Trump-Backed Gubernatorial Candidate Loses Nebraska Primary
The agribusiness executive endorsed by former President Donald Trump for governor in Nebraska lost the Republican primary on Tuesday night.
Charles Herbster was defeated by Jim Pillen, a veterinarian and hog producer.
With 98% of the expected vote in, Pillen leads Herbster 33.4% to 30.4% – an insurmountable deficit for Herbster to overcome. Brett Lindstrom was in third with 26% of the vote.
Herbster’s campaign had been marred by allegations from seven women who said he groped them at political events and beauty pageants. An eighth said he forcibly kissed her.
Trump endorsed Herbster last year, before the allegations surfaced. Nevertheless, Trump held a rally for the businessman earlier this month and defended his pick.
“He’s been maligned, he’s been maligned, he’s been badly maligned and that’s a shame,” Trump said. “That’s why I came out here it would have been easier for me to say I’m not coming out but I defend people when I know they’re good. He’s a good man.”
The news wasn’t all bad for Trump-backed candidates on Tuesday night. In West Virginia, Rep. Alex Mooney handily defeated fellow incumbent Rep. David McKinley. It was a rare matchup of incumbents facing off against one another after the state lost a congressional seat after the 2020 U.S. Census.
Trump’s endorsements have become something of a litmus test for the former president’s influence over his party. Last Tuesday, he boasted his preferred candidates all won their primaries.
“I was 22 and 0. I won every race,” he bragged.
