Trump’s Influence Prevails in Texas Primaries Amid Recent Electoral Developments

President Donald Trump continues to exert a strong influence in the 2026 primary season, with all his endorsed candidates securing victories. Fox News’ Madeleine Rivera reported on Ken Paxton’s triumph in the Texas Senate primary runoff, along with other successful races, illustrating Trump’s considerable impact on the GOP.

In a notable development, Jim Schwartzel, a Florida media executive, secured the GOP nomination to succeed Representative Byron Donalds. This occurred despite Trump’s endorsement of Schwartzel’s opponent, Catalina Lauf, who previously served in the Department of Commerce during Trump’s first term.

Trump had endorsed Lauf on August 13, shifting the dynamics of the race just days before voters went to the polls in Florida’s 19th Congressional District. Despite this, Tuesday night’s results showed a departure from the usual success rate of Trump-endorsed candidates in primary contests. As of mid-July, 97% of candidates endorsed by Trump had won their primaries. According to Ballotpedia, his endorsement success rate has stayed at 93% or higher since 2018.

The race to succeed Donalds was marked by a diverse group of candidates, including former Representative Madison Cawthorn, former Representative Chris Collins, and wealthy former Illinois state senator Jim Oberweis. This unusual mix of candidates drew attention and humor from national media, with Axios describing the race as “the GOP’s carpetbagger primary,” predicting “whoever claws their way through the circus-like primary is almost guaranteed a ticket to Washington.”

On the campaign trail, Schwartzel criticized Lauf for previously running in Illinois before her recent move to Florida, asserting his stronger ties to the state. Lauf, however, described herself as a “blue state refugee,” distancing herself from the “carpetbagger” label. “I didn’t have a choice to be born and raised in Illinois, but I have a choice to live here,” she remarked during a July debate.

Additionally, Lauf accused Schwartzel of being involved in the firing of a local meteorologist, to which Schwartzel responded that while he owns several local media stations, he did not hold a stake in the network responsible for the termination.

Schwartzel noted his supporters’ frustration over Trump’s endorsement of Lauf. “The president endorsed my opponent tonight,” he announced on the night of the endorsement, urging his supporters to target their anger at the out-of-state super PACs and Washington consultants who influenced the race, rather than Trump himself. “I’ve supported him from the beginning, and I’ll support him after Tuesday,” he added.