesday's primaries brought Trump's 2022 primary endorsement record to 94-7 (93%). Media commentary and analysis following the primaries focused on Trump's involvement.
RealClearPolitics' Susan Crabtree wrote that Trump's endorsement record differs for gubernatorial and other types of endorsements:
| “ |
Millions of words were written and much airtime expended handicapping whether Georgia would show that Trump had molded the Republican Party in his own likeness. It didn’t happen Tuesday night, at least not in Georgia. Kemp maintained his early lead in the polls while earning the endorsement of former Vice President Mike Pence along the way and cruising to an easy victory – as did Raffensperger. Pence, largely written off by the media, looked more prescient, if not instantly relevant. In an appearance with Kemp on the eve of the election, Pence called a vote for Kemp a "deafening message" that the Republican Party is "the party of the future," stirring new headlines that he is positioning himself for a presidential run in 2024. … But Georgia is only one state. Trump has racked up a mixed record in contested primaries so far this year while wading into various contests to settle old scores or establish himself as a kingmaker. J.D. Vance, the Yale law school graduate and venture capitalist turned author, undoubtedly has Trump to thank for his win in Ohio’s GOP Senate primary. Likewise, Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor backed by Trump in Pennsylvania’s GOP Senate race, leads by just under 1,000 votes in a race against hedge fund executive David McCormick, which appears headed for a recount. Trump has exercised less influence in gubernatorial races – with recent losses from candidates he endorsed in Nebraska and Idaho. He secured one solid win Tuesday night with his strong backing of Herschel Walker, the former University of Georgia football star and pro football running back who easily won his Republican Senate primary in the same state. … … Other Tuesday primaries also produced mixed results for Trump. Two-term Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who spearheaded a lawsuit that sought to overturn the 2020 election, got a boost from a Trump endorsement. On Tuesday, Paxton easily defeated Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, the son of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and nephew of former President George W. Bush, in a GOP primary runoff. The lopsided win signaled the triumph of Trumpism over the Bush dynasty. It was particularly notable considering that Paxton, who addressed the pro-Trump crowd in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, is under indictment for alleged securities fraud. In Alabama, a candidate with Trump’s support before he rescinded it advanced in a Republican runoff to replace retiring Sen. Richard Shelby. Trump supported Rep. Mo Brooks, a staunch conservative congressman, but rescinded his support after Brooks suggested Republicans should look forward to 2022 and 2024 rather than focusing on Trump’s continued 2020 complaints that the election was stolen. Other prominent Republicans, including Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky, have continued to back him.[4] |
” |
The Hill's Max Greenwood framed Tuesday's results as a win for what he called the GOP establishment:
| “ |
Tuesday was a good night for the non-Trump, establishment wing of the GOP. The establishment saw its major victory in Kemp’s gubernatorial primary win. Figures like former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R), and Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) all campaigned for the Georgia governor, pitting themselves up against Trump’s endorsement of Perdue. Meanwhile, in Arkansas, Sen. John Boozman (R) fended off a number of right-wing challengers including former NFL player Jake Bequette. Boozman’s opponents hit him over his vote to affirm the 2020 election results and remarks that Trump had “some responsibility” for the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. However, Boozman had the support of Trump and former Trump officials like Huckabee Sanders.[4] |
” |
Washington Examiner's Sarah Westwood said on Fox Business that the candidates who won in Georgia on Tuesday campaigned on Trump's populist stances and that voters did not reject the former president's ideas. Washington Examiner reported on Westwood's interview:
| “ |
While incumbents Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R-GA) did not have former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Westwood told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo Wednesday that their Republican primary victories are not rejections of "Trumpism." "I don’t think that’s exactly what we’re seeing because the candidates that did [win], including Gov. Brian Kemp, still ran on the kinds of populist ideas that fueled Trump’s popularity, but what he didn’t do is focus on the 2020 election, and neither did Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who also avoided a runoff," Westwood said. Westwood noted that Republican voters appear ready to move forward. "They want to talk about plans for the economy, plans for keeping schools safe, and keeping leftist ideology out of the classrooms," she said. "Those are the sorts of things that, I think, are compelling Republican candidates to the forefront, and we saw that voters were not interested in talking about the past."[4] |
” |
May 5, 2022
Michigan GOP committee member resigns over state party endorsements
Tony Daunt resigned as a state GOP committee member days after the party's endorsement convention.
Daunt said in his resignation letter that the "feckless, cowardly party 'leaders' have made the election here in Michigan a test of who is the most cravenly loyal to Donald Trump and relitigating the results of the 2020 cycle."
The party endorsed Kristina Karamo for secretary of state and Matt DePerno for attorney general. Both candidates have questioned the results of the 2020 election and have endorsements from Trump. In the second round of voting at the convention, DePerno got 54% to former state House Speaker Tom Leonard's 46%. Karamo got 67% in the first round, followed by state Rep. Beau LaFave's 19% and Chesterfield Township Clerk Cindy Berry's 13%.
Daunt serves on the Michigan Board of State Canvassers. He previously served as logistics director for the state party and as executive director of the Michigan Freedom Fund, a nonprofit with funding from the DeVos family.
After the convention, state party chairman Ron Weiser said, "We’re coming out united and ready to move forward and win in the fall."
Michigan is a Democratic triplex, meaning its governor, secretary of state, and attorney general are all Democrats.
The primaries are Aug. 2.
April 21, 2022
Recent polling and PAC spending in Georgia
Former President Donald Trump's leadership PAC donated to a super PAC opposing incumbent Brian Kemp in Georgia's Republican gubernatorial primary. Recent polling shows Kemp leading the race.
Save America PAC, which Trump formed shortly after the 2020 general elections, gave $500,000 to the super PAC Get Georgia Right. The latter group ran a TV ad saying Kemp "dismissed concerns about voter fraud in the 2020 election."
Politico's Alex Isenstadt said this was Save America PAC's first major midterm spending: "While Trump has cut small checks to favored candidates and spent money to stage rallies, he had yet to direct a sizable sum toward bolstering a particular contender."
A recent Landmark Communications poll showed Kemp leading David Perdue 52% to 28%, with 10% undecided. The poll was conducted April 14 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percentage points.
Trump has been critical of both Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) for certifying the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Trump endorsed Perdue in the gubernatorial race and Jody Hice in the secretary of state race.
In the secretary of state GOP primary, the Landmark poll showed Jody Hice leading Raffensperger 35% to 18%, with 33% of respondents undecided.
An Emerson College poll from early April showed Kemp leading Perdue 43% to 32% and Raffensperger leading Hice 29% to 26%. The poll had a credibility interval (similar to a margin of error) of +/- 4.3 percentage points.
In Georgia, if no candidate wins a majority of the vote in an election, a runoff is held between the top two vote-getters. The primaries are set for May 24.
April 14, 2022
Two candidates secure spots in Colorado Secretary of State primary at Republican Party Assembly
Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters and Mike O'Donnell secured spots on Colorado’s Republican primary ballot for secretary of state at the Republican State Assembly on April 9. Peters received 61% of delegates' support and O'Donnell, executive director of a nonprofit lender, received 39%.
Pam Anderson, a former Jefferson County clerk and former executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, qualified for the ballot after submitting a nominating petition with the required number of signatures.
In March, the Colorado Republican Party called on Peters to suspend her campaign after a grand jury indicted her on several felony and misdemeanor counts amid an investigation into equipment tampering and official misconduct. Party leaders said in a statement, "It is our belief, as leaders of the Colorado Republican Party, that any Republican candidate who is indicted with felonies by a grand jury and who will be charged by a Republican District Attorney should suspend their campaign while they undergo the legal challenges associated with those indictments."
Peters said she didn't break any laws and had been attempting to locate evidence of voter fraud.
Republican candidates who qualified for the primary ballot for other offices at the assembly include state Rep. Ron Hanks, who qualified for the U.S. Senate primary, and former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez and University Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl, who qualified for the gubernatorial primary.
December 16, 2021
Mike Brown to challenge Kansas SoS Scott Schwab
Former Johnson County Commissioner Mike Brown announced he would run for Kansas secretary of state on Dec. 7, challenging incumbent Scott Schwab in the Republican primary. The primary is scheduled for Aug. 2.
Brown said, "Kansans' trust in our elections has been broken. I fix problems and I want to restore their faith in our broken election system. Anything less than 100% confidence in our elections should never be enough for the Kansas Secretary of State."
A spokeswoman for Schwab, Lydia Meiss, said, "While others would rather play partisan politics with our elections, Scott is working hard to defend your right to vote securely and safely. To Scott, this is not about politics — it’s about protecting your vote and your rights."
Brown served as county commissioner for one term before Shirley Allenbrand defeated him in 2020. Schwab is a former Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives. He was elected secretary of state in 2018.
November 18, 2021
Where Trump has endorsed challengers to GOP incumbents so far
Former President Donald Trump has made more than 50 endorsements in the 2022 elections so far, including several candidates challenging GOP incumbents. The table above includes incumbents who are running for re-election or have not announced their intentions.
Three of the four House incumbents with Trump-endorsed challengers voted to impeach Trump for incitement of insurrection following the Jan. 6 Capitol breach: Liz Cheney, Jaime Herrera Beutler, and Fred Upton. Two of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach—Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16) and Adam Kinzinger (IL-16)—are not running for re-election.
Three incumbent Republican senators with seats up for election in 2022 voted "guilty" on Trump's 2021 impeachment: Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Richard Burr (N.C.), and Pat Toomey (Penn.). Murkowski is the only one seeking re-election. Trump endorsed Kelly Tshibaka in the primary (which will be a top-four primary featuring candidates of all affiliations— click here for more information). Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said the group will be supporting all incumbent senators.
Trump has criticized Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on crime, policing, and other issues. Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger argued over the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election results in the state. We cover conflicts in the Idaho gubernatorial race below.
We'll be watching how impeachment votes and 2020 election claims unfold in these and other Republican primaries, along with policy differences between the candidates.
See also
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2022 elections: |
Previous elections: |
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Footnotes
- ↑ 2020 election for Vermont and Washington.
- ↑ In Michigan, political parties nominate candidates for some offices at their conventions instead of holding a primary. Candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, Supreme Court, and the boards of Michigan State University, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, and the state Board of Education are nominated at conventions.
- ↑ Michigan.gov, "Filing for office," accessed August 20, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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