By MEG KINNARD
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina has been ousted from Congress in his Republican major after voting to question Donald Trump over the Jan. 6 rebellion. He is the primary of the ten House Republicans who voted to question Trump to lose a reelection bid.
Rice, a five-term congressman, was defeated Tuesday by state Rep. Russell Fry, who was endorsed by Trump. Rice was a robust supporter of Trump’s insurance policies in Washington however stated he was left no alternative however to question Trump over his failure to calm the mob that violently sought to cease the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, one other South Carolina Republican who angered Trump, gained her GOP major over her Trump-backed challenger.
In different races Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Dina Titus in Nevada was being opposed by a progressive, whereas Republican Rep. Mark Amodei drew a problem from a son of one of many state’s most well-known sports activities figures. In Maine, a former Republican congressman is seeking to reclaim his previous seat.
In Texas, a particular major election is being held to serve the remaining months of former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela’s time period.
Key congressional races to observe in Tuesday’s major elections in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina and Texas:
TWO SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS WHO CROSSED TRUMP HAVE DIFFERENT FATES
Rep. Tom Rice, a five-term congressman, attracted a half-dozen GOP challengers after his vote to question Trump. All had cited the vote as a mark of disloyalty to each the previous president and Rice’s constituents within the seventh Congressional District, a Republican stronghold that which closely supported Trump in his two campaigns. Trump endorsed state Rep. Russell Fry within the race.
Rice, an in any other case constant supporter of Trump’s insurance policies, stood by his vote, acknowledging it may result in his ouster however saying he adopted his conscience.
Trump had vowed revenge in opposition to the ten House Republicans who crossed celebration traces to question him. Four of the ten determined in opposition to searching for reelection. A fifth, Rep. David Valadao of California, continues to be ready to listen to the outcomes of his major election from final week; he’s combating for the second spot in a race the place the highest two finishers advance to the overall election in November.
Trump had campaigned with Fry earlier this yr and described Rice as “respected by no one.” Rice conceded to Fry on Tuesday evening, Rice’s marketing campaign stated.
The seventh Congressional District is strongly Republican and prone to stay within the celebration’s palms this fall. The district consists of the vacationer hotspot of Myrtle Beach and various inland, rural areas.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, alternatively, managed to carry off a major problem from former state Rep. Katie Arrington, who was recruited by Trump. Arrington additionally sought the first Congressional District seat in 2018, ousting then-U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford in a GOP major earlier than occurring to lose to Joe Cunningham in Democrat’s first red-blue seat flip in South Carolina in a long time.
Mace gained the seat again for Republicans in 2020 with Trump’s assist. But the previous president turned in opposition to her partly resulting from Mace’s criticism of his function within the Capitol violence. She additionally infuriated Trump by voting to certify Biden’s win within the 2020 election and to carry Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the Capitol rebellion.
But not like Rice, Mace sought to make amends for angering Trump. Earlier this yr, she filmed a video in New York exterior Trump Tower to remind her constituents that she was one of many former president’s “earliest supporters.” She had labored for his 2016 marketing campaign and had his backing in her 2020 run.
Mace will face Democrat Annie Andrews within the November common election.
PRIMARY CHALLENGE IN NEVADA’S SAFEST GOP HOUSE SEAT
Rep. Mark Amodei is going through a major problem from a perennial candidate with a well-known final title.
Danny Tarkanian, son of legendary University of Nevada, Las Vegas basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, is attempting to knock off the six-term incumbent within the sprawling, rural northern district that no Democrat has gained in its 40 years.
Over the years, Tarkanian has launched two Senate campaigns and misplaced quite a few congressional bids in two different districts. But he created sufficient of a stir in 2018 in a major problem to Sen. Dean Heller that Trump intervened to steer him to drop out and run once more for the House.
Amodei gained a particular election for the seat in 2011 after Heller was appointed to fill an unexpired Senate time period. A member of the House Appropriations Committee, Amodei has simply turned again earlier major challenges previously.
NEVADA DEMOCRAT FACES PRIMARY IN STATE’S BLUEST DISTRICT
Democratic Rep. Dina Titus, the dean of Nevada’s congressional delegation, is going through a progressive problem from Amy Vilela within the state’s most liberal district.
Vilela, who misplaced a major bid in a neighboring district to Rep. Steven Horsford in 2018, was the Nevada co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential marketing campaign. She has been endorsed by Sanders and Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, a progressive activist who scored a major upset in 2020 in opposition to a 20-year Democratic incumbent.
Titus was a number one advocate for Biden throughout his 2020 presidential marketing campaign. She has served six House phrases and chairs a transportation subcommittee.
With one of the liberal voting data in Congress, Titus has steamrolled her manner by way of major opponents over time. But she has complained about how Nevada redrew its congressional districts after the 2020 census, turning her safely Democratic district into one the place the celebration’s registered voters have solely a single-digit margin.
FORMER MAINE CONGRESSMAN BIDS FOR HOUSE RETURN
A former congressman desires his previous seat again in Maine, however he should first maintain off a problem from a fellow Republican within the largely rural, politically combined district.
Bruce Poliquin represented Maine’s 2nd Congressional District from 2015 to 2019 till dropping to Democratic Rep. Jared Golden. Golden’s victory over Poliquin was the primary congressional election determined by ranked-choice voting in U.S. historical past.
This yr, Poliquin is hoping to win a rematch over Golden in one of the intently watched races of the 2022 midterms. To get there, he should stave off a major problem from Liz Caruso, the primary selectwoman of the tiny city of Caratunk.
TEXAS SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION TO FINISH CONGRESSMAN’S TERM
Whether Republicans can proceed making beneficial properties with Hispanic voters — a prime objective for the celebration in 2022 — is getting an early check in a South Texas particular election.
Four candidates are working to complete the time period of former Rep. Filemon Vela, a five-term Democrat who left Congress earlier this yr to take a job within the personal sector. They embody Republican Mayra Flores, who gained the GOP nomination for the seat in March and hopes {that a} short-term victory Tuesday will give her momentum towards flipping the seat in November.
Big beneficial properties by Trump alongside the border with Mexico in 2020 have put Democrats on the defensive after a long time of one-party management in South Texas. Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez switched from a neighboring district due to redistricting to run for Vela’s seat and is the celebration’s nominee for November. But he isn’t working to complete Vela’s time period, and celebration leaders have rallied within the particular election behind Democrat Dan Sanchez.
The first-place finisher would wish greater than 50% of the vote Tuesday to win outright. Otherwise, the highest two finishers will go on to an August runoff.
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Associated Press writers Scott Sonner in Reno, Nev., Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
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Meg Kinnard might be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
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Follow AP for full protection of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”