Rep. Dan Donovan, R-N.Y., won a competitive primary Tuesday to fight for his Staten Island House seat — and the GOP majority.
Donovan held off former Rep. Michael Grimm, who had led in recent polls, was endorsed by former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and former communications director Anthony Scaramucci, and generally held himself up as a more reliable defender of President Trump.
Grimm pilloried Donovan for his votes on taxes and healthcare. But Trump weighed in on Donovan’s behalf, endorsing the incumbent in the primary and presenting Grimm, a convicted felon, as a weaker general election candidate.
“Remember Alabama,” Trump tweeted in May. “We can’t take any chances on losing to a Nancy Pelosi controlled Democrat!” He praised Donovan as strong on borders, crime, the military, and helping him “make America great again.”
In addition to the Trump Twitter endorsement, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani — now one of the president’s personal attorneys — held a rally and did robocalls for Donovan. Donald Trump Jr. also did robocalls and daughter-in-law Lara Trump recorded a get-out-the-vote video.
[Trump takes victory lap after Dan Donovan, Henry McMaster win respective primaries]
“Congratulations to Dan Donovan on his resounding victory this evening,” said NRCC Chairman Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, in a statement. “We were proud to include Dan in our Primary Patriot program. Nobody works harder than him and I’m confident voters will reward him once again in November.”
Trump’s assistance in the primary may have put Donovan over the top, but New York’s 11th Congressional District remains a top Democratic target this fall. Donovan will now face off against Democrat Max Rose.
