Two Trump-Backed Candidates Win Republican Primaries As Cawthorn Loses

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Two Republican candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump won their hotly contested primary elections on Tuesday (May 17).

In the Republican primary for governor in Pennsylvania, Trump-backed Doug Mastriano defeated former Pennsylvania Rep. Lou Barletta and former United States Attorney Bill McSwain. Mastriano will take on Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in November.

In North Carolina's Senate Republican primary, Trump's endorsement helped Ted Budd easily defeat former Governor Pat McCrory and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker. In the general election, Budd will face off against Democratic nominee Cheri Beasley to fill the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Richard Burr.

Trump's endorsement couldn't help incumbent Rep. Madison Cawthorn overcome several high-profile scandals as he lost his race to North Carolina State Senator Chuck Edwards. Edwards will try to hold onto the seat for the GOP as he faces off against Jasmine Beach-Ferrara in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District in November.

The Pennsylvania Senate Republican primary was too close just before midnight ET. Celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz remains deadlocked with David McCormick, the Under Secretary of the U.S. Treasury for International Affairs. The election could be headed for an automatic recount, as the two candidates are separated by less than 0.2%. Pennsylvania law requires a recount if the candidates are within 0.5% of each other.

The winner of the Republican primary will take on Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who won the Democratic nomination to fill the seat vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Fetterman won the primary despite suffering a stroke last week. An hour before the polls closed, Fetterman announced that he had successfully undergone surgery to have a pacemaker installed.


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