CONGRESS/ELECTION/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “As Republican candidates backed by President Donald Trump clung to small leads in closely watched races in Ohio and Kansas on Wednesday [8-8-18], nervousness grew in Republican circles about their ability to continue extending millions of dollars in aid to candidates in November’s Congressional elections. Republican Troy Balderson may have eked out a victory in a special election for a U.S. House of Representatives seat in a reliably conservative district in Ohio, but was leading the Democrat Danny O’Connor by only about 1,700 votes or less than 1.0 percent. The final result could be days away as state officials count more than 8,000 provisional and absentee ballots. In the Kansas primary to select a Republican candidate for November’s mid-term U.S. elections, Kris Kobach was unable to convert an endorsement by Trump into a resounding victory. He clung to a 191-vote lead over his Republican primary opponent, current Governor Jeff Colyer, with potentially thousands more provisional and absentee ballots outstanding. Credit for Balderson’s narrow margin in Ohio is going to the $4 million-plus the party and outside groups pumped into the district in the final weeks to boost voter turnout. The infusion of cash into a district that has been represented by Republicans for 30 years further triggered alarm bells for the party.”
–Ginger Gibson, John Whitesides, “Fundraise or ‘look for a job,’ Republicans warn after close election races,” Reuters, August 8, 2018 1:29 am