OMAHA, Nebraska (AP) – Tuesday’s most important primary race in Nebraska and West Virginia is the much-contested Republican primary for governor of Nebraska, featuring a Donald Trump-backed candidate accused of touching multiple women. .
Voters in Nebraska will also nominate candidates to replace former U.S. Republican Jeff Fortenbury, a Republican convicted in March of lying to federal authorities about illegally contributing to a campaign he received from a Nigerian billionaire.
In West Virginia, two incumbent congressmen are facing Republican primary elections after the redeployment cost the state a seat in the US House of Representatives.
What to watch during Tuesday’s primary election:
HOW MUCH IS TRUMP IN NEBRASKA?
In the Republican election for governor of Nebraska, Trump backed Charles Herbster, a wealthy agribusinessman and stockbreeder who positions himself as a political outsider.
Herbster recently faced allegations of groping young women, including a Nebraska senator and a former legislature. He categorically denies the allegations and has filed a defamation lawsuit against the MP, Senator Julie Slam. She filed a counterclaim accusing Herbster of sexual assault. Despite the accusations, Trump stood by Herbster and attended a rally with him last week.
His main rival is the University of Nebraska regent Jim Pilen, a former football player and veterinarian who owns a pig farm and a pig farm. Pilen has won the support of high-ranking conservatives, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orre, Nebraska’s influential farmers’ bureau, and former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne.
And surprisingly, U.S. Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha rose to the top with the support of the Republican mayor of Omaha and advertisements portraying him as a “new generation” leader. It is considered the more moderate option for Herbster and Pilen.
The winner of the Republican primary is expected to face US Senator Carol Blood, who is almost certain to win the Democratic nomination for governor against a little-known candidate who has not campaigned.
HOW DOES A CONVERSION’S CONVICTION REFORM THE PRIORITY?
The primary race for the US House of Representatives is usually a frivolous affair in Nebraska, with little turnover among Republican incumbents. But the state is open this year after Fortenberry’s resignation.
Fortenberry originally planned to seek re-election for a 10th term despite federal allegations and ran commercials to attack its main rival, Republican Sen. Mike Flood. He turned down his offer after his conviction, and Flood gained momentum with the support of Ricketts and former Gov. Dave Heinemann.
Flood is now the strong favorite to win the nomination for the 1st Congressional District by five Republican candidates. Fortenbury’s name will still be on the ballot as he resigns after the state’s deadline to certify candidates.
The Republican candidate is expected to face Democratic Senator Patti Pansing Brooks in November. Pansing Brooks competes against University of Nebraska-Lincoln student Jazari Kuala Zakaria in the Democratic primary.
Flood and Pansing Brooks will also face off in a special election on June 28 to decide who will serve until the end of Fortenberry’s term. The general elections in November will determine who will take the seat from January 2023.
The 1st Convention District covers a section of eastern Nebraska, with the exception of Omaha and most of its suburbs. The Republican-oriented area includes Lincoln, as well as large tracts of farmland and small towns.
HOW MUCH FOR WESTERN VIRGINIA VOTERS IS THE IMPROVEMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE?
Republican primary elections in West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District between two actors could hang in support of President Joe Biden’s $ 1.2 trillion infrastructure bill in the Republican-leaning state.
One of the incumbents, MP David McKinley, was among the 13 Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted in favor of the bill. He cited the US Infrastructure Rating “D” by the American Society of Civil Engineers, saying it would be treacherous to vote on a “party policy” issue so important to residents.
West Virginia, one of the poorest states in the country, is expected to receive $ 6 billion in infrastructure money.
The other incumbent, Alex Mooney, voted against the infrastructure bill and won Trump’s approval on the day Biden signed the measure into law. Mooney and Trump called McKinley and other Republicans who voted on the infrastructure bill RINO, or “Republicans by name.” Mooney called the bill “a master plan for Biden and President Nancy Pelosi” and said it would contribute to inflation.
While in Congress, McKinley and Mooney voted together most of the time. But the infrastructure vote will serve as a test of Trump’s influence in a country that embraced him with all its heart in two presidential elections.
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Associated Press writer Leah Willingham of Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to the report.
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