Midterm candidates tout cross-party endorsements

More than two dozen former Republican officials have backed James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas. The campaign released the list of endorsements this week, signaling a push to appeal to voters outside the party base as the midterm elections approach.

This bipartisan courtship is not limited to Texas. In Alaska, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. In Kansas, former Republican governors Bill Graves and Mike Hayden announced their support for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton in September and October, respectively.

Kel Seliger, a former Republican state senator in Texas, joined the Talarico campaign this week rather than supporting Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Seliger said he served with both candidates and views Talarico as an honest and direct leader. He argued that Talarico's actions would benefit Texas, not the interests of Elon Musk. “I think he’s going to be honest,” Seliger said. “And I think he’s going to be frank and direct.”

Republican Party officials are also highlighting cross-party support for their candidates. Natalie Baldassarre, the national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, pointed to the race in Michigan between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed. She cited a coalition called “Democrats for Mike Rogers” as evidence that voters in this cycle are willing to look beyond traditional party lines. Baldassarre stated that this trend is visible in several high-profile contests.

Political scientists suggest these endorsements may not shift the final outcome. Joshua Blank, the research director for the Texas Politics Project, noted that cross-party voting usually involves a small share of the electorate. He described these behaviors as idiosyncratic rather than a broad movement. “We’re ultimately talking about what are kind of idiosyncratic behaviors,” Blank said. “They’re going to take place among a small, small share of the electorate.”

Recent polling data indicates that several midterm races have tightened in the final days. Some contests are now statistically tied, according to recent surveys. Blank noted that if elections remain close, the small number of crossover voters could influence the final margin of victory.

Candidates in both parties continue to promote these endorsements in their final days of campaigning. The strategy aims to broaden appeal in districts where the outcome remains uncertain.