US voters give both parties a reality check on their radical factions

August 13, 2026 — 5:52am

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It was always a bit unfair that US Democrats were put through the wringer over some of their more radical candidates for this year’s midterm elections, while Republicans escaped relatively unscathed.

By and large, Republicans were not asked what it meant for their party that pillow mogul and famed election result denier Mike Lindell was seeking the Republican nomination to become governor of Minnesota – with President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

In part, that’s because election denial, conspiracy theories and the far-right are by now so entwined with the GOP that it has become a moot point. There is no question about a Trumpist takeover of the Republican Party – it has already happened.

But there was a reality check on Tuesday night when Lindell, despite the president’s backing, lost the primary to Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

It was a good evening for moderates in both parties – and a wake-up call, potentially, for their more extreme........

© The Age