Alaska Sen. Murkowski Endorses Democrat Kreiss-Tomkins Amid Midterm Crossover Push

Over two dozen former Republican officials in Texas have endorsed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico. This endorsement effort is part of a wider trend where candidates in several states are promoting support from the opposing party. The goal is to capture voters who may not strictly follow party lines in the upcoming midterm elections.

In Alaska, the crossover effort is already visible. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. Her support adds to a list of high-profile endorsements that include former governors in other states. In Kansas, former Republican governors Bill Graves and Mike Hayden announced their backing for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton in September and October.

Kel Seliger, a former GOP state senator in Texas, joined the list of Talarico supporters this week. He chose Talarico over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Seliger explained his decision by noting he has worked with both men. He said Talarico is not a wild-eyed socialist and will be honest and direct in office. Seliger argued that Talarico will prioritize what is best for Texas rather than what is best for Elon Musk.

Republican Party officials also expect cross-party voting to benefit their candidates. Natalie Baldassarre, national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, pointed to races in Michigan and Texas. She cited the Michigan campaign for Mike Rogers, which features a coalition called Democrats for Mike Rogers. She said these efforts show voters are looking beyond party labels in this cycle.

Political scientist Joshua Blank, research director for the Texas Politics Project, offers a more cautious view. He said cross-party voting tends not to make a large difference in most elections. Blank noted that the behavior is idiosyncratic and occurs among a small share of the electorate. He is not describing a large group of Republicans voting for Democrats or vice versa.

Blank added that the impact could matter if elections are close. Recent polling indicates some midterm races have become statistically tied. Candidates are currently promoting their bipartisan support in the final days of the election season. Voters in Alaska and other states will go to the polls in November to decide these contests.