Six Republican Candidates Lost After Democrats Spent $40M Boosting Them in Primary

Six Republican candidates lost in the general election on Tuesday after Democrats spent an estimated $40,250,000 boosting them in the GOP primaries.

The Democrats’ primary strategy, which was mocked by many Republicans at the time, turned out to be a successful defense against the Republican Party on Election Day.

The strategy took advantage of Republican disunity upon which type of GOP candidate should be supported by the Republican Party in the primary up to the general election. Former President Trump’s waning appeal to moderate voters in battleground races appeared to also be a factor.

Below are race specifics:

1) Illinois Gubernatorial Race:

Democrat Governors Association dropped $35 million for Trump-endorsed state Sen. Darren Bailey. Gov. J.B Pritzker (D) defeated Bailey Tuesday by about ten points. Bailey won the GOP primary over Jesse Sullivan by about 42 points.

2) Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Race:

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro spent $840,000 on TV ads helping Republican gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Doug Mastriano. On Tuesday, Shapiro defeated Mastriano by about eight points. Mastriano defeated Lou Barletta in the GOP primary by about 23 points.

3) Maryland Gubernatorial Race:

Democrat Governors Association spent $734,000 funding Trump-endorsed Dan Cox in the GOP primary against Republican Kelly Schulz. Democrat candidate Wes Moore defeated Cox Tuesday by about 22 points. In the GOP primary, Cox defeated Schulz by about 9 points. Schultz estimated the Democrats spent more than $1 million against her.

4) New Hampshire Senate Race: 

The Democrat Senate Majority PAC spent $3.2 million helping Republican Gen. Don Bolduc defeat State Senate President Chuck Morse by 1.3 points. On Tuesday, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) defeated Trump-endorsed Gen. Bolduc by about nine points.

5) Michigan House Race:

The Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee supported John Gibbs with $425,000 worth of TV commercials against Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI). Gibbs defeated Meijer by about three points. Gibbs lost to Hillary Scholten by about 13 points.

6) New Hampshire State House Race:

Democrats Serve PAC spent $94,000 aiding Trump-endorsed Bob Burns against Republican George Hansel, who lost to Burns by three points. Democrat state Rep. Annie Kuster defeated Burns by 12 points.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.