Prominent Republicans have been crossing party lines to endorse Democratic candidates in a series of races across the country, including competitive contests in reliably Republican states, ahead of the midterm elections.
Former Republican governors, members of Congress and state officials are among those who are putting country over party by backing Democratic candidates in states including Texas, Kansas, Montana and South Carolina. Some have framed the endorsement as objections to particular nominees. However, others have expressed broader dissatisfaction with the direction of the party under President Donald Trump.
Still, the cross-party endorsements give Democratic candidates an unexpected asset ahead of midterm elections that will determine control of both chambers of Congress and elect dozens of governors across the country. Republicans are fighting to defend slim majorities in the House and Senate. It means that any erosion in support in the most closely contested races could prove consequential and impact the remainder of Trump's second term.
Crucial races in some states have become unexpectedly competitive amid Trump’s falling approval ratings and voter concerns about the economy, high gas prices and the Iran war.
Here are the states where top Republicans have come out to endorse a Democratic candidate:
Colorado
In Colorado’s gubernatorial race, former Republican Congressman Ken Buck is among more than a dozen Republicans who have endorsed Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser over the Republican nominee, Victor Marx.
"I’ve worked with Phil. He’s an honest person. He’s hard-working, and he cares for all the people of Colorado and he will be inclusive as governor to make sure all views are represented in his administration," Buck said in a video released by Weiser’s campaign.
Marx, a first-time candidate and ministry leader, faces an uphill battle to become Colorado’s first Republican governor in two decades. He has faced scrutiny over sensational claims about his personal history and alleged campaign finance violations.
Earlier this month, Weiser’s campaign announced that, along with Buck, 15 other prominent current and former Republican leaders had endorsed him. They include former Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and Russ George, a former speaker of the State House of Representatives.
Kansas
Two former Republican governors have endorsed Democrat Adam Hamilton in his bid to oust incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall.
Mike Hayden, who was the state’s governor from 1987 to 1991, said in an op-ed earlier this month that, as a lifelong Republican, he had previously supported Marshall.
But Hayden accused Marshall of spending his time in the Senate "putting party and politics over the people of Kansas." He criticized Marshall's support for Trump’s tariffs and the Iran war.
"We need a senator who listens. I believe Adam will be that kind of leader for our state," Hayden wrote.
That came after another former governor, Bill Graves, endorsed Hamilton last month.
"For the last six years, Senator Roger Marshall has turned his back on Kansas," Graves, who was governor from 1995 until 2003, said in a video that Hamilton posted on X. "In contrast, Adam Hamilton stands as a bulwark of kindness, humility and service to others.
"It is for those reasons, and many more, that I believe Kansas should send Adam Hamilton to the U.S. Senate."
Montana
In Montana, a former chair of the Republican National Committee has backed the Democratic candidate in a red congressional district that Democrats are hoping to flip.
Marc Racicot, who was Montana’s governor in the 1990s and later led the RNC during George W. Bush’s first term, is backing Sam Forstag over Republican Aaron Flint in the state’s 1st Congressional District; this is currently held by Republican Ryan Zinke.
In an interview with MS NOW last month, Racicot said Forstag has "the right priorities in terms of character and virtues and value and belief in the Constitution."
Racicot, a critic of Trump, has previously crossed party lines with endorsements, including supporting Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, a former Trump-backed nominee for U.S. Senate is among a group of Republicans who have endorsed the Democratic nominee in one of the most important Senate battlegrounds.
Don Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general who was the GOP’s 2022 nominee for U.S. Senate, has endorsed Democratic Representative Chris Pappas in this year's race over the Republican nominee, former Senator John Sununu.
"Chris Pappas's unwavering dedication to our veterans and his efforts to foster bipartisan cooperation set him apart as a leader who will prioritize the needs of all constituents," Bolduc said in a statement to the New Hampshire Union Leader.
Other New Hampshire Republicans who have backed Pappas include former state Senator Rick Russman and lawyer James Steiner, the newspaper reported.
South Carolina
Former Republican Governor David Beasley has endorsed Democrat Annie Andrews in South Carolina's U.S. Senate race.
Andrews is seeking to flip a seat currently held by Trump-backed Darline Graham, who was appointed to replace her brother Lindsey Graham after his death in July. The race has become unexpectedly competitive, giving Democrats hope that their candidate may be able to pull off an upset in traditionally red South Carolina.
Beasley joined Democratic former Governor Jim Hodges in a campaign video released on Monday to endorse Andrews. Their alliance is particularly striking because Hodges defeated Beasley in South Carolina's 1998 gubernatorial election.
"Over the years, the two of us haven't always agreed on everything," Beasley said in the video. "But one thing we do agree on right now is this country is too divided, and the political rhetoric has gotten way, way out of hand."
Beasley has been critical of Trump and the shift of the Republican Party under his leadership. He wrote in a recent op-ed that he has yet to see Trump "show compassion or even respect to someone or some group that he disagrees with."
Beasley said: "This is not the party that I knew, and it is not a party that I consider myself a member of as I did when I last ran for office."
...
Texas
In one of the most closely-watched contests of the midterms cycle, several prominent Republicans have come out in support of Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Polls show a close contest in a state that has not seen a Democrat win a Senate race since 1988.
Talarico’s campaign last month revealed a list of more than 20 Republicans endorsing him over his GOP opponent Ken Paxton. Some said their support was motivated largely by opposition to Paxton’s conduct during his time as Texas attorney general rather than a rejection of the Republican Party.
The Republicans include former congressmen Steve Bartlett and Adam Kinzinger and Tom Phillips, the former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court.
In an op-ed this week, Phillips wrote that voters must decide which candidate "would best represent our state to the rest of the nation and the world."
Paxton’s public career "has been marred almost since its inception by charges of impropriety, and his high-profile Senate race has exposed these controversies to tens of millions of Americans," Phillips wrote.
"Paxton’s longstanding reputation will embarrass Texas in ways our state simply cannot afford."
Phillips wrote that, while he does not agree with all of Talarico’s past statements or current positions, he is "confident that he would serve this great state with dignity and honor."
Last week, Neil Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush, revealed he had voted for Talarico, saying that character "matters more than party affiliation."
South Dakota
In South Dakota, the state’s Republican Secretary of State Monae Johnson has endorsed a Democrat to succeed her in a state where a Democrat has not held statewide office in over a decade.
Johnson endorsed Democrat Terrence Davis, saying that she had broken with her party because "the integrity, stability, and professionalism of this office is at stake."
"I am a Republican. Terrence is a Democrat. I understand that this decision will disappoint some people in my party and anger others," Johnson wrote in a column published in South Dakota War College, a conservative politics blog.
She said she was backing Davis because he brings law enforcement experience from his years as a state trooper, and has an educational background in law and policy.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Cannon and James Debens
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