So far, a majority of the candidates who denied or actively cast doubt on President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory have prevailed in the midterms, although most were heavily favored to win, according to an NBC News analysis of results and past candidate statements.
Here's how the 268 GOP candidates who have cast doubt on the 2020 results have fared so far:
- 166 have won
- 84 have lost
- 16 are in races that have not yet been called
- 2 are in Senate races are heading to runoffs (Georgia’s Herschel Walker and Alaska’s Kelly Tshibaka, whose race is heading to ranked-choice voting runoffs)
For a sense where these candidates found success, check out these numbers:
- 154 of the candidates who won were either in races the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rated as Solidly Republican, or in secretary of state races in GOP-leaning states (the Cook Political Report does not rate those races)
- 11 won races the Cook Political Report rated as competitive
- 1 won a Toss Up race (Republican Jen Kiggans who flipped Virginia's 2nd District)
And here's how these candidates fared by office so far:
- Governor: 4 won, 10 lost, 3 are in races not yet called
- Senate: 8 won, 5 lost, 2 are in uncalled races, and 2 are heading to runoffs
- Secretary of State: 3 won, 5 lost, 2 are in uncalled races
- House: 151 won, 64 lost and 9 were in uncalled races
The failures of candidates who have denied or cast doubt on 2020 comes as Americans have voiced concerns about threats to democracy. The issue was among voters’ top concerns in recent NBC News polls.
And 68% of voters who cast ballots in the 2022 midterms said they thought American democracy is being threatened, while 30% said it was secure, in NBC News exit polls.
