As Donald Trump looks to cement his power base with the Republican party, he’s facing a strong and unexpected opposition. The impediment comes in the form of secret ballot leadership races, where Trump-backed hopefuls are having to face off against tough foes in a closely watched battle.
Over the past few months, Trump has been vocal in his endorsement of several candidates up for leadership posts in different Republican organizations. However, when it came to actual voting, he’s been markedly less successful. It appears that many of the Republicans that Trump supports have not been able to garner the same level of support from their party peers in nomination races that rely on secret ballots.
This lack of success speaks to the fact that despite Trump seeming popularity, his own public opinion poll ratings are not always reflected amongst Republicans in the US. Many within the party continue to prefer certain candidates not backed by Trump, and in some cases even oppose those he supports.
The most recent example of this comes from the election for South Carolina’s state chair of the Republican Party. Trump publicly supported incumbent Drew McKissick, but when push came to shove, he ultimately lost the secret ballot vote.
This shows that while Trump may have considerable influence when it comes to voicing opinions and issuing endorsements, they don’t carry the same weight when it comes to actually deciding who should win.
It sends a clear message that when it comes to leadership races, Republicans don’t always line up behind Trump-backed hopefuls. His influence may reach many Republicans, but it doesn’t always reach as far as the voting booth.
The bottom line is that when it comes to races of leadership, even though Donald Trump may have the popular support for certain candidates, the voice of the people in a secret ballot is often stronger. This shows that Trump-backed hopefuls may face a tougher opponent in these races than they might expect.