Landslide losses in Congress.
Losses in every state legislature.
Loss of governor’s mansions.
The loss of Sen. Darline Graham Nordone.
Multiple seats lost in the South Carolina House, breaking the Republican supermajority.
Several deep-red counties flipping to Democrats.
Voters far and wide sent Republicans a message: They are tired of being disrespected, and they are tired of watching elected officials waste time on issues that don’t matter to them. Much of that frustration has been driven by Washington.
I preface this by understanding that the socialists who just took power are an immediate danger to our country. They will do great damage.
So, what can we learn from these results, and what happens next?
The Messaging Fiasco
“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” Trump wrote. “If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign.” -President Donald J. Trump
This kind of rhetoric is dismissive of independents and the Republican base alike. One can make a compelling case for a position without insulting the very people who helped put you in office. You don’t win voters over by telling them they’re a bunch of dummies.
The president’s comments on data centers are particularly toxic among rural voters, who were instrumental in building the MAGA coalition, as well as suburban voters. People in these communities have legitimate concerns about data centers, just as they do about unchecked development. There is a reasonable case to be made for the responsible expansion of data centers, but this kind of rhetoric does nothing to make it.
“The Fake News Media and the Radical Left Democrats are obsessed with the ‘Epstein Files,’ which is nothing more than a hoax designed to distract from the greatest economy and strongest military in American history, both of which we created. The Epstein story is dead, but they keep trying to revive it because they have nothing else to run on. We have had non-stop victories, and they want to change the subject!” -President Donald J. Trump
The Epstein files present the same problem. People want them fully released, and telling the public to shut up and move on isn’t going to cut it. At some point, telling people not to believe their own eyes is no longer a viable political strategy. Voters have concerns, and dismissing them only deepens their frustration.
“I don’t think about [the] American financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all. That’s the only thing.” -President Donald J. Trump
Americans were told that the war with Iran would last six weeks. Now, many are left wondering what is happening, what the administration’s plan actually is and where this is all headed. The administration’s explanations have been inconsistent and, at times, downright confusing. Saying, “I don’t think about [the] American financial situation,” is about as reckless a message as one can deliver.
On the SAVE America Act: “We don’t have the votes either to proceed, get on a talking filibuster nor sustain one if we got on it, but that’s just a function of math, and there isn’t anything I can do about that.” -U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune
Hearing Thune speak is even more telling than reading his words. There has never been a more passionless leader in Washington. Thune is the Majority Leader, not the majority spokesperson. The lack of leadership is astonishing.
Let’s be clear: Establishment Republicans despise the conservative base more than they oppose Democrats. Now that they find themselves in a distinct minority, their primary function will be to block the left. Forgive me if I am less than confident in their ability or willingness to do even that.
The number of genuinely conservative senators is fewer than 20, and the number willing to show any real backbone is closer to five. It is unlikely that much will change in Congress. Thune is likely to become Senate Minority Leader, and the Washington establishment will continue to operate without ever acknowledging that it did anything wrong.
Speaker Mike Johnson is stepping down from leadership. So far, Reps. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan have entered the race for House Minority Leader. Scalise represents more of the same, while Jordan has two decades of nothing but soundbites. Republicans are going to have to do better than this.
President Trump must return to the leader he was during the first few months of his second term. He is constantly taking action, and eventually, that means he will find himself on the wrong side of an issue. He often focuses on the long term, but he must pay attention to the issues voters care about today and hear those voters. He must also follow through on his recent pledge to use the veto. He has yet to do so in either of his terms, and our crushing national debt makes it impossible to build the truly strong economy Americans deserve.
If serious improvements aren’t made, 2028 is all but guaranteed to be another electoral disaster. Trump has taken an initial step by replacing swamp creature Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller. The president only has two months to make cabinet changes that can be confirmed.
The Darline Dilemma
While Republicans were crushed nationwide on Tuesday, the rest of South Carolina’s Republican ticket outperformed Graham Nordone by more than eight percentage points. There are several reasons why.
For the past eight years, President Trump’s preemptive endorsements have repeatedly undermined the chances of genuine conservatives to win elections in meaningful numbers. In many cases, those endorsements have effectively cleared the field before voters ever have a chance to weigh their options. Voters should exercise their own discernment, but sadly, too many have failed to do so.
Trump’s endorsement of an unqualified candidate who lacked a working knowledge of the issues helped deliver a primary victory while leaving voters with a deeply flawed candidate in the general election.
The write-in campaign for Ralph Norman and the third-party efforts gained little traction in the final numbers. Democrats captured their first U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in 28 years, largely because independents overwhelmingly supported Dr. Annie Andrews, while a significant number of Republicans did the same.
The establishment GOP in Washington and the Palmetto State worked together to give Graham Nordone every advantage in the primary, including allowing her to remain on the ballot when her qualifications were in question. Meanwhile, that same establishment adopted an attitude of subtraction rather than addition in the general election, attacking and shaming those who refused to support Graham Nordone in the runoff.
In the aftermath of Tuesday, many of those same individuals have had a meltdown, blaming Ralph Norman, who endorsed Graham Nordone, and his supporters for her defeat.
This follows the same pattern we have seen in party politics for years. In just a few short months, SCGOP reorganization will take place. A change in leadership is imperative, from most counties all the way to the state party.
Statehouse Step Back
While Washington Republicans bear much of the blame for the election results, elected officials at every level are failing to address the issues that matter to conservatives. When incumbents give voters little compelling reason to support them, particularly in an election cycle fueled by anger and frustration, voters are more than willing to send them packing.
Republicans lost their supermajority and came dangerously close to losing even more seats in traditionally deep-red districts. Yet only a couple of the Republicans unseated were substantially different from the Democrats who replaced them.
One was newly minted State House Majority Leader Micah Caskey of Lexington County.
Caskey, the chief agitator against the South Carolina Freedom Caucus and conservative legislation, lost reelection to Joe Madge in a district he had carried by 20 percentage points in 2024.
Caskey’s defeat brings the upcoming Republican Caucus leadership election into sharp focus. There are members of the Republican caucus with whom the Freedom Caucus can work. If there is to be a new day in the State House, it must begin with this election. Additionally, there are rumblings that Speaker Murrell Smith may not remain in the speaker’s chair much longer.
Another important marker will be the spring special election to replace Lt. Gov.-elect Mike Reichenbach. Reichenbach’s home county of Florence flipped to the Democrats in Tuesday’s election. If that trend continues into the special election, the seat could be in jeopardy of flipping as well.
Candidates who have entered the race thus far include Dr. James Mark Lawhon, County Councilman William Schofield, former prosecutor and restaurateur John Holt, attorney Hood Temple and former County Republican Chairman Richard Skipper.
This year, Democrats fielded a candidate in every single State House race, with countless Democratic candidates out-campaigning their Republican counterparts. If Republicans want to rebuild conservative momentum and give voters an option worth supporting, as many conservatives as possible must step forward and challenge incumbents in the 2026 State House and Senate primaries.
What’s Next?
This election saw dramatic swings toward Democrats in several highly populated, traditionally Republican counties, including Berkeley, Dorchester, Lexington, Greenville, Spartanburg and York. That trend cannot continue. Graham Nordone even managed to lose the traditionally safe Republican counties of Greenville and York.
While I have little confidence in the integrity of our current election process, something is clearly amiss.
Both Washington and Columbia must take a serious look at legal immigration and its impact on our state. Communities across South Carolina are experiencing rapid demographic changes, and voters deserve an honest discussion about the consequences for our communities, infrastructure and political future.
Northern transplants also appear to be taking their toll. While many are Republicans, a significant number are not particularly conservative, and their votes cannot be taken for granted.
From red states to deep blue, voters voted for statewide constitutional amendments and referendums banning males in girls sports and minor transgender surgeries, ensuring only citizens vote, voter ID and for less taxes. It isn’t a problem of principles, it’s a problem with will and effectiveness.
Finally, conservatives must show an interest and become involved outside of election season. Whether that means participating in GOP reorganization, volunteering for a campaign, working on important issues or running for office yourself, involvement is essential. We cannot expect to influence the direction of our party or our state by showing up only when it is time to vote.
The clock is ticking on our nation and our state.
Do your part.
