GOP on ropes? Close Tennessee race prompts push to 'sharpen' message

WASHINGTON – Republicans won the Dec. 3 special election in Tennessee. But some in the GOP are concerned it might soon signal losses.

Though conservative candidate Matt Van Epps notched the widely anticipated victory, Democrat Aftyn Behn's overperformance in the Volunteer State represented a potentially bad omen for President Donald Trump's coalition.

The single-digit margin in Tennessee's 7th congressional district, which then-presidential candidate Trump carried by 22 points last year, already has GOP lawmakers mulling a shift in their political strategy to retain control of Congress in next year's midterm elections.

Talking to reporters the next morning, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said the nine-point victory was a "fairly handy win." He acknowledged, though, that it showed the party has "some challenge ahead of us."

"Obviously, we need to take to heart the fact that we have to sharpen our message," he said. "But I think Republicans will be united around the country."

Other conservatives in Congress projected a similar confidence. Yet on the heels of major Democratic victories in November, they admitted a change in messaging might be warranted.

"Midterms are tough for those in power," said Sen. Jim Justice, R-West Virginia. "We've just got to be concerned."

GOP should 'do a better job' touting affordability, lawmaker says

Republicans still control both chambers of Congress. But with the midterms just a year away, their majority is already slipping in the House of Representatives. Several special elections over the next few months, as well as the impending resignation of Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, are inclined to benefit Democrats.

That political math, combined with Democrats' November wins in places like Virginia and Georgia, has caused a rift among Republicans who think the party has to act fast to stave off harsh losses come 2026.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, told USA TODAY the GOP hasn't done a good enough job of communicating how it has worked to bring costs down for Americans over the past year. He pointed in particular to the president's so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its "no tax on tips" provisions.

"We've got to be aware that we have to work for our votes," he said. "We haven't been out telling the rest of our story, and we need to start doing more of that."

Under Trump's leadership, however, keeping Republicans entirely on message through next year may prove challenging.

"The word 'affordability' is a Democrat scam," the president said during a Dec. 2 Cabinet meeting.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told USA TODAY he was happy with the Tennessee election result, despite the lower-than-usual margin. Still, he agreed that his party could always do a better job of refining its pitches to voters.

Ultimately, he stressed, the results of the 2026 midterms will come down to turnout.

"What's going to determine the outcome next November is whether conservatives show up and whether the commonsense middle shows up," he said. "If people stay home, and the only people who show up are the angry left, then it'll be a very bad election."

Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.