The 2023 Election Day results, which were less than favorable for the Republicans, have provided a fresh impetus for the rivals of former President Donald Trump to challenge his leading position for the 2024 GOP nomination.
The disheartening outcomes included the re-election of Democratic Governor Andy Beshear in the predominantly Republican state of Kentucky, the Democrats securing complete control of the state legislature in Virginia, and expanding their legislative majorities in New Jersey. Furthermore, they won a state Supreme Court seat in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, and a referendum in Ohio that enshrined abortion rights in the state's constitution was convincingly victorious. These results echo the 2022 midterm elections, where the anticipated Republican surge failed to materialize.
James Uthmeier, the manager of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, commented on the situation in a social media post. "Last night was a sweeping loss for Republicans. It was eerily similar to last November, when the anticipated red wave never came," he said.
Uthmeier's comment was a veiled criticism of Trump, who faced significant backlash from many within the GOP following the previous year's midterms. Several high-profile candidates backed by Trump suffered defeat, arguably costing the Republicans control of the Senate, a larger House majority, and a few governorships.
Uthmeier underscored DeSantis' convincing gubernatorial re-election victory last year, stating, "@RonDeSantis won by 20 points and turned the swing state of Florida solid red. We need a new leader that can win again for America."
The campaign of former ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is vying with DeSantis for second place to Trump in the primary fight, argued in a memo that "Trump is a loser."
"Republicans suffered big losses in the 2022 midterms, the pattern continues one year later. Whether its a purple state like Virginia, a leaning red state like Ohio, or a deep red state like Kentucky, the election results last night were bad for Republicans," the memo read.
Haley's campaign contended that "we all know that Donald Trump struggles against Joe Biden in 2024, while Nikki Haley easily defeats Biden. In fact, Haley is the only candidate to lead Biden outside of the margin of error in a recent CNN poll."
Another Trump rival, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, specifically criticized the former president for the defeat of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who lost to Democratic Governor Andy Beshear.
Cameron, a protg of longtime Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, attributed his earlier victory in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary to Trump's backing. He had stated that "the Trump culture of winning is alive and well in Kentucky." Cameron also prominently featured the former president in his advertisements.
"Daniel Cameron was a rising star of the Republican Party until he decided to throw his lot in with Donald Trump. I mean, let's face it, Donald Trump is political and electoral poison down ballot," said Christie, a former Trump ally who has become a vocal critic of the former president.
"Daniel Cameron made a huge mistake by embracing Donald Trump and selling his soul to him, that's what he did and the voters of Kentucky, a very red state," Christie added.
In response to Christie's criticism, the Trump campaign argued that "Cameron was never able to shake the perception of being a McConnell acolyte, which depressed Republican turnout." They also pointed out that "Kentucky has elected only 3 Republican Governors since the end of World War 2."
These attacks on Trump occurred just hours before DeSantis, Haley, and Christie were set to join Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on the stage in Miami, Florida, for the third Republican presidential primary debate.
Trump, however, decided to skip the third GOP primary debate in a row and instead will hold a competing rally in Hialeah, Florida, just a few miles away.
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