The tones many have adopted are a stark reminder that even if former President Trump is no longer in the White House and his once-iron grip over the Republican Party is falling, the divisiveness he displayed has become a guide for others pursuing the path to victory.
It is a sign of just how much turbulence Trump stirred up within his own party. If Ronald Reagan taught Republicans never to battle each other, Trump has taken the opposite tact, attacking at will and inspiring outsiders to take on incumbents who now have to fight back.
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In Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) this week signed a new law making it illegal for a doctor to perform an abortion, with exceptions just in the case of a medical emergency. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed laws banning transgender girls from high school sports, regulating how schools teach regarding race and gender, and destroying permit requirements for carrying concealed weapons.
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Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R), a low-key politician who rarely makes headlines outside of her state, has launched campaign advertisements that echo Trump’s proof-free statements regarding the 2020 election results.
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“The fake news, Big Tech, and blue-state liberals stole the election from President Trump. But here in Alabama, we’re making sure that never happens,” Ivey states in her first ad. “The left is probably offended. So be it.”
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All three governors face potentially competitive primaries. Polls reveal Kemp leading former Sen. David Perdue (R), who has Trump’s backing. Two Conservative groups have spent money assaulting Stitt; former state Veterans Affairs Director Joel Kintsel (R) launched a campaign against Stitt earlier this week, accusing the governor’s administration of “corruption, self-dealing and cronyism.”
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Ivey faces a challenge from Lindy Blanchard (R), a businesswoman who worked as Trump’s ambassador to Slovenia and who has spent her own money on an early advertising onslaught.
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Other Conservative incumbents who once would have coasted to renomination now find themselves blamed for heresy. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R), Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R), Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) all face primary challenges, yet all are favored to win both renomination and another term.
Those who face primary challenges are racing to catch up with other governors who have a clear route to November’s midterm elections and who have already staked out their trenches in the culture wars ahead.
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