Trump candidate wins in West Virginia, falls in Nebraska

(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump’s picks in Tuesday’s midterm primaries emerged with split results.

Charles Herbster, a businessman Trump endorsed, fell to Jim Pillen in Nebraska’s GOP gubernatorial primary. Pillen had outgoing Gov. Pete Ricketts’ blessing.

Pillen is now a strong favorite in November’s general election against Democrat Carol Blood, a state senator. Nebraska hasn’t elected a Democrat to be governor since 1994.

Rep. Alexander Mooney will win his primary challenge in West Virginia, which is another win for a Republican candidate endorsed by Trump.

Mooney was pitted against another incumbent, Rep. David McKinley, because the state’s new map lumped them in the same district.

McKinley was endorsed by West Virginia’s Democratic senator, Joe Manchin.

Trump’s candidates have done well in the four primaries so far. J.D. Vance won the GOP nomination for Ohio’s upcoming Senate race on May 3 after getting Trump’s endorsement.

Political analyst Chris Stirewalt says the voters will be finding an important answer this primary season — do they want Trump’s picks or not? The climate is favorable for Republicans in general this November, he said.

“The question for the Republican party is are their questions going to dampen that?” Stirewalt said on “NewsNation Prime.”

Earlier in the night, Trump-endorsed incumbent U.S. Rep. Carol Miller breezed to the Republican nomination in West Virginia’s 1st District, defeating four little-known candidates and setting herself on a clear path to reelection.

Miller will vie for her third term in the House in the fall against Democrat Lacy Watson, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Watson, of Bluefield, lost in the 2020 Democratic primary in the former 3rd District.