Murkowski, former governors back Democrats in tight midterms
High-profile Republican endorsements of Democratic candidates in Alaska, Kansas, and Texas aim to sway undecided voters, though experts question the impact on final vote totals.
By Charles Reed ·
Midterm campaigns in three states are leveraging high-profile Republican endorsements of their Democratic opponents to narrow gaps in tight races. These cross-party signals have emerged as a central tactic in the final weeks before the November election.
In Alaska, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. This move follows similar actions in Kansas, where former Republican governors Bill Graves and Mike Hayden announced their support for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton in September and October, respectively.
The trend extends to Texas, where the campaign for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico reported that more than two dozen former GOP officials have backed him. Kel Seliger, a former GOP state senator, joined the list this week, choosing Talarico over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Seliger cited personal experience with both men, stating that Talarico is honest and direct. He added that he believes Talarico's actions will benefit Texas rather than serving the interests of Elon Musk.
Republican officials argue that this crossover effect works in both directions. Natalie Baldassarre, national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, pointed to the Michigan Senate race between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed. She noted that groups like “Democrats for Mike Rogers” demonstrate support crossing party lines for Republican candidates as well.
Political scientist Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project, offered a more measured view. He stated that cross-party voting generally involves idiosyncratic behavior from a small share of the electorate rather than large blocs of voters switching sides. Blank acknowledged, however, that if elections remain statistically tied, these small margins of crossover support could determine the winner.
Recent polling indicates that several midterm races have tightened considerably. In some contests, the margins of error have shrunk to the point where the results are statistically indistinguishable, making every incremental vote from a specific demographic or party line potentially decisive.
