DeSantis' Presidential Hopes Threatened by Trump's Shadow.
Vulnerable House Republicans are concerned that former President Donald Trump's "MAGA brand" will negatively impact GOP down-ballot races in the 2022 midterm elections. In 2016, 23 Republican House candidates won in districts that Trump lost, but in 2018 and 2020, Democrats flipped most of those districts. The GOP presidential primary between Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to be a "brutal political fight" in 2024, and Republicans fear a "Trump drag" could cost them their narrow House majority. The National Republican Congressional Committee is urging candidates to "keep it local" and avoid talking about national issues or presidential candidates.