Fox News Election Brief: Maryland GOP gubernatorial primary tests Trump’s clout

NEVER MISS A MOMENT — Check out our midterm coverage here and follow live election results at the Fox News Election center.

ELECTION DAY WATCH

KEY PRIMARY RACES — MD GOP Governor, MD-06, MD-04, MD-01

POLLS CLOSE — Maryland @ 8:00 p.m. ET

REPUBLICAN RIVALRY — Former President Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot Tuesday in Maryland’s primaries, but he’s front and center as the candidate he’s backing is one of the co-front-runners in the race for the Republican nomination for governor. Also a factor are national Democrats, who’d spent seven-figures to meddle in the GOP primary. There’s also a couple of congressional primary showdowns that are grabbing some national attention as voters heads to the polls in the blue state Maryland. Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser: Voters head to polls in Maryland, where Trump’s clout over GOP faces a test in gubernatorial primary

FLIPPING MARYLAND? — 25-year-old conservative journalist Matthew Foldi looks to advance to the general election to face liquor store magnate Rep. David Trone. D-Md., who recently loaned his own campaign $10 million. But before he can do that he has to win his primary against GOP state Del. Neil Parrott. Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: Maryland House candidate Matthew Foldi aims to unite Republicans, defeat ‘part-time congressman’ David Trone

TOP STORIES

DEM BLOGGER DOUBLE-DOWN — A blogger in Texas that racially targeted GOP Rep. Mayra Flores was paid twice by Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez’s campaign for “advertising services” has a history of using racist terms against Hispanics and African Americans in numerous blog posts over the last few years. Following a Tuesday morning report from NBC News, the first to highlight the blog’s racist and sexist posts directed at Flores and a $1,000 “advertising” payment to the blogger from Gonzalez’s campaign, Fox News Digital discovered additional posts from The McHale Report that struck a similar tone. Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris:Blogger paid by Dem candidate who targeted Mayra Flores defends sexist attacks, other racist posts

BAD AND GETTING WORSE — A new Fox News Poll shows voters say the economy is bad, and they expect it will get worse. The same poll shows Republicans hold 3-point edge over Democrats in the midterm ballot test. Read more from Fox News’ Dana Blanton: Fox News Poll: Voters say the economy is bad, and they expect it will get worse

SECOND AMENDMENT ON THE LINE — A gun policy reform advocacy group founded by and named after former Democratic Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords is vowing to take action in this year’s midterm elections against those members of Congress who opposed the gun control legislation recently signed into law by President Biden. In an interview this week with Fox News Digital, Giffords’ managing director Robin Lloyd praised the largely Democrat-backed legislation called the Safer Communities Act. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: Gabby Giffords gun reform group vows action in midterms against those who opposed gun control bill

DEMS DOMINATING DONATIONS — As it builds resources for a bruising battle to hold on to its narrow House of Representatives majority in November’s midterms, the House Democrats’ re-election arm is spotlighting a record-breaking haul in the April-June second quarter of 2022 fundraising. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) reports bringing in $40.7 million the past three months, including $17 million in June along, according to figures shared first with Fox News on Wednesday. Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser: Democrats’ House re-election arm hauls in record $40.7 million in fundraising the past three months

NEVER, EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER — The Republican Accountability PAC, a never-Trump group, plans to spend around $10 million in the November midterms against Trump-endorsed candidates and those who believe the 2020 election was stolen, while a group of never-Biden Democrats are gearing up to fight against the president’s potential re-election effort. Most Americans think neither Trump nor Biden should run for president in 2024, according to a recent poll, but a larger majority is opposed to Biden running for re-election than Trump. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Never-Trump group reveals midterm plans, days after never-Biden group announces 2024 plan

GIVE ‘EM SOMETHING TO TACO ‘BOUT — The Republican National Committee (RNC) did not waste any time before fundraising off of first lady Jill Biden’s comparison of Latinos to “breakfast tacos.” The viral comment, made by President Biden’s wife in San Antonio, Texas, where she spoke Monday to a group of Hispanic voters at the 2022 UnidosUS Annual Conference, can now be worn as a T-shirt. The RNC launched a t-shirt with a taco image and caption that reads “not your breakfast taco,” available from the party’s online store. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Taco Tuesday: RNC sells Jill Biden ‘breakfast taco’ shirts after gaffe

SEEKING THE SPEAKERSHIP — House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has once again topped one of his own fundraising records. McCarthy brought in a record $50 million during the first six months of this year. “Americans are demanding change, and Republicans are now in a position to deliver. I want to thank our supporters from all across the country for their generous assistance in providing the resources needed to take back the House,” McCarthy told Fox News in a statement. McCarthy will likely succeed Pelosi as House Speaker if Republicans, as pundits expect, win back the chamber’s majority. Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser: House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy breaks another fundraising record

EXPERT ANALYSIS

PLAYING WITH FIRE — Several key elections in states across the country are taking shape as Democrats aim to retain control of the House and the Senate by spending millions of dollars in GOP primary elections to back Republican candidates they see as easy targets in general election matchups. To better understand how efforts like those outlined here have an impact on primary races and the upcoming midterm elections, Fox News Digital contacted political experts from both sides of the aisle to get their assessment. Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris and Jayme Chandler:Strategists warn election meddling, promotion of certain GOP candidates could ‘backfire’ on Democrats

POLLS & PREDICTIONS

THE ROAD TO THE MAJORITY — With the Democrats facing historical headwinds and an extremely unfavorable political climate fueled by record inflation and President Biden’s plunging poll numbers as they try to hang on to their razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, Republicans are confident they’ll win back the chamber in November’s midterm elections. The latest Fox News Power Rankings forecast the GOP retaking control of the House majority that they lost in the 2018 midterms. Read more from Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser: The top 10 most notable House seats that could flip in November’s midterm elections

WAGING WAR IN WYOMING — Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., trails Republican challenger Harriet Hageman by 22% in a poll released Friday, spelling trouble for the anti-Trump Republican’s primary next month. More than half, 52%, of likely primary voters in Wyoming said they would support Hageman, while just 30% expressed support for Cheney, according to a poll. Read more from Fox News’ Thomas Phippen:NEW POLL: Liz Cheney trailing Trump-backed primary challenger by more than 20 points

PAINTS A DIFFERENT PICTURE — A new poll has found that Democrats and Republicans are neck and neck in the upcoming midterm elections, with Democrats citing gun violence as their number one concern even as the economy continues to tumble. A Siena College Research Institute poll found the race to control Congress is tight, with voters preferring Democrats to Republicans by just one percentage point, 41%-40%. Nineteen percent of respondents remain undecided. Read more from Fox News’ Kyle Morris: Shock Poll: Democrats closing gap with Republicans ahead of midterm elections

THE SILENCE IS DEAFENING — Vulnerable House Democrats are staying largely silent on President Biden’s renewed call for an “assault weapons” ban last week despite the lack of clarity as to what such a ban would entail, as well as the issue of gun control becoming a major focal point for the midterm elections following a number of recent mass shootings and the passage of a largely Democrat-backed gun control bill. Read more from Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie: Do vulnerable Democrats support Biden’s push for an ‘assault weapons’ ban? Most won’t say

ELECTION SPOTLIGHT

CAMPAIGNING IN THE COMMONWEALTH — Jen Kiggans won the Republican primary in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional district on June 21, securing her spot in the November midterms where she will challenge incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., for the seat. Both candidates talked exclusively to Fox News Digital, answering the same set of questions that are important to Virginia voters. Luria and Kiggans will face off this fall in the Virginia midterm election on Nov. 8, 2022. Read more from Fox News’ Aubrie Spady: Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District midterm candidates answer crucial policy questions

NEXT MONTH…

THE SUMMER IS HEATING UP — Don’t miss next month’s action. Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Washington, Tennessee, Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Alaska, and Wyoming will hold primary elections. Keep up to date by signing up for Fox News newsletters here.