- Prominent Republicans are publicly endorsing Democratic candidates in several competitive midterm races nationwide, from Texas to Kansas to Virginia.
- Endorsers cite concerns about character, respect for institutions, bipartisanship, and refusal to embrace false election claims.
- These endorsements are not a mass GOP exodus but are notable as they appear in unexpectedly competitive contests.
- High profile Republican backing could persuade uneasy GOP voters to cross the aisle in races decided by a few points.
- The trend reflects broader GOP unease with Trump and candidate distancing, and may influence control of Congress this November.
With Election Day just weeks away, some prominent Republicans are making surprising moves: They're telling the public to vote for Democrats.
Former Republican governors, lawmakers, and party officials are crossing the aisle to endorse Democratic candidates in races across the country, including in unexpectedly competitive ones like Texas. While this certainly isn't a mass exodus from the GOP, the endorsements are notable as the party faces an increasingly difficult political environment heading into the Nov. 3 midterms.
So why are these Republicans breaking ranks — and could their endorsements actually make a difference?
Which Republicans are crossing party lines?
Republicans for Talarico
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has attracted support from an unlikely group: 21 current and former Republican officials and party figures.
BREAKING: 20+ Republican leaders just endorsed our campaign for US Senate.
We’re bringing Texans together onto one team to take power back for working people.
Because the real fight in this country isn't left versus right — it's top versus bottom. pic.twitter.com/1tI3hStJId— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) September 10, 2026
The coalition, dubbed "Republicans for Talarico," includes former Dallas Mayor Steve Bartlett, former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, and former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips. They're backing Talarico over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, with several citing concerns about Paxton's character and record.
"As a Republican, I believe in faith, family, the rule of law, and holding public officials accountable when they betray the public trust," Bryan Mayor Pro Tem James Edge said in announcing his endorsement. "I will support plenty of Republicans this November, but I cannot vote for Ken Paxton."
The endorsements come as Texas has emerged as an unexpected Senate battleground. Trump carried the state by nearly 14 points in 2024, but a New York Times/Siena College poll released Oct. 3 found Talarico leading Paxton 51 percent to 45 percent among likely voters.
Republicans are taking the threat seriously, too. Trump made his third trip to Texas in a month on Oct. 7 as the GOP fights to hold onto a seat it once expected to win comfortably.
Former Kansas Gov. Bill Graves
The state's longest-serving Republican governor, Bill Graves, endorsed Democrat Adam Hamilton over GOP Sen. Roger Marshall in September.
In a post on X announcing the news, Graves accused Marshall of having "turned his back on Kansas" over the last six years, while praising Hamilton as a "bulwark of kindness, humility, and service to others."
The endorsement is no small thing: Graves served in elected office for 22 years, including two terms as Kansas governor. He previously backed Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly in both 2018 and 2022, breaking with his party to support her over her Republican opponents. Kelly went on to win both races.
This time, Graves is weighing in on a surprisingly competitive Senate race. The Cook Political Report recently shifted the contest status from "Lean Republican" to "Toss Up," as polls show Hamilton and Marshall virtually tied.
Former Kansas Gov. Mike Hayden
Former Gov. Mike Hayden has also endorsed the Democrat over Marshall, giving Hamilton the backing of two prominent Republicans who once led a state the GOP would ordinarily expect to carry comfortably.
The endorsements come as national Republicans are scrambling to defend the seat. The GOP-aligned Senate Leadership Fund has redirected millions of dollars toward Kansas, including an $8.2 million investment to help Marshall fend off Hamilton.
Former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake
Former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake is backing Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff for reelection over Republican Rep. Mike Collins.
Flake has long been one of Trump's most prominent Republican critics, but his endorsement is notable for another reason: He still considers himself a "conservative Republican" and acknowledged that he and Ossoff have plenty of policy differences.
What ultimately tipped the scales, he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was Ossoff's "character, constituent work and respect for the institution." Flake also pointed to Collins's refusal to accept former President Biden's 2020 victory and his continued embrace of Trump's false election claims.
"I want someone in that seat who takes the institution seriously and will protect the institution," Flake told the publication.
Whether Flake’s endorsement will actually move voters is another question. Georgia remains a competitive state: Ossoff is the only Democratic incumbent up for reelection this year in the battleground state. But Ossoff currently has the advantage: The latest RealClearPolitics polling average shows him leading Collins, with all six polls showing him ahead.
Former RNC Chair Marc Racicot
Former Republican National Committee Chair Marc Racicot is crossing party lines to back Democrat Sam Forstag over Republican Aaron Flint in Montana’s 1st Congressional District.
Racicot referenced Forstag’s values as a key reason for his support. In a September interview with MS NOW, he said Forstag has “the right priorities in terms of character and virtues.”
The former Montana governor led the Republican National Committee during former President George W. Bush's first term. In recent years, he’s been willing to cross party lines — he backed former President Biden in the 2020 election.
Republicans for Warner
In Virginia, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner has built a coalition of Republicans to support his reelection bid.
"Republicans for Warner" includes former GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock and former Virginia Senate Republican leader Tommy Norment, among others. In announcing their support on Oct. 7, the group made a familiar point: They may not agree with Warner on everything, but they see him as someone willing to work across the aisle and put constitutional principles ahead of party loyalty.
Norment, who served 32 years in the Virginia Senate, pointed to his experience working with Warner when he was governor. "We did not always agree, but Mark listened, kept his word, and got results," he said.
Former Illinois GOP leader Jim Durkin
Former Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin is also crossing party lines, endorsing Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker over Republican Darren Bailey.
And Durkin isn’t exactly a Republican lightweight. He spent more than two decades in the Illinois House, including nearly a decade as the chamber's Republican leader. During that time, he served alongside Bailey and worked across the aisle with Pritzker.
Having worked with both, Durkin didn’t mince words about why he’s siding with the Democrat this time. He said Bailey is “not cut out for the job” and therefore couldn’t bring himself to support his party’s nominee.
“It’s unfortunate, but I cannot cast my vote for my party’s nominee,” Durkin said in a video released by Pritzker’s campaign. “I served with Darren Bailey in Springfield, and I know what he is and isn’t capable of.”
Is this all about Trump?
Trump is clearly part of the story, but he isn't the whole story.
Flake has been a vocal Trump critic for years, and some Republicans endorsing Democrats have directly cited MAGA politics as a reason for abandoning their party's nominee. Others have focused much more heavily on qualities like character, bipartisanship, or respect for democratic figures.
Still, the president's standing helps explain these endorsements.
A Pew Research Center survey from this summer put Trump's approval rating at just 34 percent. In the same survey, Democrats led Republicans by six points among registered voters on the generic congressional ballot.
Signs of broader unease are emerging within the GOP. A Reuters review found that Republican candidates in 41 of 62 competitive congressional races were distancing themselves from Trump in some way — whether by breaking with him on certain issues or simply downplaying their ties to the president.
Could Republican endorsements actually make a difference?
In a race decided by a percentage point or two, a recognizable Republican figure could give GOP-leaning voters already uneasy with their party's nominee something valuable: permission to cross the aisle.
Of course, endorsements don't automatically translate into votes, and there's no guarantee these Republicans will persuade voters to follow their lead. But with control of Congress potentially coming down to only a handful of races, peeling away even a relatively small number of voters could matter — and, as Graves’ past endorsements show, it certainly can’t hurt.
And Republicans aren't the only ones crossing the aisle. Outgoing Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, for example, has endorsed Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in New York. In an op-ed for The Journal News, Golden pointed to the pair’s work on several bills, including one aimed at protecting Maine’s lobster industry.
Still, the number of prominent Republicans backing Democrats this cycle is notable, particularly because several of these endorsements are emerging in races where Democrats have become more competitive than the GOP might have anticipated.
And with control of Congress on the line, that alone may be a warning sign for the GOP heading into Election Day.
