President Donald Trump remains the dominant force in Republican politics, with his endorsement carrying unmatched influence over the party’s 2026 midterm elections map. From safe incumbents to rising MAGA contenders, his backing is not just coveted but essential for survival in many contested primaries.
In recent months, Trump has rolled out dozens of endorsements in Senate, House, and gubernatorial races, blending loyalty rewards with strategic bets on newcomers and competitive states. Yet some of the most pivotal contests remain untouched, a calculated silence that underscores his political strategy and his continued role as the GOP’s ultimate kingmaker.
Senate endorsements
Trump has lined up behind nearly every Republican incumbent seeking reelection, along with a few key open-seat candidates:
- Dan Sullivan (R-AK) — Incumbent
- Tom Cotton (R-AR) — Incumbent
- Jim Risch (R-ID) — Incumbent
- Roger Marshall (R-KS) — Incumbent
- Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) — Incumbent
- Steve Daines (R-MT) — Incumbent
- Pete Ricketts (R-NE) — Incumbent
- Michael Whatley (R-NC) — Open seat
- Jon Husted (R-OH, special election) — Incumbent
- Ashley Moody (R-FL, special election) — Incumbent
- Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) — Incumbent
- Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) — Incumbent
- Mike Rounds (R-SD) — Incumbent
- Bill Hagerty (R-TN) — Incumbent
- Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) — Incumbent
- Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) — Incumbent
- Mike Rogers, MI — Open seat
House endorsements
The president has also issued endorsements in dozens of House races, most of them Republican incumbents, ranging from outspoken MAGA loyalists to establishment conservatives:
- Nicholas Begich (R-AK) At-large
- Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), 6th District
- Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ), 8th District
- Lauren Boebert (R-CO), 4th District
- Jeff Crank (R-CO), 5th District
- Gabe Evans (R-CO), 8th District
- Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), 13th District
- Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), 11th District
- Mike Bost (R-IL), 12th District
- Mary Miller (R-IL), 15th District
- Mark Messmer (R-IN), 8th District
- Zach Nunn (R-IA), 3rd District
- Tracey Mann (R-KS), 1st District
- Derek Schmidt (R-KS), 2nd District
- Ron Estes (R-KS), 4th District
- Tim Walberg (R-MI), 5th District
- Tom Barrett (R-MI), 7th District
- Bill Huizenga (R-MI), 4th District
- Ann Wagner (R-MO), 2nd District
- Mark Alford (R-MO), 4th District
- Troy Downing (R-MT), 2nd District
- Thomas Kean Jr. (R-NJ), 7th District
- Michael Lawler (R-NY), 17th District
- Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), 2nd District
- Virginia Foxx (R-NC), 5th District
- Pat Harrigan (R-NC), 10th District
- Mark Harris (R-NC), 8th District
- Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), At-large
- David Taylor (R-OH), 2nd District
- Max Miller (R-OH), 7th District
- Kevin Hern (R-OK), 1st District
- Frank Lucas (R-OK), 3rd District
- Stephanie Bice (R-OK), 5th District
- Scott Perry (R-PA), 10th District
- John Joyce (R-PA), 13th District
- Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), 14th District
- Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), 7th District
- Rob Bresnahan Jr. (R-PA), 8th District
- Sheri Biggs (R-SC), 3rd District
- Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), 15th District
- Brandon Gill (R-TX), 26th District
- Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA), 2nd District
- John McGuire (R-VA), 5th District
- Carol Miller (R-WV), 1st District
- Riley Moore (R-WV), 2nd District
- Bryan Steil (R-WI), 1st District
- Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), 3rd District
Governor Endorsements
Trump has not shied away from weighing in on high-profile state races:
- Byron Donalds (R-FL) — Governor, open seat
- Burt Jones (R-GA) — Governor, open seat
- Brad Little (R-ID) — Governor, incumbent
- Vivek Ramaswamy (R-OH) — Governor, open seat
- Dan Patrick (R-TX) — Lieutenant Governor, incumbent
- Arizona Governor’s race — Endorsed both Karrin Taylor Robson and Andy Biggs
Races still awaiting a Trump endorsement
While Trump’s endorsement list is lengthy, his silence in several marquee contests has become just as newsworthy.
In Texas, the Republican Senate primary between Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Attorney General Ken Paxton has become one of the cycle’s ugliest fights. Cornyn, a four-term senator long tied to the GOP establishment, has tried to reposition himself as more in step with Trump’s base, while Paxton has leaned heavily on his reputation as a loyal Trump ally despite ongoing scandals and a messy divorce. Polling shows the two locked in a statistical tie, with nearly four in ten voters undecided. Both men are openly vying for Trump’s support, and insiders say his eventual decision could determine the outcome.
Georgia’s Senate primary is also drawing national attention. Gov. Brian Kemp has thrown his weight behind former University of Tennessee coach Derek Dooley, calling him the party’s strongest general election candidate against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), which has put him at odds with Reps. Mike Collins (R-GA) and Buddy Carter (R-GA). Trump has yet to endorse anyone in the race, but GOP strategists say his backing would instantly reset the contest. For now, the field remains divided, with candidates maneuvering to prove their loyalty to Trump while Kemp tries to assert his influence.
The retirement of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has set off one of the most competitive Republican primaries of the cycle. The field already includes former Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a past Trump endorsee in state politics; Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), a Lexington congressman with establishment credentials; and businessman Nate Morris, who is pitching himself as a political outsider with deep Kentucky roots. All three are working aggressively to secure Trump’s blessing, which could prove decisive in a crowded field.
That urgency boiled over last week when Morris’s campaign briefly posted an online fundraising page claiming he was “Trump-endorsed.” The page was deleted after 23 minutes, but not before it sparked a firestorm. Barr blasted the move as “fake,” while Cameron said he would “never lie about an endorsement.” Trump ally Laura Loomer called Morris’s actions “incredibly deceptive,” underscoring how sensitive and valuable Trump’s backing remains in the race.
And in Louisiana, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) faces a treacherous path to renomination. Cassidy’s impeachment vote against Trump continues to dog him, and conservative challengers such as state Sen. Blake Miguez and former Rep. John Fleming have seized on that vulnerability. Despite his strong fundraising, boasting over $9 million in the bank, Cassidy is navigating a new closed-primary system that no longer allows independents to boost his totals. With polls showing him vulnerable, Trump’s decision to withhold support could determine whether Cassidy can survive a challenge from the right.
South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary has become a crowded affair, featuring Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Attorney General Alan Wilson, and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell. Trump’s silence has kept the field unsettled, with each candidate angling to prove themselves as the one closest to him.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), a staunch Trump ally, has thrown her hat in the ring for governor, setting up a primary showdown with Rep. John Rose (R-TN), himself a Trump backer. Polling gives Blackburn a commanding lead, 68% to Rose’s 14% according to the Beacon Center. Rose, however, has already injected $5 million of his own money into the campaign, signaling that a competitive race could still develop. Trump has not weighed in yet, keeping both candidates under pressure.
Notably, Trump has not endorsed Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who voted to impeach him in 2021 and opposed his “Big, Beautiful Bill.” She also faces no serious GOP primary challengers, leaving her in a rare position: a centrist Republican navigating 2026 largely independently in a cycle otherwise defined by Trump-aligned loyalty.
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“Polling is going to be the accelerant in these races,” said a GOP insider familiar with the endorsement process inside the White House. “Strong fundraising matters too. But Trump is also watching who can generate excitement, who’s going on Fox News, who’s showing up at grassroots events, who’s creating buzz. That exposure is key.”
The same insider stressed that loyalty remains a key metric in Trump’s decision-making, even if it isn’t always decisive.
“Loyalty is always part of the equation. It may not always be the deciding factor, but people close to him will make sure he hears about perceived disloyalty, that can affect when and how he engages.”
Who’s out: Trump’s threats and fallout
Trump’s influence is measured not only in the candidates he elevates but also in those he sidelines. In North Carolina, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced his retirement from a battleground seat Democrats are heavily targeting in 2026.
His decision came just a day after he was one of only two Republicans to vote against advancing Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act over its Medicaid reforms. The move drew immediate backlash, with Trump vowing to meet with possible primary challengers, a sequence of events underscoring the risks of defying him.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has also found himself in Trump’s crosshairs. A libertarian-leaning conservative known for bucking party leadership, Massie has repeatedly clashed with Trump on issues from COVID relief to foreign policy to the same “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Trump has branded him a “pathetic loser,” signaled support for a primary challenger, and commissioned polling showing Massie’s vulnerability. While Massie remains defiant, the episode highlights how Trump’s threats alone can destabilize even entrenched incumbents.