As former President Donald Trump continues to wield his influence over the GOP, some former aides and officials are poised to join the ranks of the nation’s elected officials.
Some are heavily favored to win their races, including former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is the GOP nominee for governor in Arkansas and the heavy favorite in the race.
A handful of former Trump officials are also expected to join the House, including former Trump Director of Presidential Advance Max Miller, who is expected win the Republican-leaning 7th District in Ohio; former Interior Secretary and former Congressman Ryan Zinke, who is running in Montana; and Brad Finstad, a USDA official under Trump who won a special election to the House earlier this year in Minnesota’s 1st District.
Others are facing competitive races, including Republican Jim Bognet, who was a Trump appointee to the Export Import Bank, is in a tight congressional race against Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright in Pennsylvania’s 8th District.
John Gibbs, a former Housing and Urban Development official under Trump who has been endorsed by the former president and has cast doubt on the 2020 election, is the GOP nominee in a competitive race against Democrat Hillary Scholten in Michigan’s 3rd District. Gibbs defeated Rep. Peter Meijer in the primary.
In the hotly contested New Hampshire’s 1st District, former Trump White House communications staffer Karoline Leavitt is running against Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.
For more on other candidates to watch and the dynamics driving the midterm elections, check out the NBC News Political Unit’s Election Book.
