DeSantis calls midterm result "worst-case scenario" and "extinction-level event" for GOP

Centre · 1Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Republicans faced the "worst-case scenario" in Tuesday's midterm elections, in which Democrats flipped control of both the House and the Senate. 1 Mixed · 2At a press conference in Tallahassee on Wednesday, DeSantis called the result "close to an extinction-level event for Republicans, in many parts of the country." 2 1 Mixed · 2In a post on X, DeSantis predicted that "Dems will get 55 Senate seats and 250+ House seats" and said Republicans were unlikely to recapture Congress in 2028 and might not have a shot at the Senate until 2032. 1 2

Mixed · 2DeSantis singled out Democratic wins in Texas, where Democrats took the Senate and governor races, saying that losing the state could reverberate "for the next decade or more" and that without Texas as an anchor Republicans would not be "viable nationally." 1 2 Right · 1The Daily Mail reported that Trump's chosen Texas Senate candidate, Ken Paxton, lost to Democrat James Talarico, and that Democrats were on course for at least 54 Senate seats to 44 for Republicans, with at least 228 House seats won so far. 2 Centre · 1Newsweek reported that Democrats flipped Republican-held Senate seats in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas, with Alaska and Mississippi not yet called, and flipped at least 25 House seats. It cited New York Times data showing Democrats on track for a 13-point national popular-vote win, with many votes still uncounted. 1

Mixed · 2Florida stayed Republican: Byron Donalds, backed by Trump, narrowly beat Democrat David Jolly to succeed the term-limited DeSantis, with roughly 50% to 48.7%, according to the Daily Mail. Newsweek said Republicans also narrowly held the Senate seat. 2 1 Right · 1DeSantis wrote on X that after losses of governor's races in Texas, Ohio and Georgia, Florida would be the only one of the ten most populous states with a Republican governor. 2 Right · 1Before the results, DeSantis told Stephen A. Smith's podcast that Republicans who would not admit the Iran war had raised gas prices were "gaslighting" voters, called the war a "big drag" on the party, and said Trump had run on not starting a Middle East war. 2

Centre · 1Other Republicans reacted: Trump wrote on Truth Social that he "wasn't on the Ballot" and would have won "in a landslide" if he had been; Vice President JD Vance wrote that "the reason we lost is the war" and cited a GOP pollster on voter anger over the Iran war, cost of living and US-Israel ties; Marjorie Taylor Greene said the party would have to "kick Donald Trump out"; and Rep. Greg Steube criticised GOP leadership as "embarrassingly weak." 1 Right · 1The Daily Mail said Trump also acknowledged on Truth Social that candidate quality was an issue, and that many Republicans blamed his decision to launch the Iran war. 2 Mixed · 2DeSantis has been mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. The Daily Mail said his remarks fuelled speculation of a second run, citing a jump in his Kalshi odds to 19% (Vance 31%, Rubio 22%) and a comment by Ben Shapiro that "Ron is going to run." Newsweek quoted political scientist Shawn Donahue, who said Florida's relative resilience could be a selling point for DeSantis and that the comments may acknowledge a poor 2028 outlook for the GOP. 2 1