GOP candidates in NH and Maine distance themselves from Trump

Republican candidates in New Hampshire and Maine are maintaining competitiveness in Democratic-leaning states by distancing themselves from President Donald Trump and the MAGA brand. As part of a broader effort to overcome “Trump fatigue,” these candidates are prioritizing local issues over national political conflicts to appeal to independent voters.

Strategies in New England

In New Hampshire’s open Senate race, former U.S. Senator John E. Sununu is attempting to convince voters he is not a “MAGA Republican.” To counter efforts by Democratic opponent Rep. Chris Pappas to link him to the president, Sununu has stated in a television advertisement, I’ve never even met the man, referring to Donald Trump. According to GOP consultant Mike Biundo, Sununu is following a “classic New Hampshire path” by focusing on state “kitchen-table issues” and avoiding national media interviews.

Biundo noted that this approach of remaining “local and detached” is the same method Republican Sen. Susan Collins has utilized for years in Maine to secure independent voters. Sen. Collins is currently seeking a sixth term in what is described as one of the tightest races of her career against Democrat Troy Jackson. Last week, Collins visited a New Balance plant in Norway, Maine, accompanied by Joe Manchin, an independent and former Democratic senator from West Virginia. Her supporters argue that her work as chair of the Appropriations Committee to bring federal funding to Maine and her bridge-building in Washington justify her reelection, despite voter frustration over the cost of essentials and heating oil, as well as her vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who helped lead the 2022 overturning of abortion rights.

#NHSEN — John Sununu in a new TV ad: “The way Chris Pappas tells it, I’m President Trump’s long-lost son. I’ve never even met the man." pic.twitter.com/7zgQHNoHZr”

— https://x.com/PatrickSvitek/status/2112505235897782288

Republican Outlook in Other Blue States

In Minnesota, former sportscaster Michele Tafoya is running in a competitive open Senate race against Democratic Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan. Although endorsed by President Trump, Tafoya’s website lists endorsements from the state Farm Bureau and the Minneapolis police union but does not mention the president.
In Michigan, former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers is running slightly behind Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. While Rogers received an endorsement from President Trump, he declined to state in a recent television interview whether he considers himself a MAGA Republican.