Republicans search for a winning formula after election setbacks
One year after Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential victory, Republicans on Capitol Hill suddenly found themselves on the short end of the election stick this week. And there was no real agreement on how their party should respond.
“Go on offense, not defense,” counseled U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, who echoed Trump’s call for the U.S. Senate to get rid of the filibuster in order to quickly pass the Republican agenda.
“The filibuster is killing our country,” added Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons, who also joined in slamming the newly elected mayor of New York City, the self-proclaimed democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani was also on the minds of top Republicans in Congress, as they downplayed the GOP defeats.
“I don’t think the loss (Tuesday) night was any reflection about Republicans at all,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said, as GOP leaders peppered their remarks with the words Mamdani, Communist and socialist.
No matter who is to blame, Tuesday night was not good for Republicans. Nationally, Democrats swept to victory in races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia — two states that often are bellwethers for the next midterm election.
“I’m a stats geek when it comes to politics,” said U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee. “If you look at any midterm, the incumbent party always suffers.”
McCormick is absolutely right. History tells us that the 2026 midterm elections probably won’t be favorable for Trump and the GOP.
In fact, three times in the past 20 years — in 2005, 2009 and 2017 — the party that swept the Virginia and New Jersey races for governor followed up a year later by taking control of the U.S. House.
If that repeats next year, it would be to the benefit of Democrats, just as it was in 2018, when they won back the House in Trump’s first midterm election.
After standing with Johnson and other Republican lawmakers on the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday, McCormick had another message for reporters. Frustrated by the current political debate over health insurance, McCormick repeatedly suggested that the news media is ignoring the failings of Democrats.
“It’s just dishonest,” the Georgia Republican said.
But one of McCormick’s colleagues suggested that maybe Republicans needed to look at themselves for a better explanation.
“Politics is no different than business,” U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, posted on X. Greene has repeatedly blasted GOP leaders for not bringing forward plans to reform the health insurance system.
“If you don’t deliver what you promise, then don’t expect return customers,” Greene wrote.
Republicans have one year to get their message in order. History shows the GOP has a difficult assignment ahead.
Jamie Dupree has covered national politics and Congress from Washington, D.C., since the Reagan administration. His column appears weekly in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more, check out his Capitol Hill newsletter at jamiedupree.substack.com
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