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The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has no plans to endorse Corey Stewart, the party's Senate nominee in Virginia, the group's chairman said Wednesday.
"We have a big map, right now we are focused on Florida, North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana. I don’t see Virginia in it," Sen. Cory Gardner
Cory Scott GardnerElection Countdown: Small-donor donations explode | Russian woman charged with midterm interference | Takeaways from North Dakota Senate debate | O'Rourke gives 'definitive no' to 2020 run | Dems hope Latino voters turn Arizona blue Democrats must end mob rule GOP senators praise Haley as 'powerful' and 'unafraid' MORE (R-Colo.), who leads the Senate GOP campaign arm, told CNN.
Cory Scott GardnerElection Countdown: Small-donor donations explode | Russian woman charged with midterm interference | Takeaways from North Dakota Senate debate | O'Rourke gives 'definitive no' to 2020 run | Dems hope Latino voters turn Arizona blue Democrats must end mob rule GOP senators praise Haley as 'powerful' and 'unafraid' MORE (R-Colo.), who leads the Senate GOP campaign arm, told CNN.Sen. Cory Gardner tells me NRSC has NO plans to endorse VA Senate candidate Corey Stewart, despite Trump tweet expressing support. “We have a big map, right now we are focused on Florida, North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana. I don’t see Virginia in it.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 13, 2018
Stewart, a controversial figure, won the GOP Senate nomination Tuesday night.
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He previously made a failed bid for Virginia governor, basing much of his campaign in 2017 around preserving Confederate statues.
Gardner's decision is a break with President Trump
Donald John TrumpCorker: US must determine responsibility in Saudi journalist's death Five takeaways from testy Heller-Rosen debate in Nevada Dem senator calls for US action after 'preposterous' Saudi explanation MORE, who tweeted his congratulations to Stewart on Wednesday morning.
Donald John TrumpCorker: US must determine responsibility in Saudi journalist's death Five takeaways from testy Heller-Rosen debate in Nevada Dem senator calls for US action after 'preposterous' Saudi explanation MORE, who tweeted his congratulations to Stewart on Wednesday morning."Congratulations to Corey Stewart for his great victory for Senator from Virginia. Now he runs against a total stiff, Tim Kaine
Timothy (Tim) Michael KaineAmerica’s ball cap industry is in trouble Overnight Defense: Trump says 'rogue killers' could be behind missing journalist | Sends Pompeo to meet Saudi king | Saudis may claim Khashoggi killed by accident | Ex-VA chief talks White House 'chaos' | Most F-35s cleared for flight Democrats torch Trump for floating 'rogue killers' to blame for missing journalist MORE, who is weak on crime and borders, and wants to raise your taxes through the roof. Don’t underestimate Corey, a major chance of winning!" Trump wrote on Twitter.
Timothy (Tim) Michael KaineAmerica’s ball cap industry is in trouble Overnight Defense: Trump says 'rogue killers' could be behind missing journalist | Sends Pompeo to meet Saudi king | Saudis may claim Khashoggi killed by accident | Ex-VA chief talks White House 'chaos' | Most F-35s cleared for flight Democrats torch Trump for floating 'rogue killers' to blame for missing journalist MORE, who is weak on crime and borders, and wants to raise your taxes through the roof. Don’t underestimate Corey, a major chance of winning!" Trump wrote on Twitter.It's not the first time Gardner has decided to not endorse a candidate who has received Trump's backing. The committee, under Gardner's leadership, refused to back controversial Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore
Roy Stewart MooreFormer campaign aide to New Jersey governor says she was sexually assaulted by his ex-staffer Mellman: When questions don’t mean what they say CNN's Toobin: It's Trump's ‘nature’ to not believe accusations of sexual assault MORE last year.
Roy Stewart MooreFormer campaign aide to New Jersey governor says she was sexually assaulted by his ex-staffer Mellman: When questions don’t mean what they say CNN's Toobin: It's Trump's ‘nature’ to not believe accusations of sexual assault MORE last year.Even when Trump endorsed Moore a month after the first allegations of sexual misconduct by women who were underage at the time surfaced against the candidate, Gardner refused to follow Trump's endorsement. That put the NRSC at odds with both the White House and the Republican National Committee, which also backed Moore.
Following his win Tuesday, Stewart is now set to face off against Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in November.
Though Republicans are facing a favorable Senate map, Virginia isn't considered a top target. Instead, Republicans are focusing their efforts on a slate of vulnerable Democrats who are up for reelection in red or purple states won by Trump in 2016.
– Ben Kamisar contributed.
