ELECTION/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump has injected himself into two high-stakes contests taking place on Tuesday [8-7-18], turning both into new tests of Trump’s tactics and sway with Republican voters. In a special election in Ohio 12th District, Republicans are scrambling to avoid an embarrassing defeat in a seat that the party has held for decades. Trump has backed Republican Troy Balderson, who is facing Democrat Danny O’Connor in the last special congressional election before November’s midterm elections. A win for Democrats here on Tuesday would signal further danger for Republicans in the fall. The party previously lost a similar race in Pennsylvania and saw one in Arizona get too close for comfort. In the Republican primary for Kansas governor, Trump on Monday endorsed Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state known for his crusade for restrictive voting laws, over incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer. In doing so, he ignored the pleas of the Republican Governors Association to stay out of the race. Kobach is widely seen as uniquely vulnerable in a general election due to his controversial national profile. The two races will garner the most national attention on a day when four states hold primary elections: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington.”
–Eric Bradner, “Trump’s base-focused midterm approach tested in Ohio and Kansas races Tuesday,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, August 7, 2018 2:30 pm