So far, at least five federal Republican senators have announced that they will not run for re-election in next year’s election. U.S. media say the retirements of these establishment senators will open the door for Trump allies to take over these seats and further strengthen Trump’s influence in the Republican Party.
According to Fox News, Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) announced he will retire next year. Blunt becomes the fifth Republican senator to decide not to run for re-election in 2022.
Other Republican U.S. senators who have announced they will not run for re-election include Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Rob Portman of Ohio and Richard Shelby of Alabama. North Carolina’s Richard Burr, who was re-elected in 2016, said he would not run again in 2022. In addition, 87-year-old U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa (also known as Iowa) is also considering retirement.
Mike Biundo, a longtime Republican adviser and veteran of the 2016 Trump presidential campaign, told Fox News that the senators’ retirements would “certainly” allow Trump to potentially increase his influence over the Republican Party.
Although Trump has left the presidency, he still has strong influence over congressional Republicans. His polling numbers among Republican voters are still very high. Trump has agreed to help Republicans win back control of the House and Senate in the 2022 elections.
Trump is withholding support from Republican lawmakers who seek re-election in 2022 but vote for Trump’s impeachment in the House, or vote to try to convict him in the Senate. He instead supports Republican contenders who challenge those lawmakers.
Another senior Republican strategist said that the retirement of these Republican lawmakers “certainly opens the door for a new generation of Republican candidates.
This trend seems to be most evident in Ohio. There, Republicans are eager to replace Senator Portman. The state was won by Trump by 8 points in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Two leading Republican candidates have announced their candidacies for the seat Portman left open. They are former state Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken and former Senate candidate Josh Mandel. Both have made their support for Trump a central part of their campaigns.
“As your senator, I will advance the Trump agenda without fear or hesitation.” Timken emphasized in announcing his candidacy. And Mandel emphasized when he joined the campaign, “I’m going to Washington to fight for President Trump’s America First agenda.”
In Alabama, incumbent U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), a staunch Trump ally, is considering a Senate run. And Lynda Blanchard, who served as U.S. ambassador to Slovenia in the Trump Administration, has launched a campaign.
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