July 19, 2022: Dems’ primary-meddling strategy comes under scrutiny

Just one state holds its primaries today: Maryland. And it doesn’t lack for drama.

In the gubernatorial Democratic primary, there’s a “total lack of clarity about who will be representing the party in November, after a lengthy primary distinguished by the failure of any candidate to break away from a nine-person field,” as our colleagues Brakkton Booker and Zach Montellaro write.

The Republican primary is a proxy battle between moderate term-limited Gov. Larry Hogan and former President Donald Trump, who is eager to embarrass Hogan, his longtime critic.

But here's what you should really watch — Maryland offers the latest example of a strategy that Dems have employed throughout the country: meddling in GOP primaries to get the general-election opponent they’d prefer, often boosting candidates further to the right who are aligned with Trump.

Playbook’s video series “The Midterm View:"  Dems meddle in GOP primaries

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