Midterm candidates say they are winning voters across party lines

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Some midterm election candidates have recently been promoting their ability to win over voters from across party lines but experts say it may not be enough to change outcomes in November.

In recent weeks, Democratic candidates in several states have promoted endorsements from Republican officials and voters.

In Alaska, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday.

In Kansas, two former Republican governors, Bill Graves and Mike Hayden, announced in September and October that they are backing Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton.

In Texas, the campaign for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico said that over two dozen former GOP officials have endorsed Talarico.

Kel Seliger, a former GOP state senator, joined the list of officials who endorsed Talarico this week, instead of the Republican candidate in the race, Attorney General Ken Paxton.

“I’ve served with both people,” he said. “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. 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.”

Republicans expect crossover support

Republican Party officials say they also expect cross-party voting for their candidates.

“I do think you’re seeing that this cycle, especially in races like in Michigan with Mike Rogers against Abdul El-Sayed, and in Texas with Ken Paxton against James Talarico,” said Natalie Baldassarre, national press secretary for the Republican National Committee.

Baldassarre also cited the campaign coalition, “Democrats for Mike Rogers.”

Political scientist: Effect tends to be small

While candidates have continued to promote the bipartisan support in the final days of the election season, Texas Politics Project Research Director Joshua Blank said cross-party voting tends not to make a large difference in elections.

“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,” he 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 said. “Now, if the elections close, this could really matter.”

Recent polling has found that some of the midterm races have become increasingly close and, in some cases, statistically tied.