Three House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump and accuse him of inciting the Capitol riot are on primary ballots Tuesday in Michigan and Washington state — the latest test of the former president’s grip on the GOP and Republican voters.
Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse of Washington and Peter Meijer of Michigan all hope to fend off challengers endorsed and boosted by Trump.
Newhouse and Herrera Beutler could survive their Trump-backed primary challenges due in part to Washington’s unique voting system. The state’s primary sends the top two vote-getting candidates on to the general election regardless of their party affiliation.
This type of primary system can be “helpful for the incumbents who are perceived as moderate,” Travis Ridout, a political science professor at Washington State University, told ABC News.