Updated Nov. 4, 2026, 3:17 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON – Careful what you wish for.
President Donald Trump invited voters to pretend he was on the ballot. But candidates he endorsed in a number of key competitive races suffered losses and he flipped no seats from Democrat to Republican among the races that were decided by 3 p.m. ET Nov. 4, according to an analysis by USA TODAY.
Trump endorsed 22 gubernatorial candidates, with 10 winning, 11 losing and Alaska undecided. The losses included five seats where Democrats won that had been held by Republicans in Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas.
After Trump endorsed 24 Senate candidates, 13 won, nine lost and two results remain undecided in Alaska and Mississippi. The losses included six seats where Democrats won GOP seats in Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas.
And in the House, Trump endorsed 234 candidates. The vast bulk were Republican incumbents or for seats the party already held. But 48 of the candidates he endorsed lost their races − some for seats held by Democrats − with 52 contests unresolved. Meanwhile, Democrats flipped at least 25 GOP seats where he endorsed their opponents.
“Never has a president been more involved in selecting a party’s primary and general election candidates,” Marc Short, chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, said on social media. “It’s hard for me to think of a White House that has done more to sabotage their own fellow members than this one has,” he added.
Trump campaigned aggressively in dozens of rallies across the country during the final month of the campaign, boasting that his promotion would boost turnout. But polls found voters angry about the high cost of living and the continuing war in Iran.
“I left every one of those states and the places were packed with thousands and in some cases, tens of thousands of people,” Trump told Fox News. “If I’m not on the ballot, they wouldn’t go.”
Trump endorsed 22 candidates for governor and at least 11 lost
The defeats among his gubernatorial endorsements included several in safely Democratic seats where Trump had tangled with incumbents such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, where Democrat Xavier Becerra beat Republican Steve Hilton. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul beat Republican Bruce Blakeman, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker beat Republican Darren Bailey and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro beat Republican Stacy Garrity.
But the defeats included some striking flips from Republican to Democrat. In Texas, Gina Hinojosa became the first Hispanic woman to be elected governor by knocking off Gov. Greg Abbott. In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman governor by beating Rick Jackson. In Ohio, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Trump adviser on cost-cutting measures, lost to Democrat Amy Acton.
Trump rallied repeatedly in Iowa, but Republican Zach Lahn lost to Democrat Rob Sand. Nevada’s Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo lost to Democrat Aaron Ford.
And GOP Rep. Andy Biggs, a vocal supporter of Trump in Congress, lost to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Trump endorsed 24 Senate candidates and at least 9 lost
In the Senate, Democrats beat six of Trump’s Republican endorsements to help reclaim control of the chamber.
Trump personally asked South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham to hold on to the seat of her late brother, Lindsey. But she lost to Democrat Annie Andrews, whom Trump had blasted for supporting transgender people.
Trump visited Texas four times after Labor Day in support of Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom he supported against Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP primary. But James Talarico became the first Democrat elected to the Senate since 1988.
“Ken Paxton was a good guy and I just wasn’t a fan of Cornyn,” Trump said. “You know, I just wasn’t a fan.”
Trump held several rallies in Kansas and Iowa to support his candidates. But in Kansas, Sen. Roger Marshall lost to Democrat Adam Hamilton. And GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson lost to Democrat Josh Turek.
In North Carolina, Michael Whatley, Trump’s personal pick to head the Republican National Committee after his first term, lost to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.
Trump endorsed in only three Senate races where Democrats had held the seats and all three GOP candidates lost.
Abdul El-Sayed beat Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan to become the first Muslim elected to the Senate. Chris Pappas beat Republican John Sununu in New Hampshire to become the first openly gay member of the Senate. And Sen. Jon Ossoff easily fended off a challenge from Republican Rep. Mike Collins.
Democrats grab Republican House seats despite Trump endorsements in Iowa, Pennsylvania
In the House, more than 200 of Trump’s endorsements were for incumbents or for seats Republicans already held. But Trump endorsed 27 candidates for seats held by Democrats and none had flipped by 3 p.m. Nov. 4.
Among places where Democrats picked up GOP seats, three were in Iowa, where Trump rallied supporters in Sioux City on Oct. 22 and in Dubuque on Nov. 1. GOP Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks lost to Christina Bohannan. GOP Rep. Zach Nunn lost to Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott. And Republican Joe Mitchell lost to Democrat Lindsey James for Rep. Ashley Hinson’s seat.
Another state where Democrats grabbed three GOP seats was Pennsylvania, despite Trump’s endorsements. Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan and Scott Perry, who was a vocal Trump defender. The seats went to Democrats Bob Brooks, Paige Cognetti and Janelle Stelson, respectively.
In Texas, Republican Reps. Monica De La Cruz lost to Democrat Bobby Pulido. GOP candidate Brandon Herrera lost to Democrat Katy Padilla Stout for the seat that had been held by Republican Tony Gonzalez.
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