RAGA Claims Republican AGs Outperformed Party Peers Amid Midterm Collapse

The numbers tell a story of resilience amid collapse. Republican attorney general candidates didn't just survive the midterm elections. They outperformed other GOP hopefuls in several critical races. A post-election analysis from the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) highlights this stark contrast. The group urged its members to see themselves as the "front line" against leftist policies. They likened the overall results to a "category-five political hurricane."

Adam Piper, RAGA’s Executive Director, sent a late-night memo to colleagues. Fox News Digital shared the document. Piper stated that America needs Republican Attorneys General more than ever. He pointed to an emboldened Democrat Congress as the threat. "Republican AGs are both America’s front line and is the last line of defense when it comes to their left-wing wish list – such as court packing, the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, Second Amendment restrictions, and abolishing ICE," he wrote.

Piper has worked in Virginia and on the staff of South Carolina Gov.-elect Alan Wilson. He noted that AG candidates held up slightly better on ballots despite a brutal Tuesday night for the party. The memo did not sugarcoat the broader defeat. "Last night was the worst election night for the Republican Party in 50 years," Piper began. He acknowledged a difficult midterm environment that turned out even worse. Voters, regardless of party, preferred Democrat candidates by a mean of D +13.8. That compares to D +7.9 in 2006 and D +8.4 in 2018.

The damage was severe. "Today, we are dealing with the aftermath of a category-five political hurricane," Piper wrote. "It will take years to fully rebuild."

As Republicans pick up the pieces from a map overcome with blue, even along wide swaths of Texas' southern border, they look for silver linings. Florida remains a key hold. Attorneys general might offer a bit of pep talk from Piper's memo.

The data is specific. GOP AG candidates ran an average of 4.62 percentage points ahead of GOP Senate candidates in comparable states. They also trailed only 2.12 points behind Republican gubernatorial candidates? No, they outperformed them by that margin. These figures come from returns as of the late Wednesday night memo.

Piper noted that Republican AG candidates posted better margins than GOP Senate candidates in nine of 10 comparable states. They outperformed Republican gubernatorial candidates in nine of 13 states.

But do not mistake this for success. Piper made clear that "there are no moral victories." Republicans lost five AG seats to Democrats in these midterms. The projected net loss stands at 51 House seats. Senate losses could reach nine seats.

Some states saw significant outperformance. Iowa, Ohio, and Colorado led the pack. Republican attorney general candidates in those states ran 9.3, 7.3, and 10.3 points ahead of their party’s gubernatorial candidates, respectively. In Colorado, the GOP attorney general candidate also outpaced the Republican Senate candidate by 7.7 points.

Florida saw a shift. It is now the largest red state after Texas handed over control to the Democratic Party. Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier won by 1.8 percentage points. He outperformed Gov.-elect Byron Donalds, who won by 1.3 points.

Nebraska showed similar strength. Attorney General Mike Hilgers won re-election by 12.6 points. Republican Senate candidate Pete Ricketts won by 6.7 points. Republican Gov. Jim Pillen secured an 8.4-point victory.

Money fueled this effort. RAGA spent more than $40 million on these midterms. That is nearly twice its spending in 2022. The group was on track to raise more than $50 million, according to Piper.

The memo ended with a sober reality check. "No amount of outperformance can make up for the historical Republican losses," Piper concluded. RAGA will start candidate recruitment for 2027 and 2028 now. They have set the expectation that they will continue to overperform, no matter the environment.