The Primaries in a Nutshell

As the results roll in from the first newsy night of the 2022 election cycle, we are struck by America’s unruly democracy. American voters prove far more newsworthy than Democrats imagine. Despite doubts in the Democratic press, President Trump demonstrated his post-presidential clout in the Republican primaries in Pennsylvania for Senator and Governor, as well as in the North Carolina Republican Senate primary.Our gaze first swivels to the Keystone State, where, in the Democratic Senate contest, Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman — a rising populist — triumphed, despite a mild stroke, over Congressman Conor Lamb. While Mr. Lamb served in the Marines, that wasn’t enough to help him against the unconventional Mr. Fetterman, in whom we see a welcome addition to the Democratic Party, despite his disheveled attire.On the Republican side, one of the most watched races in the nation remains too close to call. Mr. Trump’s endorsee, Mehmet Oz, is holding the slightest of leads over former Bridgewater honcho David McCormick, with late breaker Kathy Barnette running firmly in third place and likely siphoning away votes from the television doctor. It’s an important test of Mr. Trump’s impact in the midterms.If the spread between Dr. Oz and Mr. McCormick finishes at less than 0.5 percent, Pennsylvania will hold a recount. Regardless of who wins, Ms. Barnette’s run left an imprint on many, as she caught a similar outsider wind that brought Mr. Trump from the penthouse to the White House. One of her supporters was heard castigating the “Trump establishment” that rallied against her, illuminating how quickly the rebel transmutes into the regime.Also in the Keystone State, Douglas Mastriano snagged the Republican nomination for governor. Mr. Mastriano, who marched on the Capitol on January 6, will likely make GOP grandees nervous when he faces off in the general election against Attorney General Joshua Shapiro, who cleared the primary field. “God is good, all the time,” Mr. Mastriano noted. He might need some manner of divine intervention to triumph.In North Carolina, Mr. Trump was unable to help Representative Madison Cawthorn, who was defeated. While we followed Mr. Cawthorn’s constitutional case against disqualification for his role on January 6, he was not done in by the Constitution but by his own scandals. He lost to the far less colorful Charles Edwards. Mr. Trump also supported Bo Hine’s bid for a nomination to the House and the campaign for Senate of Ted Budd. They both won.In a less than happy development, there is one sign that the Democrats are lurching leftward. Back in the Keystone State, an acolyte of Senator Sanders named Summer Lee leads over Steve Irwin in a Democratic Congressional primary despite substantial backing for the latter from the America-Israel Public Affairs committee. Even as the district remains too close to call, the Squad could be set to welcome another member.

The Primaries in a Nutshell

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