Trump’s conviction makes its way into key Senate races

As former President Donald Trump’s conviction injects new uncertainty into this year’s White House race, the verdict is also beginning to disrupt potentially equally important races: those for key Senate seats.

Republican Senate candidates on Monday released ads savagely against Montana Sen. Jon Tester and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, the chamber’s two most vulnerable Democrats this cycle. And top GOP officials are even going after former Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who represents the GOP’s best chance to win a Senate seat after issuing a statement calling for respect for the legal process rather than to reflexive support for the former president.

The conviction has yet to make its way into Senate elections in purple states like Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, but elections in Montana, Ohio and Maryland represent marquee opportunities for Republicans to eat away at Democrats’ Senate majority.

Businessman Tim Sheehy, Tester’s opponent, fired the first shot Monday on the issue, releasing an ad calling the prosecution of Trump “lawfare” led by President Joe Biden and a radical left that wants “throw Trump in jail.”

“And Jon Tester is standing right next to them,” a narrator says before pointing to an old clip of Tester on MSNBC saying someone needs to “go back and punch (Trump) in the face” and pointing out Tester’s vote to condemn Trump in each case. his impeachment trials.

Bernie Moreno, the Republican businessman challenging Brown, followed up with his own digital ad that features an earlier video of Brown saying that “Biden’s politics aren’t much different from mine anymore.”

“No matter the issue, Sherrod Brown stands with Biden, even as he turns the justice system into a weapon to interfere in the presidential election,” a narrator says in the video. “Senator Sherrod Brown remains on the sidelines, refusing to condemn Biden’s politically motivated witch hunt.”

A source close to Moreno’s case said it was backed by a five-figure purchase on digital and text messaging platforms, but that a 30-second version had also been created and could be shown on television at the ‘future.

Sheehy’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the amount of money spent on his advertising.

The videos highlighted the dynamics of the two races in which Sheehy and Moreno are running in states that Trump won easily and are expected to win again this year, meaning that retaining all of the former president’s voters is likely a ticket for the Senate – and win. either race should give the GOP a majority in the Senate.

“It’s a layup for Sheehy and Moreno,” said a Republican strategist working on Senate races.

The Brown campaign had no comment on Moreno’s announcement, but the Tester campaign pushed back on Sheehy’s attack, pointing to his upbringing outside of Montana and highlighting Tester’s past bipartisan work.

“Tim Sheehy is trying to cover up the fact that he is a foreign multi-millionaire who has been caught lying about every aspect of his life and is running for Senate for his own benefit, not Montana’s. Jon will continue to “presented based on his record of always fighting for what’s best for Montana, including getting more than 20 bills signed by President Trump,” said Monica Robinson, a spokeswoman for the state. Test campaign.

A Democratic national operative working on the Senate elections also predicted that Trump’s conviction would not play a major role in the election once voters go to the polls in November – five months from now.

“The outcome of the Senate elections will be determined by the poor quality and disqualifying flaws of the GOP candidates,” the person said.

The impact of Trump’s conviction on Senate races was not limited to the Republican Party’s attacks on Democrats.

Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, and Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump campaign and RNC official, criticized Hogan for saying Americans “shouldn’t throw trash.” ‘oil to the fire’. with more toxic partisanship” and should “reaffirm what has made this nation great: the rule of law.”

“You just finished your campaign,” LaCivita wrote on X in response to Hogan’s statement.

Lara Trump also refused to say whether the RNC would support Hogan, saying during a CNN appearance that she would have to return to the “monetary details.”

“I think anyone who doesn’t speak out about something that should never have happened, a lawsuit that never would have been brought against anyone other than Donald Trump, doesn’t deserve anyone’s respect. ” said Lara Trump. “(Hogan) doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party at this point, and, frankly, of anyone in America.”

That comment raised eyebrows about the extent to which the RNC would contest Maryland’s open Senate seat — a seat that hadn’t been considered to be in play until Hogan, a popular former two-term governor, threw his hat in the ring.

“Maybe I’m old school, but I always thought the RNC should be focused on winning elections,” Doug Heye, a former senior RNC official, wrote on X.

Still, Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, chairman of the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, said he still intends to support Hogan.

“I think the trial was a complete sham. I’ll be clear on that. Larry has his opinion too. One thing about America is that we are allowed to have our own opinions, even when we are in deep disagreement with each other,” Daines said. said Sunday on Fox News.

“At the end of the day, an election comes down to two choices on a ballot. As someone once said, ‘don’t compare me to the Almighty, compare me to the alternative’,” Daines said, referencing one of Biden’s favorite refrains. . “Larry is running a great race and he will run his campaign as he sees fit.”