How is a Trump Republican different from a MAGA Republican? Choices abound in primary
Several Washington candidates who appear on the August primary ballot have found ways to distinguish themselves from the usual platforms.
In Washington state, candidates are allowed to declare themselves under parties other than Democrat or Republican, leading several to announce their candidacies under such party terms as Trump Republican, MAGA Republican and even a JFK Republican.
Some of those are not actual parties, explained Mark Smith, a political science professor at the University of Washington.
“Basically, what these candidates are doing is using the ballot to signal a particular orientation that will distinguish them from other candidates,” Smith told McClatchy. “There’s something to be gained from saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to fight as hard as possible for you.”
Smith told McClatchy that an easy and cheap way to get that message out is to change the name of the party candidates are affiliated with.
Smith said candidates who might seem like Republicans in other respects are “trying to define themselves as anti-establishment, with the formal Republican Party being part of the establishment.” He said he views those party affiliations on the ballot as a means of “free advertising.”
But what exactly do the different types of Republicans on Washington’s August ballot stand for?
Trump Republican
Facing off against longtime Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Patty Murray is a “Trump Republican” from Shelton named Leon Lawson.
Lawson previously ran as a Trump Republican candidate in the 2020 Washington gubernatorial primary but did not advance to the general election.
The small business owner is a Q Anon supporter whose Facebook ads were removed during his run for governor because of Facebook’s policies against platforming the debunked conspiracy theory group. Q Anon’s theories center on anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ elements, as well as a belief that Satan-worshipping pedophiles run the world, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Lawson told McClatchy in an email that he chose the Trump Republican platform because “Mr. Trump helped me to see that outsiders are the only way to change things for the commoner. I am proud of him, and he is a role model to me.”
MAGA Republican
Candidate Cody Hart is running on a Trump-based platform for congressional district 2 in an attempt to unseat Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. Rick Larsen. Hart, a “MAGA Republican,” faces one Democrat in that race, while five other Republicans and one “Conservative” party candidate will appear on the ballot for that area.
Hart’s webpage noted that he is against abortion rights, and he contends he has found evidence of corruption at “every level” in regards to election integrity.
He told McClatchy in an email that his Make American Great Again alignment is to show his support of “core Republican values.” He said that establishing himself as a MAGA candidate “more appropriately reflects” his dislike for the direction he believes the country is headed. He also said he thinks he offers more energy and directness than “typical” Republican candidates.
JFK Republican
Another variation on Republicanism in the upcoming primary is a “JFK Republican” named Dave Saulibio. Saulibio ran as a Trump Republican in the 2020 primaries for the 8th Congressional District seat, but did not earn enough votes to advance to the general election. He is looking to unseat Murray this time.
In his biography listed on Ballotpedia, Saulibio calls himself a “Trump Republican and MAGA warrior.”
In an email to McClatchy, Saulibio explained that a JFK Republican is a “traditional middle road JFK Democrat who is now a Republican because the JFK Democratic Party is gone.” He contends JFK would be considered a Republican today because JFK’s policies “are today’s Republicans policies.”
America First (R)
Two candidates have filed under the America First platform: Tamborine Borrelli, running for Secretary of State against Democrat Steve Hobbs, and Timothy Tooker, who is aiming for a Pierce County Council position against incumbent Dave Morell.
The party is considered a “Pro-Trump white nationalist” group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. America First has been heavily involved in the “Stop the Steal” rallies held at both the state and national capitols, and have been seen by McClatchy at state rallies involving groups the 3%ers and the Proud Boys.
Additionally, a group led by Borrelli dubbed the Washington Election Integrity Coalition United, or WEICU, filed several lawsuits making untrue allegations against elected officials, and alleged manipulation of electronics in state elections. Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office announced Wednesday that the group and their lawyer, Virginia Shogren, were ordered by the Washington Supreme Court to pay thousands of dollars as sanctions “for bringing a case totally devoid of legal merit.”
McClatchy did not get a response for comment from Borrelli, but her website noted that she is the only candidate with the “knowledge and ability to implement a valid solution to election fraud,” referring to debunked allegations that former President Trump’s reelection was rigged.
Washington primary elections operate on a top-two primary system, where the two candidates who get the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of their party affiliation.
The primary election in Washington is Aug. 2. The general election is on Nov. 8.
This story was originally published June 5, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
