DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Senate Republicans landed a top-tier candidate in West Virginia. But they have struggled to recruit well-known GOP challengers in several of the states where President Donald Trump romped and Democratic incumbents warily face re-election.
Two-term Republican Rep. Evan Jenkins on Monday announced his bid against Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia’s popular former governor whose conservative record often puts him at odds with his party.
In Wisconsin, Michigan and other states, Republicans have passed on challenging Democrats. Trump’s abysmal approval ratings loom large as does the typically rough going for the president’s party in midterm elections. Democratic senators in states Trump carried last year have capitalized on their party’s resistance to the president to post robust early fundraising.