Early wave of Trump-endorsed candidates score victories in midterm elections

A number of Donald Trump’s allies were among the early winners Tuesday evening as Republicans saw impressive showings in Florida and a handful of other states.The ex-president’s new home state in particular emerged as a bastion of Republican strength on Tuesday as Senator Marco Rubio easily defeated his well-funded challenger, Val Demings, and Governor Ron DeSantis defeated the state’s former governor, Charlie Crist.Matt Gaetz, a far-right congressman who has faced an investigation by the Justice Department for the alleged sex trafficking of a minor, also won reelection in the state.It was also a night for one of Donald Trump’s oldest allies, former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in Arkansas. Her first foray into elected office, Ms Huckabee Sanders will now be the state’s next governor, following in her father’s footsteps. Elsewhere, Trump-backed candidates notched similar early wins even as major races including the Ohio, Georgia and Pennsylvania Senate races remained contested.More follows…