Trump-endorsed Bernie Moreno wins Ohio primary setting up race that could swing Senate make-up: Latest

A further special general election will be held in California in May after no candidate secured enough votes to take former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s congressional seat.

Republican Vince Fong, a California state assemblyman and former aide to Mr McCarthy, advanced to the runoff race for the 20th congressional district seat on Tuesday night, according to The Associated Press.

As of 3am ET on Wednesday morning, it was unclear which other candidate will join him in May.

Mr Fong has secured 40.8 per cent of the vote with 84 per cent of votes counted. County sheriff Mike Boudreaux, his most competitive challenger, is second with 26.2 per cent, followed by Marisa Wood with 23.1 per cent and Kyle Kirkland with 5.2 per cent.

The Associated Press has called the Florida primary in favour of Donald Trump.

The former president, himself a Florida voter, cast his ballot at a recreation center in Palm Beach on Tuesday and told reporters, “I voted for Donald Trump.”

Former Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson has firmly stated he will not endorse Donald Trump as the nominee for his party, saying Mr Trump has put his ego “above the common good”.

The former Arkansas governor said that the Republican nominee had redefined the party “in his image” and that meant traditional GOP values had been lost.

A convicted felon and notorious fraudster interviewed by House investigators as part of the Republican-led impeachment probe into President Joe Biden sought a presidential pardon during the waning days of the Trump administration and refused to rule out asking for one if Mr Trump is returned to office.

The Republican witness, Jason Galanis, is scheduled to give evidence from a federal prison by remote video link on Wednesday when House Republicans convene a public hearing with several former business associates of Mr Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.

Read the full story from Andrew Feinberg here:

Conservatives revolted as Congress came to a bipartisan agreement to avoid a government shutdown.

Read the full story here:

An attorney for Devon Archer, a former associate of Hunter Biden, cited a “patently unreasonable” amount of time to prepare for the hearing when declining to appear, ABC News reports. Matthew Schwartz, his lawyer, said the committee asked them in a Friday “end-of-day email” if he would appear on Wednesday, per ABC News.

Katie Hawkinson has the story:

Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have won their respective primaries in Arizona.

The Associated Press called the results for both men, shortly after 8pm local time.

The respective victories give both the president and former president a clean sweep in the state primaries held on Tuesday in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and now Arizona.

Donald Trump’s endorsement remains unassailable force in Republican primary contests, but his candidates face electability questions.

The Independent’s John Bowden looks at what this might mean for the coming elections later this year.

Bernie Moreno used his acceptance speech in Cleveland, Ohio, to shower praise on former president Donald Trump – who backed him – as well as to commend rivals Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose on campaigns well run.

He called on the party to unify now to defeat Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown.“We have an opportunity now to retire the old commie, and send him to a retirement home and save this country, because that’s what we’re going to do,” Mr Moreno told a cheering crowd.

He called Mr Brown President Joe Biden’s “absolute enabler” in the Senate and liberal Senator Elizabeth Warren’s “lapdog.”

Mr Brown responded to the news on X: “The choice ahead of Ohio is clear: Bernie Moreno has spent his career and campaign putting himself first, and would do the same if elected. I’ll always work for Ohio.”