Trump aides flood Senate and gubernatorial races as consultants and pollsters

More than a dozen onetime aides and advisers to former President Donald Trump have signed on to assist Republicans competing in statewide and federal contests across the country, in some cases setting up potential showdowns in the months to come as they work to cast their candidates as the most Trump-aligned figures in crowded races.

Candidates have tapped everyone from former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio to Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, one of the most recognizable duos in Trump World. In Ohio alone, according to a CNN analysis, six former Trump aides are already working privately and publicly to assist Cleveland car dealer-turned-GOP candidate Bernie Moreno and to recruit "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance, who is still weighing a campaign, in the Republican primary for outgoing Sen. Rob Portman's seat. The slew of campaign hires from the 45th President's orbit come as Republican candidates in House, Senate and gubernatorial races try to claim the Trump mantle. They want to set themselves apart in crowded primaries or ingratiate themselves with the party's grassroots supporters, who remain overwhelmingly loyal to the former President. Or, in the case of Alaska Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka, who has enlisted former Trump campaign aides Justin Clark, Bill Stepien, Nick Trainer, and Tim Murtaugh in her bid to unseat incumbent GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, they have taken an active role in the ex-President's revenge-driven ploy to rid the Republican party of his critics.