Anthony DiLorenzo, an automotive executive backed by President Trump, won a Republican House primary in New Hampshire on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, in the latest showing of the president’s influence in the Republican Party.
Mr. DiLorenzo, a 62-year-old who owns nearly two dozen car dealerships, defeated Hollie Noveletsky, a 67-year-old steel executive and former Army reservist who also tried to cast herself as pro-Trump.
The race for New Hampshire’s open First Congressional District, which has flip-flopped between Republican and Democratic control five times since 2002, holds the potential to be competitive this fall.
Recently, the incumbent, Representative Chris Pappas, a Democrat, has managed to keep it blue. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report now rates it as “Likely Democratic,” and former Vice President Kamala Harris carried it by two percentage points in 2024. Mr. Pappas opted to vacate the seat to run for the Senate.
President Trump, whose approval rating has cratered amid economic pessimism and an unpopular war in Iran, has sought to project power within the Republican Party by playing kingmaker during the midterms. Most of his picks have easily won, but he has also suffered some notable defeats.
In the New Hampshire contest, Mr. Trump praised Mr. DiLorenzo on social media earlier this year as “a very successful Businessman and Entrepreneur.”
During the closing stage of the race, Ms. Noveletsky worked to appeal to MAGA voters by defending the president’s trade and immigration policies while characterizing Mr. DiLorenzo as insufficiently conservative.
During a debate, Ms. Noveletsky and State Representative Brian Cole, another candidate, each attacked Mr. DiLorenzo for saying he has no issue with immigrants who lack permanent legal status becoming U.S. citizens if they pay taxes and have not been convicted of a felony.
Mr. DiLorenzo defended his position, saying he “would prioritize dangerous people” while securing the border and deporting those in the country illegally. He also advocated for the addition of a new balanced-budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution but said he wanted to preserve tax cuts, Social Security and Medicare.
The post Trump-Backed Auto Executive Wins House Primary in New Hampshire appeared first on New York Times.
