Cross-party endorsements swell for midterms

Democratic candidates in Alaska, Kansas, and Texas have received endorsements from prominent Republican leaders this week. The endorsements aim to signal that these candidates can govern with voters from both parties. However, political scientists warn that such cross-party support may not shift the final vote count enough to change outcomes.

In Alaska, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. The move adds a major name to Kreiss-Tomkins' campaign as the state prepares for its general election. Murkowski is a well-known figure in Alaska politics, and her choice is drawing attention from voters in both parties.

Kansas U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton received backing from two former Republican governors, Bill Graves and Mike Hayden. Graves announced his support in September, while Hayden joined in October. These endorsements come as Hamilton faces a competitive race for the open Senate seat. The former governors are using their public profiles to rally voters who might otherwise lean Republican.

Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico has secured endorsements from over two dozen former GOP officials. The most recent is Kel Seliger, a former GOP state senator, who joined the list this week. Seliger chose to back Talarico instead of the Republican candidate, Attorney General Ken Paxton. Seliger said he served with both men and believes Talarico will be honest and direct. He noted that Talarico's actions will benefit Texas rather than serving specific interests like those of Elon Musk.

Republican Party officials also expect their candidates to benefit from voters crossing party lines. Natalie Baldassarre, national press secretary for the RNC, pointed to the race in Michigan between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed. She also cited the Texas race between Paxton and Talarico. Baldassarre highlighted the campaign coalition known as Democrats for Mike Rogers as evidence of this trend.

Joshua Blank, Research Director at the Texas Politics Project, said cross-party voting usually affects only a small share of the electorate. He described the behavior as idiosyncratic and noted that it does not involve large groups of voters switching sides. Blank added that these shifts could matter if the races are close enough to be statistically tied. Recent polling shows several midterm races have narrowed in the final weeks before the election.