Trump picks Oz, Cawthorn face GOP primaries in Pennsylvania, North

Two of former President Donald Trump’s highest-profile endorsements hope to emerge victorious from no-holds-barred Republican primary races in Pennsylvania and North Carolina as the pivotal midterm election season heats up.

Voters in those states, along with Kentucky, Idaho and Oregon, will head to the polls Tuesday in the biggest day of the primary election cycle to date.

It may also be the most dramatic. One of Trump’s preferred candidates, North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn, is fighting to stay above water as a torrent of scandals, missteps and vicious attacks — including harsh criticism from his fellow Republicans — threaten to sink his reelection bid.

Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, Trump has backed Dr. Mehmet Oz, the former host of “The Dr. Oz Show” who is one of three top contenders in an intense — and intensely expensive — battle for an open Senate seat.

The races could give a read on the political influence wielded by Trump, who has endorsed more than a dozen candidates competing in Tuesday’s contests. Most of the former president’s picks have so far won their primaries, with the exception of Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster. He lost his primary race last week after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct. Herbster denied those allegations.

The Republican Party is hoping to win control of the House and Senate in the midterms this fall, while Trump, who has strongly hinted he is considering another run for president in 2024, is hoping to cement his status as the de facto leader of the GOP. The outcome of Tuesday’s primaries could impact both prospects.

Here’s what to watch:

The Tar Heel State’s 11th Congressional District is currently considered a safely Republican seat no matter who wins on Tuesday. But the GOP primary has nevertheless become a must-watch race, thanks to incumbent Rep. Cawthorn’s penchant for seizing attention — and courting controversy.

Cawthorn in 2020 won the seat that Republican former Rep. Mark Meadows had vacated in order to take a job as Trump’s White House chief of staff. The youngest member of Congress at 26 years old, Cawthorn quickly gained buzz, receiving an endorsement from Trump less than three months after being sworn into office.

That blend of name recognition, incumbency and an endorsement from Trump might have made Cawthorn a shoo-in in his solid-red district. But his actions and remarks in recent months have made him a target on both sides of the aisle.

In a March podcast interview, he accused lawmakers of doing drugs and claimed that unidentified members of Congress invited him to orgies. The comments prompted…