Midterm Losses Expose the Limits of Donald Trump's Endorsement
Summary
Donald Trump’s endorsements remained highly successful in Republican primaries but had a weaker record in general elections, where party loyalty and candidates’ individual strengths also shape results. Democrats’ midterm gains, including races in states Trump won in 2024, highlighted that his influence over Republican nominations does not guarantee victories in broader elections.Key Facts
- Trump endorsed 315 Republican candidates in 2026 primaries and had a 96 percent success rate, according to Ballotpedia.
- Trump endorsed 330 candidates in the 2026 general elections, with a 73 percent success rate at the time of the article; some results were still outstanding.
- Trump’s primary endorsement success rate has exceeded 90 percent in every midterm and presidential election year since 2018.
- Political scientist Costas Panagopoulos said endorsements tend to matter more in primaries, when voters may have less information and fewer party cues.
- CBS News exit polls found that 78 percent of voters who backed Democrats in House races said they voted to oppose Trump; 36 percent of Republican voters said they voted to support him.
- Democrats flipped seven Senate seats, while two races remained undecided in the article; five of the flipped seats were in states Trump won by double-digit margins in 2024.
- The article reported that Trump’s approval ratings had reached near-record lows.
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