Republican politicians, strategists and pundits were left scrambling Wednesday after GOP candidates largely floundered in critical contests across America, fueling a row over the party’s stance on abortion and its trouble attracting voters in off-year elections.
In the three most watched states on Tuesday night, the GOP lost control of the Virginia House of Representatives and failed to take over the state Senate, while incumbent Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear defeated Trump-backed Republican candidate Daniel Cameron.
Meanwhile, in Ohio, voters defied the will of Republicans including Governor Mike DeWine and enshrined the right to abortion in the state Constitution.
“He ran a very strong race; he did a good job without tying himself to Biden. And he’s doing a good job in rural areas, too,” a GOP strategist told The Post of Beshear, noting that Kentucky voters chose a “splitting ticket” by electing Republican representative Russell Coleman and commonwealth attorney general and secretary of state Michael Adams. respectively.
GOP candidates have also been elected to statewide positions of agriculture commissioner, auditor and treasurer.
Under Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, the GOP lost control of the Virginia House of Representatives and failed to take the state Senate.AP
“I also think that drawing one particular state a year, and saying, ‘That’s what determines how the general election will go’ – it’s quite difficult, in my opinion,” added the strategist.
Nevertheless, the finger-pointing began just hours after the last race was called.
“PRO-LIFERS WILL ELIMINATE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,” conservative author Ann Coulter posted Wednesday morning on X. “BESIDES losing Ohio Tuesday night, Gov. Glenn Youngkin lost big in Virginia – because of pro-life bigotry.”
Incumbent Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear defeated Trump-backed candidate Daniel Cameron.AP
“A 15-week abortion limit is good for VA voters, but Republicans can’t promise to stop there without risking a primary challenge from FULL BAN pro-lifers,” he added. “My No. 1 compromise position still stands: Make abortion illegal only for registered Republicans.”
Youngkin has sold Virginia’s Republican candidate for the state legislature on a pledge to enact a 15-week abortion ban if they take control, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.
“We know that Governor Youngkin’s refreshing, non-confrontational brand of traditional conservatism cannot be easily replicated in a purple state,” veteran Republican consultant Alice Stewart told The Post.
One GOP strategist told The Post that “drawing one particular state a year, and saying, that’s what determines how the general election will turn out [was] just a little.”AP
“Despite his efforts to steer clear of the MAGA movement with an optimistic, on-message candidate, the emphasis on abortion limits is clearly driving Democrats to get out and vote.”
Youngkin told reporters Wednesday that he was “disappointed” by the decision but said he was “not going anywhere” — throwing cold water on some Republican operatives who had hoped he would make a late entry into the GOP presidential race.
However, right-wing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) disagreed with Coulter’s assessment, saying Democrats have lied on the abortion issue while blaming Republican Party leadership for being “tone deaf and weak.”
Firebrand GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) disagreed with that assessment, saying Democrats have lied about the issue while blaming Republican Party leadership for being “tone deaf and weak.” Reuters
“Republicans are losing on abortion because they have for decades allowed Democrats to lie about abortion at every level,” Greene said to X. “When Republicans bravely speak the truth and come up with solutions to help women in crisis motherhood then we will win on this issue.”
He went on to warn that the GOP risks losing grassroots support by failing to field a candidate that energizes those voters, pointing to former President Donald Trump as a notable exception.
The Republican strategist also noted voter enthusiasm for Trump in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll of battleground states was well ahead of President Biden.
The Republican strategist also cited voter enthusiasm for Trump in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll far ahead of President Biden.Getty Images
“They don’t like how he handles the economy; they don’t like how he handles Israel; they don’t like how he handles the border,” the strategist said. “This is not a victory for Joe Biden. It’s actually a warning sign that Joe Biden is going to be a problem in 2024 for the Democrats.”
“If you look at the polls, the words explain [Biden voters] right now it’s a little nervous,” he added, noting that the Republican National Committee still needs to reevaluate its strategy and calling its chairwoman Ronna McDaniel a “proven failure on every level” for her failure to get high turnout in the past three election cycles.
“Democrats are better off going to the polls this year,” said Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). post-mortem of the shared election at X. “The national party should focus on two, and only two, issues: how to reduce turnout in off-year elections and how to close the financial gap with the Democrats.”
Greene warned that the Republican Party risks losing grassroots support by failing to field a candidate that energizes those voters, pointing to former President Donald Trump as a notable exception.AP
Youngkin and Virginia Republicans also hurt their chances of getting more funding from the RNC before Election Day after initially rejecting support from the national party over the summer, a source familiar with the discussions told The Post.
That misstep opened up the door for deep-pocketed Democrats and state liberals to flood Virginians with money.
“Virginia Democrats outscored Republicans nine to one on abortion-focused TV ads that mischaracterized Republican candidates and distracted from Democrats’ extreme position of no limits on abortion on demand,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement.
“While GOP candidates rally around protecting babies from painful late-term abortions beginning at 15 weeks, they allow Democrats to dominate the abortion narrative on the airwaves and sow confusion with voters. Last night proved this is not a winning formula for the GOP.”
There are still advantages for the party in Mississippi, where GOP Gov. Tate Reeves was re-elected, and in New York, where Republicans took the Suffolk County executive office for the first time in 20 years and scored a surprise New York City Council win in the Bronx.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
