Midterm candidates court voters across party lines as races tighten

Democratic and Republican candidates in several states have recently promoted their ability to attract voters from opposing parties. These efforts focus on endorsements from former officials of the other side, a strategy designed to signal moderation and appeal to independent voters in a crowded field.

The push for bipartisan support has accelerated over the past two weeks. In Alaska, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. Meanwhile, former Republican governors Bill Graves and Mike Hayden announced their backing for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton in Kansas during September and October. In Texas, the campaign for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico reported that more than two dozen former GOP officials have joined their endorsement list.

One of the most recent additions to Talarico's list is Kel Seliger, a former GOP state senator. Seliger chose to back Talarico rather than the Republican candidate, Attorney General Ken Paxton. Seliger cited his service history with both men as a factor in his decision.

Seliger described Talarico as honest, frank, and direct. "James Talarico is not some wild-eyed socialist and and he may believe in a lot of things that Democratic Party believes in that I don’t," Seliger said. "But I think he’s going to be honest. And I think he’s going to be frank and direct. I think that the things that he does are going to be what is best for Texas. Not what’s best for Elon Musk."

Republican Party officials have noted similar trends among their candidates. Natalie Baldassarre, the national press secretary for the RNC, pointed to the "Democrats for Mike Rogers" coalition supporting the Michigan Senate race. She also highlighted the potential for crossover voting in the Texas Senate contest between Ken Paxton and James Talarico.

Joshua Blank, Research Director for the Texas Politics Project, said that while these endorsements are visible, their electoral impact is often limited. "We’re not talking about a large group of Republicans crossing party lines to vote for Democrats, or a large group of Democrats possibly crossing party lines to vote for Republicans," Blank said. "We’re ultimately talking about what are kind of idiosyncratic behaviors they’re going to take place among a small, small share of the electorate."

Blank noted that these small shifts can be decisive if an election is statistically tied. Recent polling indicates that several midterm races have become increasingly close, with some contests landing within the margin of error.