‘Vance Was Toast Two Months Ago,’ Then ‘Trump Endorsed Him’: Media Reacts to J.D. Vance’s Ohio Primary Win
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J.D. Vance emerged victorious in a crowded primary for Ohio’s soon-to-be vacated Senate seat Tuesday, and people were quick to credit former President Donald Trump.
Vance holds a seven point lead over Josh Mandel with nearly 90% of the vote in as of this writing, according to the New York Times. The race was called about 95 minutes after the polls closed.
Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan, who resisted Trump in his campaign, looks like he’ll finish third.
According to NBC News political reporter Allan Smith, Trump’s April endorsement of the Hillbilly Elegy author was the difference in the race.
Looks like J.D. Vance is nearing victory in Ohio. Demonstrates the impact of Trump’s endorsement and his continued influence over the GOP.
Also big for Peter Thiel, who’s Vance’s largest financial backer and is supporting a handful of like-minded candidates across the country pic.twitter.com/vsUV1BNzC6
— Allan Smith (@akarl_smith) May 4, 2022
Other reporters were also quick to credit Vance’s big win to the country’s 45th president, whose influence was believed by many to have been on the ballot.
After Vance, the big winner tonight is Trump. He put lipstick on a pig and it won the beauty contest.
— Aaron Freedman (@freedaaron) May 4, 2022
Trump endorsed the guy he privately calls “a handsome son of a bitch,” and that really late-in-the-game endorsement very likely put Vance over the top tonight in what became perhaps the absolute most bloodthirsty, Trump-cult primary in the country that clearly underscores…
— Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) May 4, 2022
J.D. Vance parlayed a late endorsement from Donald Trump into a come-from-behind victory that was a testament to the power the former president still holds with the GOP voter base in Ohio …https://t.co/BaL2T8lEyT
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) May 4, 2022
A) From colleague Paul Steinhauser. Trump spox on Vance: It was the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump that took a candidate who many insiders said was in 4th and at single digits in the polls, and in only two weeks, propelled him into a commanding first place finish.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) May 4, 2022
Vance was toast two months ago. Trump endorsed him mid-April pic.twitter.com/oGcvcf1xx8
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) May 4, 2022
Vance wins Ohio GOP Senate race after Trump endorsement, NBC News projects https://t.co/GHmPkR93qc
— Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) May 4, 2022
NBC News projects J.D. Vance as winner of the Ohio Senate GOP primary.
Vance, jumping a good ~20% after Trump’s endorsement last month, to take the stage in Cincinnati ahead of his general election campaign against Democrat Tim Ryan. pic.twitter.com/k1b3N3ufFL
— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) May 4, 2022
Donald Trump endorsement boosts J.D. Vance to victory in Ohio Republican Senate primary https://t.co/w5CZDSePEi
— Seth A. Richardson (@SethARichardson) May 4, 2022
Naturally, not everyone who reacted to the results of the race was quick to credit Trump with the win.
Interestingly, JD Vance is on track to come closer to the expectations from a model of endorsements and polling hypotheticals (eg “would you support a candidate endorsed by Trump/other pols/no one”) than a strict avg of polling toplines. Fundamentals are alive and well folks
— G. Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris) May 4, 2022
JD Vance was ahead by 5 points at the time Trump endorsed him. Vance ended up winning by 5 points. Trump didn’t move the needle at all. His endorsement was worthless. Trump only endorsed Vance, expecting he’d win the nomination anyway, so he could pretend to still be relevant.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) May 4, 2022
Trump’s endorsement changed the course of the race, but Vance still only captured about a third of the primary vote.
And other results suggested the GOP is still battling between its establishment wing and the specter of Trump’s involvement. https://t.co/Z8lXhWpEhb
— POLITICO (@politico) May 4, 2022
So, Donald Trumps endorsement could only get JD Vance 30% ish of the vote? Not quite the resounding victory Trump thinks it is for his standing among rank and file GOP’ers. #OHsen
— Lis Smith (@Lis_Smith) May 4, 2022
69 percent of Ohio Republicans voted for someone besides JD Vance, despite Trump Sr. and Jr. flying in for him.
The R who gave Vance his biggest scare as the race closed was the only candidate who didn’t bend the knee for Trump.
And DeWine won handily. https://t.co/lVYS9O7tBD
— James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) May 4, 2022
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