Republican candidates endorsed by Donald Trump were dealt primary defeats in several states on Tuesday night in the latest losses for the former president’s preferred choices this year.
The convicted felon and presumptive GOP presidential nominee saw his candidates come up short in Utah, South Carolina, and Colorado, despite his unrivaled influence over the party. The results follow other recent losses for Trump-backed candidates, showing that the endorsement many Republicans dream of doesn’t always prevent an electoral nightmare.
In Utah, Trump had given the nod to Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs for the Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Mitt Romney. Trump last year delighted at the “fantastic news” of Romney’s impending departure, claiming his critic “did not serve with distinction.” On Tuesday, however, his MAGA-friendly Staggs lost out to Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), who has been more openly critical of Trump.
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“John Curtis is a man of honor and integrity who cares deeply about our fellow citizens and the future of our country,” Romney wrote in an X post celebrating the result. “We need more leaders like him.”
Trump’s choice in the GOP primary runoff in South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District suffered a similar fate. Pastor Mark Burns, whom Trump calls an “America first fighter” who’d encouraged Trump to seek the presidency “long before it was fashionable,” was defeated in a close race. Burns took 49 percent of the vote while Sheri Biggs—a nurse and Air National Guard officer who’d been endorsed by Trump’s long standing ally, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster—took 51 percent, according to the Associated Press.
Despite lacking Trump’s endorsement, Biggs describes herself as a “Pro-Life, Pro-Second Amendment, Pro-Trump Republican” and said in a statement after her victory that she stands ready “to not only win this seat in November but also to help President Trump win back the White House in November.”
The former president was also delivered a blow in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.
The candidate with Trump’s endorsement, the state GOP Chairman Dave Williams, was crushed by talk radio host and political consultant Jeff Crank by more than 30 points, according to the AP. Earlier this month, Williams had faced calls to resign from state Republican leaders after the Colorado GOP sent out an email bearing his signature that called Pride supporters “godless groomers.” The state party’s X account also encouraged followers to “Burn all the #pride flags this June.”
It wasn’t a total catastrophe for Trump, though, with several candidates he’d backed winning. State Rep. Gabe Evans triumphed in Colorado’s hotly contested 8th Congressional District, for example, while Rep. Lauren Boebert easily won in her new district with the help of Trump’s endorsement.
