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Who could be the next Ted Cruz? Top 10 tea party primaries of 2014.

Who are the tea party movement's top candidates in 2014, and what are their prospects? Here's a look:

7. Ohio: Matt Lynch vs. David Joyce

Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer/AP/File
Matt Lynch, here speaking at a forum at John Hay High School in Cleveland in 2009, challenged incumbent US Rep. David Joyce in Ohio's GOP primary in May 2014, but lost by 10 percentage points.

Update: Freshman Rep. David Joyce (R) of Ohio fended off a challenge from tea party-backed state Rep. Matt Lynch (R) 55 percent to 45 percent in the May 6 primary for the 14th Congressional District.

Here’s the background: The race presented a test of former Rep. Steve LaTourette (R) of Ohio, who represented Congressman Joyce’s district for 10 years. After leaving Congress last year, the moderate Mr. LaTourette launched a "super political action committee," called Defending Main Street, aimed at helping centrist Republicans beat back tea party challengers.

LaTourette’s super PAC helped Joyce. Mr. Lynch was supported by FreedomWorks, as well as local tea party groups.

Lynch called Joyce a big spender who’s too close to organized labor. But he took on LaTourette as well. “LaTourette spent his career passing out goodies through earmarks to northeast Ohio,” Lynch said. LaTourette had suggested that Lynch was part of the “crazy” caucus in the Ohio legislature.

 

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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