Nebraska and West Virginia held their primary elections earlier this week. How did the radical candidates running in these elections fare? Let’s take a closer look.
Rep. Alex Mooney WON the GOP primary in West Virginia’s 2nd congressional district. Mooney introduced a resolution that sought to stop Republican members of Congress from calling on Donald Trump to concede the 2020 election, citing false allegations of voter fraud.
In Nebraska, Rep. Adrian Smith WON the GOP primary in the 3rd congressional district. Smith spread unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 presidential election and voted against certifying Joe Biden’s win.
In better news, two extremists running for governor of Nebraska LOST the GOP primary. One was Michael Connely, a fan of several conspiracy theories, including one that claims we’re in the midst of a “Great Reset,” and another that claims the Chinese paid George Floyd rioters.
Another loser was Trump-endorsed candidate Charles Herbster, who has been credibly accused of sexual abuse by multiple people. He attended the “Stop the Steal” rally held outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and supported Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Through its “Rise of American Radicalism” research project, the Renew America Foundation (RAF) — the 501(c)(3) arm of RAM — has identified more than 250 radical candidates running for office this cycle. You can learn more about these candidates using the RAF Extremist Tracker.
