While the 2022 midterms certainly have their own clout and reverence as far as political contests go, there are many observing the election for the sole purpose of speculating on what’s coming in 2024.
Most notably are the ramifications for Donald Trump, the former President and presumptive Republican nominee for 2024, who has spent much of this year attempting to peddle his influence throughout these congressional races.
This week, another test of his influence has arrived, and the Democrats are beginning to worry.
Rep. Alex Mooney is projected by the Associated Press as the winner in the GOP congressional primary in West Virginia’s 2nd District in a battle with fellow Republican Rep. David McKinley.
And while former President Donald Trump wasn’t on the ballot, his prestige within the GOP was very much on the line in a bitter contest between two incumbent lawmakers, as Trump had endorsed Mooney.
“I Love West Virginia. Congratulations to Alex Mooney on his BIG WIN!!!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
A trend appears to be forming.
It was the second major victory for a Trump-backed candidate in a heavily contested GOP primary, following JD Vance’s win last Tuesday in a crowded, combustible, and very expensive Republican primary in the race for Ohio’s open Senate seat.
At his victory celebration, Mooney told supporters “the voters of West Virginia spoke loud and clear tonight.”
And the congressman thanked Trump for “his endorsement and support of my campaign – when Donald Trump puts his mind to something, you better watch out.”
The news is almost certainly going to rattle the Democrats, who had hoped to smother Trump’s political power through their wide-ranging investigation into January 6th, 2021…but to no avail.
