Republicans should focus on candidate quality and strengthening their platform after midterm losses, according to Associate Professor of Politics Adam Carrington. 

At press time, Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives with a narrow majority. They failed to capture the Senate, following predictions of success in the days before the election. In Michigan, Democrats gained complete control of the legislature for the first time in four decades.

“While we should be ever vigilant against any attempts to suppress rightful voters or of fraud, I think pinning the performances in the last election on those for either Democrats or Republicans would keep them from honest self-assessment,” Carrington said. 

The midterm elections were unfavorable for Republicans, he added. 

“The midterms went poorly for the GOP on both levels,” Carrington said, “Nationally, this is especially true of the Senate, where Democrats might gain a seat when the map was pretty favorable.” 

Associate Professor of Politics John Grant said ballot harvesting is wreaking havoc on campaigns and elections. 

“We have balloting that goes on for months in some places and counting which goes on for many days or even weeks,” Grant said. “If we’re going to be serious and have credible elections, we have to follow the Constitution where there is an Election Day.” 

Carrington said midterms should be limited to one day of voting. 

“I don’t think there is any Constitutional problem with counting votes for days or weeks after the election, so long as the election is certified in time for those elected to assume office when their term begins,” Carrington said. “While not unconstitutional, taking that long to count is quite damaging to our electoral process.” 

Co-president of College Democrats and junior Avery Noel said he viewed the midterm elections as an acceptance of the Democratic platform and a rejection of the Republican agenda. 

“We learned this election that reproductive rights are a kitchen table issue, one that will drive voting patterns going forward and one that strongly favors the pro-choice Democratic Party,” Noel said. 

President of College Republicans and junior Dan Harmon said Republican failures reflect on candidate quality and the loss of certain voting groups, rather than the Republican agenda. 

“We have a lot of seats that we should have won,” Harmon said. “In the past three elections, we have lost ground with suburban voters, who used to be a reliable demographic.” 

Carrington said he attributes Republican losses in Michigan to the “weakness of the GOP.” 

“I think Whitmer was primed to lose,” Carrington said. “She did not govern well during COVID. She had very few accomplishments legislatively.” 

According to Carrington, states should reform their voting laws to resemble Florida’s, which Carrington called “the gold standard.” 

Carrington and Grant agreed Republicans should revisit their messaging and strategies heading into 2024. 

Grant said he favors Trump’s focus on law and order, immigration restrictions, and non-interventionist foreign policy. Republicans would do better on a national level if they focused on these issues rather than social ones, Grant said. 

“I don’t think at the national level the Republicans can win fighting the so-called ‘culture wars,’” Grant said. “At the local and state level, you can address these issues on the basis of popularity. The president, or a national campaign, can’t do much on these social issues.”