Midterm candidates tout cross-party endorsements as polls tighten

Washington, D.C. midterm candidates in multiple states are promoting endorsements from officials on the opposing side of the aisle. These candidates argue that support across party lines will help them win in the upcoming election. However, political scientists caution that this crossover voting usually affects only a small percentage of the electorate.

Democratic candidates have recently highlighted backing from Republican leaders. In Alaska, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. In Kansas, former Republican governors Bill Graves and Mike Hayden announced support for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton in September and October. In Texas, the campaign for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico stated that more than two dozen former GOP officials have endorsed him.

This week, Kel Seliger, a former GOP state senator, joined the list of officials supporting Talarico. Seliger said he chose Talarico over Republican candidate and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Seliger noted he has served with both men. He said Talarico is not a wild-eyed socialist, even if they disagree on some Democratic Party positions. Seliger believes Talarico will be honest and direct, acting in what is best for Texas rather than for Elon Musk.

Republican officials say they also expect voters to cross party lines for their candidates. Natalie Baldassarre, national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, pointed to specific races. She cited the Michigan contest between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed and the Texas race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico. Baldassarre also mentioned the campaign coalition known as Democrats for Mike Rogers.

Joshua Blank, Research Director of the Texas Politics Project, said cross-party voting tends not to make a large difference in elections. Blank explained that the behavior is idiosyncratic and occurs among a very small share of the electorate. He noted that while a large group is not crossing lines, it could matter if elections are close.

Recent polling indicates that some midterm races have become increasingly close. In some cases, these races are now statistically tied. Candidates continue to promote their bipartisan support in the final days of the election season.