Thanksgiving Leftovers: Senate Republicans’ Flawed Candidates Get Roasted as GOP Primaries Continue to Escalate

While you were getting your turkey ready, Senate Republicans’ flawed candidates continued to roast each other, and their “increasingly crowded,” “contested” and “bruising primaries” were once again on full display in races across the map.

• In Arizona, a wave of new reports detailed Kari Lake’s self-promotional campaign events outside of Arizona and her continued focus on election conspiracy theories –  highlighting how Lake is running the same failed playbook that lost her the 2022 campaign, that she “never really stopped” going after Arizonans, and that she is not “going to trick anyone into believing that she’s anyone other than she who she is” – which is “still an extremist.”

• In Michigan, Peter Meijer took aim at national Republicans, claiming the NRSC told him that Michigan is “not winnable” for Republicans and insisting “they’d rather have somebody who just kind of plays by the rules [and] is willing to sit quiet.” Meijer mocked the NRSC’s criticisms of him, responding “if there’s anyone who understands what motivates and enthuses the base, it’s certainly a bunch of folks sitting in Washington DC poring over polling.” Mike Rogers also jabbed at his opponents, saying “it’s not [Peter Meijer’s or James Craig’s] time” and “they’re probably better suited for other offices.” 
  

• In Montana, new reporting from The Messenger revealed that “Sheehy appears to be mingling business and politics in questionable ways as he seeks the GOP nomination” by using Bridger Aerospace’s resources to campaign, including using footage of his company property in campaign ads and flying company planes to fundraising events. The report also revealed that Sheehy “weighed his candidacy for five months before going public with his campaign, flouting the FEC’s ‘testing the waters’ rules.”

• In Nevada, after Sam Brown fundraised off Sen. Tuberville’s blockade of senior military promotions, a new report from The Messenger details that Tony Grady “criticized Brown,” saying Tuberville’s “reluctance to approve the promotions is putting the country at risk and actively hurting the people who serve our country.”
  

• In Pennsylvania, new reporting from American Journal News revealed that David McCormick “bungle[d] critique of Sen. Casey’s China policy,” urging Sen. Casey to do more to curtail China’s influence in the private sector, “but McCormick’s suggestions are things Casey has already done.” The new report comes on the heels of a CNN report showing McCormick increased investments in China by 108,000% as CEO of Bridgewater, including in companies blacklisted by the U.S. government.

• In Ohio, Bernie Moreno jabbed at Frank LaRose and Matt Dolan, insisting that “electing either of his primary opponents would be advocating for more of the same.” Donald Trump also continues to loom large in the primary: new reporting details how “the primary became even uglier in November after the LaRose campaign was accused of essentially threatening former President Donald Trump into an endorsement,” and the Moreno campaign recently launched an ad identifying him as the “only pro-Trump, America First conservative, and political outsider in this race.”

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