Red Flags in Trump Country: What GOP Special Election Losses Really Mean

American Thinker ^ | 09/01/2025 | Joseph Ford Cotto

[SeekAndFind]

Two Republican losses in state senate special elections this year, first in Pennsylvania during March and then in Iowa this August, have sent tremors through conservative circles. Both seats were previously held by Republicans, both were in areas that strongly supported Donald Trump, and both slipped away despite the Democrat party enduring its worst period of public standing in decades.

These results are not signals of a collapsing Republican coalition, but they are warnings against complacency.

Between 2020 and 2024, Democrats faced a voter registration crisis that left their party infrastructure gutted in states across the country. In every state that tracks affiliation, Democrats lost ground to Republicans as millions of Americans rejected progressive orthodoxy. Over this period, more than two million individuals left the Democratic Party altogether, representing a swing of about 4.5 million voters away from their ranks and toward a rightward realignment.

Image created using AI.

These numbers reflect a larger rejection of the Democrat platform, one that more and more Americans rightfully view as radical and detached from everyday concerns.

By 2023 and 2024, polls showed the Democrats’ national approval rating collapsing to levels rarely seen in modern history, with voters judging their agenda as elitist and out of touch. By early 2025, their favorability dropped to the lowest point in more than three decades, reinforcing the perception of a party trapped by its own missteps and failing leadership.

For Republicans, this landscape seemed to promise electoral dominance. After all, Trump’s policies focus on workers, economic sovereignty, and America-first priorities. They continue to resonate with the broad swath of the electorate. Yet, despite Democrats’ collapsing registration numbers and abysmal popularity, they have managed to capture momentum in the type of races that slip under the radar: special elections.

---

TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: defeat; election; gop; iowa

[SeekAndFind]

The first warning came in March, when Republicans lost a Pennsylvania State Senate seat in a district Trump had carried handily. Democrats, energized by their national status as the out-of-power party, poured their efforts into turning out reliable voters. They succeeded not because their brand had suddenly improved but because they understood a simple truth: off-year contests usually tilt toward whichever party is not in control of the White House.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

I like Trump’s idea of having a party convention before midterms. Good time to recalibrate and get some attention before voters head to the polls. I hope the GOP does it.

[dfwgator]

He needs to do some rallies.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

He needs to do some rallies.

That would help too, but you really need the TV exposure on mass media to get voters out for all those Congressional races. Fact is that Trump himself has too much to do as President to spend the necessary time on the road to support all the races that need him.

[Gen.Blather]

I admit I haven’t followed these races. But in previous similar situations, Republicans ran bad candidates. Was that what happened here? The R’s have a limitless supply of Mitt Romneys and Bob Dole types who have paid their dues and damn it! It’s their turn!

One of the Democrats ran on a platform of everything costs too much. Well, yes. No solutions offered. Except everything cost too much. I’m in the rental business. Do you want cheaper rentals? Well, take the onerous legal requirements off me. Let me hire people without being taxed for doing so. Get rid of the hundreds of rules and regulations intended to force me to hire contractors and simply pay fees that are really taxes. I’ll lower rents. I’ll bet government could make things cheaper all over by simply changing and deleting rules and regulations that only add costs. But, no! Every rule and regulation has a constituency.

[MarlonRando]

the party that is not in power has nothing to do but get mad and get out to vote

[iamgalt]

The rats have never been more motivated. We should not have lost either of those races. Wake up.

[dpetty121263]

Trump doesn’t do something about these food prices the GOP doesn’t stand a dog’s chance..

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Trump doesn’t do something about these food prices the GOP doesn’t stand a dog’s chance..

Honest question which I don’t really know the answer to — How much of these increase in food prices are due to the recent tariffs?

[Robwin]

The Dems are highly motivated by Trump hatred. The Repubs had better realize that and get off their duffs.

[MayflowerMadam]

“How much of these increase in food prices are due to the recent tariffs?”

Better question: How much are grocers and vendors using tariffs as a lame rationalization to keep the prices inflated to haul in a larger profit at our expense?

[SeekAndFind]

RE: How much are grocers and vendors using tariffs as a lame rationalization to keep the prices inflated to haul in a larger profit at our expense?

OK, let’s say for the sake of discussion that grocers and vendors are absolutely using tariffs as a convenient justification to maintain or inflate prices in ways that go beyond the actual impact of the tariffs, what can the Trump administration do about it before the next midterm elections start and food prices start to become an issue?

If they start an investigation to force prices down, then wouldn’t it simply justify what Kamala Harris accuses businesses of doing — Price Gouging?

[Az Joe]

True, but specials aren’t the mid terms

[dfwgator]

What was the turnout in that special election? Maybe 10%?

[Socon-Econ]

He needs to do some rallies.
********
Right now, he’s too occupied with keeping us in the Ukraine mess.

[Glad2bnuts]

This has to do with mail in voting. In my city we had a city election for schools, I didn’t get a ballot. The dimwits won. I am thinking that election officials are sending out ballots to certain people. We voted for Trump 70-30.

[jmaroneps37]

I knew this contorted pile of galling sky would bring out the Surrender. Monkeys and right on cue here they are.
Does sky in is falling stuff mean we will lose the midterms no
But it keeps the Surrender Monkeys screeching.

[mass55th]

"He needs to do some rallies."

Why should he do all the work when the people who are running for office, and the GOP aren't?

[KC_Conspirator]

It means democraps send money and resources to these little seats and act like its the biggest thing ever when they lost across the board 9 months ago.

[TalBlack]

“Trump doesn’t do something about these food prices the GOP doesn’t stand a dog’s chance..“

But the people whose policies caused the inflation do? I don’t know if the electorate are that shallow of forgetful at this point.