Ask the Lord to give us fair and equitable candidates with a respect for God’s law.

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“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Is 41:10)

“The long-anticipated 2018 midterm elections are rapidly approaching — a referendum on President Trump and the GOP majority, and a gauge of Americans’ expectations of government. But first the parties and their voters must chart a course through their nominating contests.”

“Between March 6 in Texas and Sept. 18 in Massachusetts, thousands of contenders, Republican and Democrat, will compete at every level of elected office below the presidency for the chance to appear on the ballot in November….

“On the Republican side, contests will test the power of the establishment over a restless base, with conservative disrupters and donors seeking to upset the current balance of power within the party….

“Some races that give Republicans the best chance to pick up seats have become GOP mud fights, while in others, the threat of incumbent defeats could complicate the party’s ability to retain its majorities in the fall.

“Democrats are mired in their own conflicts. How, if at all, should they campaign against Trump?…

“The outcome of these contests, a warm-up for a general election that will decide control of the House and Senate as well as statehouses, will help define the priorities and leaders of both parties in advance of the 2020 presidential campaign….

“Several Republican races — in Arizona, Nevada and an expected contest in Mississippi — have become proxy fights for the battle between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and conservative activists, including former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon….

Trump, meanwhile, has thrown his support behind incumbents such as Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), while also weighing into early primaries. The president’s fierce criticism of Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) helped force him into retirement, and Trump has publicly predicted that his longtime supporter Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) “is going to win big” in his competitive Senate primary in that state….

Both parties are facing competitive primaries in the Midwest and South as well as in some of the largest swing states. In Florida, Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) won Trump’s backing in a gubernatorial primary against Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. A race that Republicans hoped could serve as a coronation for Putnam has been scrambled as Las Vegas Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, hedge fund heiress Rebekah Mercer and Wyoming investor Foster Friess piled in behind DeSantis….

Republicans have argued that the candidate glut will end up hurting Democrats. In some of the districts won by Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, but represented by Republicans, Democrats are embroiled in pricey seven- or eight-way primaries….

Democrats acknowledge that they’re not clearing the field as they have in midterms past …. (Excerpts from David Weigel and Michael Scherer’s article in The Washington Post)