Palin goes zero for two on GOP picks
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin went zero for two in the endorsement game this week, as her chosen candidates for the Kansas Senate race and a Tennessee congressional seat both went down in defeat.
Rep. Todd Tiahrt, who won Palins endorsement in June and ran ads featuring a seal of approval from Tea Parties & Sarah Palin, lost Tuesdays Republican Senate primary by 5 percentage points to fellow GOP Rep. Jerry Moran.
And Thursday night, Tennessee attorney CeCe Heil came in third in the GOP primary for Democratic Rep. Jim Coopers seat, trailing 5 percentage points behind contractor David Hall. Palin endorsed Heil in early July, calling her a tough mama grizzly, and Heils campaign website features a photo of her and the former Alaska governor front and center on the homepage.
The losses break something of a winning streak for Palin, who is credited with lifting South Carolina state Rep. Nikki Haley to a powerful victory in her states gubernatorial primary, and helping carry Dona Ana County, N.M., District Attorney Susana Martinez to her partys nomination for governor.
Palins most recent win came in the Georgia gubernatorial primary, when her backing gave a late surge of momentum to former Secretary of State Karen Handels campaign. Handel finished first in the July 20 primary and is now competing in a runoff with former Rep. Nathan Deal, the runner-up. Palin is due in Atlanta to campaign for Handel on Monday.
Other leading 2012 presidential came out of this week with more mixed endorsement records. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney backed candidates in both the Michigan and Tennessee gubernatorial primaries. In Michigan, Romney-endorsed Rep. Pete Hoekstra came in second, while Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam scored an overwhelming win in the Tennessee primary for governor. Romney also endorsed Tennessee state Sen. Diane Black, who narrowly won a bruising primary for the 6th District House seat of retiring Democratic Rep. Bart Gordon.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was also disappointed in Michigan, where state Attorney General Mike Cox finished behind Hoekstra and victorious former Gateway CEO Rick Snyder in the gubernatorial primary. But in Arkansas, Huckabee and his team helped power attorney Chuck Fleischmanns upset win in the 3rd District House primary, defeating Club for Growth-backed candidate Robin Smith, the former chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party.
Like Palin, Huckabee also supported an unsuccessful candidate in Tennessees 5th District. Health care consultant Jeff Hartline came in second and finished ahead of Heil.
Romney and Huckabee have endorsements at stake in Georgias runoff primary next week. Romney, like Palin, supports Handel, while Huckabee and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have lined up behind Deal.