Trump provides few GOP coattails when he’s not on the ballot

Published December 19, 2025 4:55am ET



A mystery that haunted the Republican Party during the 2022 midterm elections, under President Joe Biden, was why the party failed to achieve the congressional surge its members craved. Then, last month, when Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) won their respective states’ gubernatorial races, the pattern continued, and the same question remained.

Why do supporters of President Donald Trump fail to vote for Republicans in sufficient numbers when he is not on the ballot?

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