Trump-backed candidates win primary elections in four states

Retired Army Capt. Sam Brown on Tuesday beat 11 other Republican candidates in Nevada running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. He will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen in the November general election. Democrats are defending Senate seats in several swing states as the party seeks to maintain its slim majority in the chamber.

While in the Army, Brown earned a Purple Heart when a roadside bomb in Afghanistan exploded and severely wounded him. In 2022, he unsuccessfully ran for the state’s other Senate seat. Former President Donald Trump and other top Republican leaders endorsed him in this year’s election and he beat Trump’s former ambassador to Iceland, Jeff Gunter, in the primary.

What happened in the South Carolina primary? Incumbent U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace won the Republican primary after Trump endorsed her. She had criticized the former president and notably also joined other House members last year to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The California representative’s political action committee donated to one of Mace’s challengers in the South Carolina race.

How about in Maine? State Rep. Austin Theriault on Tuesday won the Republican primary election for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. He is also backed by Trump and will face three-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Jared Golden in the November election. The district includes the city of Lewiston, where a gunman last year killed 18 people.

And finally, in North Dakota? U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong won North Dakota's Republican primary for governor. Julie Fedorchak, a longtime public utilities regulator, finished first among Republicans seeking the House seat Armstrong will leave open. Both Armstrong and Fedorchak were endorsed by Trump. 

Dig deeper: Check out WORLD’s Election Center 2024 to follow this year’s races.