Wednesday’s Campaign Round-Up, 6.3.26: In key Iowa race, Trump’s pick falls short

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

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* Donald Trump likes to pretend that he can singlehandedly choose election winners, especially in Republican primaries, through the power of his endorsement. A few months ago, for example, the president boasted online, “My Endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable! It is such an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot.”

The trouble is, the power of his endorsement isn’t nearly as strong as he claims, as we were reminded again this week. In Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial primary, Trump threw his support behind Rep. Randy Feenstra, who narrowly lost to Zach Lahn.

While Iowans haven’t elected a Democratic governor in 20 years, there is growing speculation that state Auditor Rob Sand, this year’s Democratic nominee, is well positioned for the general election.

* On Tuesday night, the Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed majority

granted Alabama’s emergency request to use a congressional map that a lower court deemed racially discriminatory. As MS NOW’s Jordan Rubin explained, the controversial move further weakens Chief Justice John Roberts’ claim that justices aren’t “political actors.”

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Steve Benen

Steve Benen is a producer for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He’s also the bestselling author of “Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past.”

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• Alabama ruling demolishes John Roberts’ claim that justices aren’t ‘political actors’