Republican politicians, strategists and pundits were left picking up the pieces Wednesday after GOP candidates largely came up short in critical contests across America, fueling infighting about the party’s stance on abortion and its problem turning out voters in off-year elections.
In three of Tuesday night’s most closely-watched states, the GOP lost control of the Virginia House of Delegates and failed to take the state Senate, while incumbent Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear defeated Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Daniel Cameron.
In Ohio, meanwhile, voters defied the wishes of Republicans including Gov. Mike DeWine and enshrined the right to an abortion in the state Constitution.
“He ran a very strong race; he did a good job not tying himself to Biden. And he did a good job in rural areas, too,” one GOP strategist told The Post of Beshear, noting that Kentucky voters opted for a “ticket split” by electing Republicans Russell Coleman and Michael Adams commonwealth attorney general and secretary of state, respectively.
GOP candidates also were elected to the statewide posts of agriculture commissioner, auditor and treasurer.
“I also think that painting one specific state a year out, and saying, ‘That’s what’s determining how the general election is going to turn out’ — it’s a tad of a stretch, in my opinion,” the strategist added.
Nevertheless, the finger-pointing began just hours after the final races were called.
“PRO-LIFERS ARE GOING TO WIPE OUT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,” conservative author Ann Coulter posted Wednesday morning on X. “IN ADDITION to losing Ohio Tuesday night, Gov Glenn Youngkin lost big in Virginia — because of pro-life zealots.”
“A 15-week abortion limit would have been fine with VA voters, but Republicans couldn’t promise to stop there without risking a primary challenge from FULL-BAN pro-lifers,” she added. “My No. 1 compromise position still stands: Make abortion illegal only for registered Republicans.”
Youngkin had sold Virginia Republican candidates for the state legislature on a pledge to enact a 15-week abortion ban if they took control, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.
“We learned that Gov. Youngkin’s refreshing brand of traditional conservatism, without confrontation, cannot be easily replicated in a purple state,” veteran Republican consultant Alice Stewart told The Post.
“Despite his efforts to steer clear of the MAGA movement with optimistic candidates, who were on message, the emphasis on abortion limits clearly motivated Democrats to get out and vote.”
Youngkin told reporters on Wednesday he was “disappointed” in the results 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’s presidential race.
However, far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) disagreed with the Coulter assessment, saying Democrats had lied about the abortion issue while blaming the Republican Party’s leadership for being “tone deaf and weak.”
“Republicans lose on abortion because they have for decades allowed democrats to lie about abortion on every level,” Greene said on X. “When Republicans boldly speak the truth and present solutions to help women in crisis into motherhood then we will win on this issue.”
She went on to warn that the GOP was at risk of losing its grassroots support by failing to put forward candidates who energize those voters, pointing to former President Donald Trump as a notable exception.
The Republican strategist also mentioned voter enthusiasm for Trump in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll of battleground states was far ahead that for President Biden.
“They don’t like how he’s handled the economy; they don’t like how he’s handled Israel; they don’t like how he’s handled the border,” the strategist said. “This is not a win for Joe Biden. It’s actually a warning sign that Joe Biden is the problem going into 2024 for Democrats.”
“If you look at polling, the word that describes [Biden voters] right now is kind of nervous,” he added, while cautioning that the Republican National Committee still needed to re-evaluate its strategy and calling its chairwoman Ronna McDaniel “a proven failure at every level” due to her failure to secure high voter turnout in the past three election cycles.
“Democrats are better at turning out in off year elections,” Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said in an election post-mortem shared on X. “The national party should be focused on two, and only two issues: how to juice turnout in off year elections and how to close the finance gap with Democrats.”
Youngkin and Virginia Republicans also botched their chance at securing more funding from the RNC before Election Day after initially declining support from the national party over the summer, a source familiar with the discussions told The Post.
The misstep provided an opening to national Democratic and liberal dark money groups that flooded the Virginia races with money.
“Virginia Democrats outspent Republicans nine to one on abortion-focused TV ads that mischaracterized Republican candidates and distracted from Democrats’ extreme position of no-limits abortion on demand,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement.
“While GOP candidates rallied around protecting babies from painful late-term abortions beginning at 15 weeks, they allowed Democrats to dominate the abortion narrative on the airwaves and sow confusion with voters. Last night proved this is not a formula for success for the GOP.”
There were still silver linings 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 secured a surprise New York City Council win in the Bronx.