Republican staffers are abandoning the GOP to work for Democratic candidates in two Senate races Democrats hope to flip in the 2026 midterms. Democrats are hoping to expand the Senate battleground into more conservative states that backed President Donald Trump by double digits in the 2024 election, as his approval rating has fallen nationwide amid economic concerns and the unpopular war in Iran. The Democrats have little choice but to target these more difficult states, as the path to a Senate majority requires them to win traditionally Republican places like Texas.
In Kansas, Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton has hired Austin Gilpin, who has previously worked for Republicans in the Sunflower State. In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has announced that his campaign hired Jacob Smith, who worked for Republican Senator John Cornyn. The incumbent senator lost to conservative Attorney General Ken Paxton in the primary this year.
Both are races Democrats hope to make competitive. In Texas, the race between Talarico and Paxton has become a toss-up despite the state backing Trump by 14 points in 2024. Republican Senator Roger Marshall is viewed as the favorite to win reelection in Kansas, but Democrats are hopeful about making the race competitive after fielding Hamilton, a pastor viewed as a viable candidate in the state that voted for Trump by 16 points in 2024.
Hamilton hired Gilpin back in June, the campaign confirmed to Newsweek on Friday. The race is classified as Likely Republican by the Cook Political Report, as the state has historically leaned toward Republicans, though margins have narrowed in recent election cycles. Gilpin previously worked for the Kansas Republican Party, GOP Representative Ron Estes, and America Rising, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He also worked on former GOP Governor Sam Brownback’s 2014 campaign, his LinkedIn shows. In a statement provided to Newsweek, Gilpin said Marshall “chose his party and his president over Kansas, and over decency.” “I didn't leave my values behind when I joined Adam's campaign. Republicans always have a seat at his table, and he is earning their support the same way he earned mine,” he said.
We need leaders who are willing to find common ground, push back on the extremes, and get serious about solving real problems. Kansans of every party can trust Adam to fight for them.” Meanwhile, Smith is serving as Talarico’s deputy policy director after spending five years working for Cornyn as a deputy legislative director and policy adviser. Smith previously told Newsweek after his hiring was announced that Talarico “speaks to the needs of everyday people who day in and day out work too hard for too little.” “Ken Paxton is the most corrupt, self-dealing politician in Texas who would sell their futures to the highest contributor just to hold onto power.
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