GOP Primaries: Hogan wins in MD, Justice in WV
The Facts
On Tuesday, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan won the Republican nomination for that state's US Senate race, and Gov. Jim Justice did the same in West Virginia.
Hogan, a two-term governor, will face Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, who's looking to become the state's first Black US Senator.
The Spin
Republicans are setting themselves up well to retake the Senate majority. Hogan is a Trump critic who's popular on both sides of the political aisle, and Justice has Trump's seal of approval but doesn't pander to the former president's whims or focus much on the party's culture-war issues. These two nominees show the GOP is more than just Trump.
Democrats will have their hands full maintaining control of the Senate, but don't be fooled by some GOP nominees' differences with Trump. It's imperative for Democrats to do whatever possible to make sure a second Trump term doesn't come with a Republican Senate willing to rubber stamp his sweeping policy changes, regardless of how independent some Republicans claim to be.
