Top Republicans’ biggest private concern is that the midterm elections will turn into a referendum on former President Donald Trump, according to Axios’ Mike Allen. While Palin came with 14 years of political baggage and was hampered by Alaska’s ranked choice voting system, this fear is not shared by top Republicans.
Because of the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago last month, Trump has been in the spotlight and picking public disputes with Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, who has criticized several of Trump’s MAGA Senate candidates and said they won’t win.
Sarah Palin’s special election loss in Alaska could be a sign of GOP troubles in the fall – but the state’s ranked choice voting system also played a role – in that it doesn’t cater to the most extreme voices of the political parties
Axios’ Mike Allen reported Thursday that Republicans’ biggest fear going into the midterm is that they’ll be a referendum on former President Donald Trump (left) and not the economy. Democrats picked up a House seat Wednesday with Alaskan Mary Peltola’s (right) win
‘For him to make that statement is a disgrace to some very good people,’ Trump said Thursday morning on the John Fredericks Radio Show, labeling the GOP Senate leader ‘a negative for the party’ and ‘bad news.’
Republicans had hoped to make the November midterms about the economy: how under Democratic rule inflation has soared, with high gas and food prices.
But Democrats have seen some wins partially due to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, enabled by the three justices Trump appointed to the court during his single term.
Last week in New York, Democrat Pat Ryan defeated Republican Marc Molinaro in a swing district, with Ryan campaigning heavily on abortion protections.
That win comes on the heels of Kansans overwhelmingly voting to protect abortion rights in their state.
The Palin loss plays into the narrative that the Democrats have some momentum, leading to Republicans grumbling online.
Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted, ‘Ranked-choice voting is a scam to rig elections.’
‘60% of Alaska voters voted for a Republican, but thanks to a convoluted process and ballot exhaustion -which disenfranchises voters – a Democrat “won,”‘ the Arkansas Republican said.
Sen. Tom Cotton reacted to Sarah Palin’s loss by tweeted that ‘Ranked-choice voting is a scam to rig elections’
He was later smacked by anti-Trump GOP Rep. Adam Kinziner, who said Cotton didn’t like it because it didn’t reward the ‘extremes of the party’
Alaskans altered their voting procedure in 2020 thanks to certain pro-Trump voters.
The top four vote-getters on primary day advance to the general election rather than narrowing the field of candidates via the party primary process.
That is how Mary Peltola, a Democrat, and two Republicans—Palin and Nick Begich—found themselves on the special election ballot.
With 39.7% of the vote versus Palin’s 30.9% and Begich’s 27.8% in the three-way contest, Peltola defeated the two Republicans.
However, voters may choose their second-choice option using the ranked-choice method.
Begich’s votes were eliminated in this instance and split between Palin and Peltola.
Peltola nevertheless won the election in the end, although by a far narrower margin: 51.5 percent to Palin’s 48.5 percent.
Despite belonging to the same party, Palin wasn’t widely supported by Begich’s supporters.
Highlighting Cotton’s complaint about ranked choice elections, Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a vocal voice from the anti-Trump wing of the party, pointed out ‘ranked choice voting gives all Americans a voice and not the extremes of the party.’
‘So you’d be outta luck,’ Kinzinger tweeted. ‘No wonder you don’t like it.’