In the wake of the guilty verdict in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, politicians in close Senate races across the country are reacting in notably different ways.
Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, a Montana Republican, released a TV ad criticizing the conviction.
The ad included pointed criticism of his opponent, incumbent Democratic Sen. John Tester. The Montana race is seen as one of the of the closest in the country, and could end up tipping the balance of power in the upper chamber.
After the verdict was announced, Sheehy said in a post on X, “RIGGED! New York v. Donald Trump is state-sponsored political persecution led by the Party of Joe Biden and Jon Tester. WE THE PEOPLE stand with PRESIDENT TRUMP!”
This message was accompanied by a graphic encouraging people to “Rush in support now” for Trump.
Sheehy is the leading Republican Senate candidate in Montana, where voters have supported Trump in past elections. Trump endorsed Sheehy’s campaign back in February.
Tester’s Senate office released a statement on the verdict: “Sen. Tester respects the judicial process and believes everyone should be treated fairly before the courts, and voters will have the opportunity to make their voices heard at the ballot box in November,” per KTVQ.
How have Arizona Senate candidates responded to Trump’s conviction?
Kari Lake
Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake voiced her support for the former president.
Lake, a Republican and staunch Trump supporter, posted her full statement on X. It begins, “We just witnessed the most egregious example of election interference and an outright mockery of the rule of law in the 246-year history of our Republic. This entire process right down to the verdict itself has been nothing but a shameful political stunt.”
In a post to X on Sunday featuring a clip of her appearance on Fox News, Lake doubled down and called the trial “bogus” and a “distraction from the real problems REAL Americans are facing because Democrats don’t have a record to run on.”
In an appearance on NewsMax last week, Lake said, “We’re living on planet crazy right now,” and urged people to donate to Trump’s campaign, per NBC News.
Like Sheehy, Lake has secured Trump’s endorsement.
Rep. Ruben Gallego
Lake is running against Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego for the open Arizona U.S. Senate seat currently held by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Before Sinema’s March announcement that she would not seek reelection, Arizona was looking at a three-way race.
Gallego has historically opposed Trump’s policies and has voted for President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. Like Tester, Gallego was muted in his response to Trump’s conviction. He posted on X, “I respect our justice system and the rule of law. The process played out, and we should always demand accountability from our elected leaders.”
According to 538, a May 21 poll by Florida Atlantic University PolCom Lab/Mainstreet Research has Gallego leading the race by nearly 10 percentage points.
How have Nevada Senate candidates responded to Trump’s conviction?
Sen. Jacky Rosen
Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen, the incumbent, has a record of opposing Trump’s policies.
Rosen was quiet on social media regarding the conviction, but said in a statement, per Fox News, “Every American, even a former president, is subject to the rule of law and must be held accountable for criminal actions.
“A jury has made its decision, and I respect our legal system and the outcome of this fair and impartial process.”
Sam Brown
The leading Republican candidate in Nevada’s Senate race is Sam Brown, a businessman and Afghanistan War veteran.
In a statement about the verdict, Brown said, “First, they tried to keep Donald Trump off the ballot. Now, they are trying to keep him off the campaign trail,” per the Nevada Current.
“This has been a sham political trial from the beginning, all because D.C. Democrats are afraid of losing and answering for their failures this November,” he continued.
Unlike Lake and Sheehy, though, Brown has not received an endorsement from Trump. A May 25 poll by the Tyson Group, according to 538, have Brown trailing Rosen by 14 percentage points in a head-to-head race.
Jeff Gunter
Jeff Gunter was Trump’s appointee to serve as United States ambassador to Iceland from 2019 to 2021. The dermatologist also hopes to win the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate race, though he trails far behind Brown.
Gunter also hasn’t received Trump’s endorsement, despite having been the former president’s pick for an ambassador role. He echoed Brown’s sentiments about the trial and conviction.
“The baseless and corruption (sic) conviction of President Trump marks a dark day for America,” Gunter said in a statement per the Nevada Current.