By Amede Karina-Plun

Faculty Mentor: Rosalyn Cooperman

Abstract

Amidst heightened polarization between the two major parties, the continued dominance of former president Donald Trump, and an uncertain future for the Republican Party, how do ascendant and descendant groups within the Republican Party compete for attention and resources? Recent scholarship demonstrates how competing groups of policy-demanders influence how officeholders dominate over the party and maintain control. I hypothesize that Donald Trump will be advantaged as an incumbent, Republican challengers will attempt to gain support by redefining what it means to be a Republican, and that these challengers will use their appeal as alternatives to Donald Trump and to each other. By examining Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis’ biographies, Republican debates, and their primary results, my hypotheses are supported, indicating that Republican intraparty factions impact how candidates appeal to voters. These findings suggest that ascendant groups within the Republican Party continue to push the party towards the right and protect Donald Trump’s control