ELECTION/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republican voters rejected ex-convict Don Blankenship in a West Virginia Senate primary in which he sold himself as ‘Trumpier than Trump’ but was vigorously opposed by Trump himself. GOP voters in Indiana, meanwhile, chose wealthy businessman Mike Braun over two sitting congressmen to lead the party’s charge against a vulnerable Democratic senator in the fall. President Donald Trump and his allies cheered the West Virginia result, which helped avert a potential political disaster for a GOP already bracing for major losses in the November midterm elections. Trump said on Twitter Wednesday [5-9-18] that Republicans ‘had a great night.’ He added: ‘Tremendous voter energy and excitement, and all candidates are those who have a great chance of winning in November.’ In both cases, Trump’s party appears to have avoided the missteps that doomed candidates in high-profile Senate races in the past. Clinging to a 2-seat Senate majority, Republicans are well positioned to challenge at least two Senate Democrats this fall — West Virginia’s Joe Manchin and Indiana’s Joe Donnelly — who are facing re-election in the heart of Trump country.”
-Steve Peoples and John Raby, “Trump says ‘great night’ after ex-con loses WVa primary,” The Associated Press, May 9, 2018