Both major parties will be relieved by the results of Tuesday's primary elections, which took place in eight states. Most candidates endorsed by party leaders prevailed, and in California's “jungle primary,” in which the top two candidates move on to the general election regardless of party affiliation, Democrats and Republicans narrowly escaped being shut out of key races. As attention switches to November, Donald Trump's low approval ratings and the history of midterm elections suggest that Democrats are likely to gain ground, particularly in the House. But Republicans are taking comfort in a favorable political map in the Senate, a closing of the gap between the two parties in generic-ballot polling, and—most of all—a buoyant U.S. economy.
“The economy is booming, and it's been fueled by the pro-growth policies of the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress,” the Republican National Committee crowed in a blog post after Friday's employment report showed that the jobless rate had fallen to 3.8 per cent in May. “In 5 short months, voters will go to the polls and support the party that's delivering on its promises, not the party of doom and gloom whose sole mission is to resist at every turn.”
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