Here are the Republicans backing Democratic candidates in the midterms

This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. A number of Republicans have come out in support of Democratic candidates ahead of the November elections, as control of both chambers of Congress is up for grabs. A former governor, a GOP election official and a former Senate candidate are among the small but growing list of Republicans who have crossed the aisle to endorse their party’s opposition. Some Republicans who won’t go as far as to endorse the Democrats are voicing frustration and sometimes opposition to GOP candidates. There is at least one high-profile example of a Democrat backing a Republican: Outgoing Democratic Rep. Jared Golden (Maine) is supporting Rep. Mike Lawler (N. Y.) in his reelection fight. But in general, there are more examples of Republicans backing Democrats this cycle a,id President Trump’s sinking approval ratings. Democrats are widely expected to win back the House majority and are now seen as having a chance to win the Senate majority. Here are some examples. Graves endorsed Democrat Adam Hamilton over Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) earlier this month. Hamilton, a popular Methodist minister, is running to unseat Marshall in a race that has been viewed as increasingly competitive in recent months. Graves served from 1995 until 2003, making him the state’s longest-serving GOP governor. He announced his endorsement in a video posted to the social media platform X earlier this month. “For the last six years, Sen. Roger Marshall has turned his back on Kansas,” Graves said, adding that Hamilton “stands as a bulwark of kindness” and service to others. Graves has endorsed Democrats before. In 2018 and 2022, he backed Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) over her GOP opponents, with Kelly winning both times. The Republican chair of the Georgia Peanut Commission, Donald Chase, endorsed Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) for reelection earlier this week. “We don’t necessarily elect a party,” Chase told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I like to support people that I can get behind and believe in.” A few other Republicans have also lined up behind Ossoff, including Julie Smith and Scott James Matheson — the GOP mayors of Tifton, Ga., and Valdosta, Ga., respectively. Flake, who has been outspoken against Trump for years, has also endorsed Ossoff. Flake condemned Trump’s refusal to concede in the 2020 election as “awful for the country.” He spoke out against the president’s attacks on the press during his first term and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris for president in 2024. Ossoff is facing Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) in a race that forecasters predict will go in Democrats’ favor. Johnson, who is leaving her office, backed Democrat Terrence Davis in the race to succeed her after losing the GOP nomination to a primary challenger in June. Johnson encouraged voters to look beyond a candidate’s party and said Davis is best prepared for the job. “He has publicly identified transparency, voting rights and making government systems work for the people who use them as priorities of his candidacy,” Johnson said. “Those areas have a direct connection to the work of the secretary of state’s office.” In the Kansas Senate race, Naramore — a Republican who challenged Marshall in the primary — also announced his support for Hamilton in a video last week. Naramore said he still identifies as a Republican but criticized Marshall for his support of Trump’s tariffs and his questioned residency in the state of Kansas. “Adam Hamilton’s family has been in Kansas for five generations,” Naramore said. “He spent more than 40 years as a pastor, not a politician. He will fight for all of us: Republicans, Democrats and Independents.” Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.