Majority of Donald Trump-Backed Candidates Expected to Win MidtermsBookmakers – Newsweek

Most of the Republican candidates backed by former President Donald Trump are expected to win their midterm races in November, according to a betting aggregator.

The odds for his preferred contenders demonstrate that Trump still has a firm grip on the Republican Party, US Bookies has suggested.

The aggregator's predictions will be welcomed by Trump loyalists who are hoping to re-take the House and the Senate from the Democrats in November. Republicans have opened up a significant lead ahead of the midterms, a new poll has found.

Ron Johnson, who is running for re-election as senator for Wisconsin, has the best odds of the Trump allies. He is the overwhelming favorite to win his race at 1-10, according to US Bookies.

A US Bookies spokesperson said: "Control of Congress will likely come down to a few key races during the 2022 midterm elections and it looks like Donald Trump's endorsement will be a significant factor in securing Republican control.

"Most Trump-endorsed candidates are odds-on favorites to win, with some of the only exceptions being gubernatorial candidates."

Trump ally Herschel Walker has odds of 1-3 to win a Georgia Senate seat lost to the Democrat Raphael Warnock in a special election in 2021.

US Bookies has also highlighted the political cost to Republicans who oppose Trump, particularly Rep. Liz Cheney of Wisconsin.

Trump has repeatedly targeted Cheney, who said last week that the hearings of the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot would show the violence was caused by his baseless claims of election fraud. Cheney is vice chair of the committee and one of the former president's fiercest critics in the GOP.

The US Bookies spokesperson said: "Liz Cheney's story proves that not only does Trump's endorsement usually help Republicans win elections but that speaking against the former president also comes with grim results.

"Cheney now holds 4-1 to be re-elected to her seat in the House of Representatives, with Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman being the odds-on 1-3 favorite."

However, some GOP candidates who are competing against Trump picks are holding their own. In Alabama, the former president has endorsed Mo Brooks for Senate.

A US Bookies spokesperson added: "Of the congressional candidates endorsed by Trump who are favorites to win their respective elections, Mo Brooks has the worst odds. Brooks' 5-4 odds to win are best among all candidates, but fellow Republican Katie Britt is very close behind at 11-8."

Newsweek has contacted Trump's office for comment.

Although betting on elections is not legal in any U.S. state, US Bookies said its aggregate figures were for "illustrative purposes" and based on betting markets in Europe and the rest of the world, where it is legal.

Some polls have shown the Democrats gaining ground in recent weeks. Analysis from poll tracker FiveThirtyEight found there had been an upswing of support for the Democratic Party since late January, but it still needed to close a big gap in order to keep control of the House and Senate.

Should Republicans make significant gains in November it will allow them to significantly weaken President Joe Biden's agenda.

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Majority of Donald Trump-Backed Candidates Expected to Win MidtermsBookmakers - Newsweek