Last night, former President Donald Trump picked up five more primary victories in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio; but while he is well on his way to earning the Republican Party’s nomination, an increasing number of “protest votes” are making Trump’s election strategy more complicated.
Almost 20 percent of the votes cast in yesterday’s Republican elections were for someone other than Trump. The majority went to South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who was Trump’s major challenger until she dropped out after her colossal defeat on Super Tuesday.
While Haley has officially given up and does not pose a threat to Trump’s victory in the primary, the protest vote signals that Trump must make greater overtures to the rest of the Republican Party in order to ensure his victory in the general contest.
Trump cruised to easy wins in 5 Republican presidential primaries Tuesday, but once again, there were signs he has work to do in shoring up support in his party https://t.co/kRFW3EkiSC
— Axios (@axios) March 20, 2024
Learn the benefits of becoming a Valuetainment Member and subscribe today!
According to data from The New York Times, Biden secured greater margins of victory in his respective races than Trump did (with the exception of Florida, which did not have its Democratic election last night).
Exit polls processed by ABC News found that 18 percent of Republican primary voters in Ohio would not vote for Trump in November. Of those, 10 percent said they would outright prefer Biden over Trump. (Ohio, which was formerly watched closely in presidential elections, is no longer considered a swing state.)
Nevertheless, Trump’s endorsed candidate for the Ohio Senate race, Bernie Moreno, was successful in the primary and will now face incumbent Sherrod Brown (D) in the general.
Trump has yet to pick a running mate, and there were rumors several weeks ago that he was considering Haley as a way to quell dissent within the party ranks. While Haley said there is no way she would serve as VP, some are still arguing this is the likely outcome.
Newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy is a popular suggestion among supporters, but a new report claims he is no longer a contender for the position. The former president is, however, considering him for a cabinet position, according to the source.
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics, economics, and culture for Valuetainment. Follow Shane on X (Twitter).
Add comment