Midterm Campaigns: Candidates Court Cross-Party Endorsements

Midterm election candidates in several states are actively promoting endorsements from officials of the opposing party, a strategy intended to widen their appeal in tight races. These moves have accelerated in the final weeks of the campaign season, with both Democrats and Republicans highlighting bipartisan backing for their nominees.

In Alaska, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. Her support joins a growing list of cross-party endorsements for Democratic candidates in other states. 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.

Texas offers another example of this trend. The campaign for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico stated that more than two dozen former GOP officials have endorsed him. Kel Seliger, a former GOP state senator, added his name to the list this week, choosing Talarico over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Seliger explained his decision by emphasizing Talarico's character rather than his ideology. "James Talarico is not some wild-eyed socialist and he may believe in a lot of things that Democratic Party believes in that I don’t," Seliger said. "But I think he’s going to be honest. And I think he’s going to be frank and direct. I think that the things that he does are going to be what is best for Texas. Not what’s best for Elon Musk."

Republican officials say they anticipate similar crossover voting for their own candidates. Natalie Baldassarre, the national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, pointed to races in Michigan and Texas. "I do think you’re seeing that this cycle, especially in races like in Michigan with Mike Rogers against Abdul El-Sayed, and in Texas with Ken Paxton against James Talarico," Baldassarre said. She also cited the existence of a coalition called "Democrats for Mike Rogers" as evidence of this shift.

Political scientists suggest that while these endorsements are visible, their practical impact may be limited. Joshua Blank, research director at the Texas Politics Project, noted that cross-party voting usually involves only a small share of the electorate. "We’re not talking about a large group of Republicans crossing party lines to vote for Democrats," Blank said. "We’re ultimately talking about what are kind of idiosyncratic behaviors they’re going to take place among a small, small share of the electorate."

However, recent polling indicates that several midterm races have narrowed considerably. In some contests, the margin of error places the candidates in a statistical tie. In such close scenarios, even a small shift in voter behavior could determine the winner.