The last thing anyone wants is to focus on another election. But to break the cycle of electing RINOs in red states, recruitment for the 2026 midterm elections must begin immediately.
Conservative supporters of President Trump complained Wednesday that most Republican senators from deep red states supported either John Thune (S.D.) or John Cornyn (Texas) for Senate Majority Leader. I'm holding you. These senators have a right to be disappointed because they squandered a historic mission by choosing a younger version of Mitch McConnell's worldview to lead the Senate. But you also need to look in the mirror.
Ten years into the MAGA movement, there is no excuse for not having a DeSantis-level leader in the states Trump won in a landslide.
Personally, I have opposed nearly all current senators in red-state primaries for years, while others ignored them. This year, red-state RINOs like Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota easily won renominations with support from Trump and his movement. . I've featured some of their major challengers on the show several times, but the major names in the industry have largely ignored them. The powerful committee will now be chaired by Ukraine supporters like Wicker, who supported Thun as majority leader. In Wicker's case, he will be chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
The majority leader vote nominated candidates like Tim Sheehy of Montana and Jim Justice of West Virginia, even though there were opportunities to support President Trump in favor of better candidates. This confirms that we are not making any profit. Bernie Moreno, from Ohio State, was the only freshman to support Rick Scott, likely due to the influence of fellow Ohio State product J.D. Vance.
This time should be different. Looking ahead to 2026, we have a chance to correct the mistakes of the past and energize our base in the primaries. Here is a list of reliably red state Senate seats that are in the cycle.
Nineteen Republican senators are seeking reelection from solidly red states. North Carolina is the only state that could be competitive in a tough year, but Republicans have been winning in recent years. All incumbent senators are expected to run again, with the exception of Mitch McConnell, who is likely to retire. But how many of these incumbents deserve renomination in the primary? What have they done for us?
A minority supported Rick Scott as majority leader. None stand out as superstars, but I see at most 5 out of 19 as potentially decent players. But Shelley Moore Capito, John Cornyn, Mike Rounds, Lindsey Graham, Thom Tillis, Pete Ricketts, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Bill Cassidy, Joni Ernst, James Risch, and Dan Sullivan ? Seriously? Is this the best we can get from a deep red state?
Meanwhile, Democrats need to protect senators in battleground states likely to be targeted by Republicans, such as Georgia, Michigan and perhaps New Hampshire. Republicans also need to defend their seats in Maine. But most competitive races are supposed to take place in primaries in deep red states, and there are plenty of them this cycle. Shouldn't we develop a strategy for those states? right now?
Now, let's look at the gubernatorial election. Most red state governors are up for re-election in 2026, but why is there only one, Mr. DeSantis? If he governs as one of the most conservative administrators in recent memory? But if he was able to move Florida to the right, why can't more conservative, rural, red states have leaders like him? The 2026 midterm elections will be a valuable opportunity with several open seats. Here's a list of red states with gubernatorial races on the ballot:
Outside of Georgia, gubernatorial elections will be held in 14 reliably Republican states, many of which have vacant seats. Other than Iowa's Kim Reynolds and Arkansas' Sarah Huckabee Sanders, no other players come close to DeSantis' level. DeSantis himself is term-limited in Florida. Conservatives have a unique opportunity to flip open seats in Alabama, Alaska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
Ten years into the MAGA movement, there is no excuse for not having a DeSantis-level leader in the states Trump won in a landslide. We will also find a successor for DeSantis, challenging RINO Brad Little if he runs for a third term in Idaho, and Greg Abbott if he is allowed to run for a third term in Texas. We need to consider giving it a serious challenge.
It's not all bad news. Excitement and attention to politics has increased in the wake of Trump's landmark victory. The race for Senate majority leader has attracted intense attention. Now we must channel that enthusiasm into primaries, special elections, off-year elections, and down-ballot races. This time should be different.
