A Republican group affiliated with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is spending millions of dollars behind a strategy to turn out Donald Trump voters for the 2026 midterms given the president will not be on the ballot, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The Congressional Leadership Fund is conducting polling and running advertising in an effort to reach what they call "prosperity voters" — people who value work and success, the super PAC President Chris Winkelman told the Journal.
"It's a pivotal moment," Winkelman said. "I think we have a chance now to convert these voters and turn this into a party that performs well in midterms. Once we've done that, this is a real force multiplier for our party for years to come."
Republicans are widely expected to hold the Senate. However, at issue for Republicans will be holding the majority in the House in 2026. Losing the House would all but thwart Trump's agenda for the final two years of his presidency in addition to handing Democrats the power to investigate and possibly impeach him again, according to the report.
Republicans are going to need Trump voters to deliver the House. And though turnout among low- and mid-propensity Republican voters increased from 7% in 2018 to 24% in 19 swing House districts in 2022, it is a far cry from the 59% who turned out in 2024 to elect Trump, according to the report.
The American Action Network, which Winkelman also leads, has spent more than $11 million to "identify, target, and motivate" the less-engaged Republican voter ahead of the midterms, an effort called the "Durable Majority Project," the Journal reported.
"We're talking about a coalition of people who aren't just motivated by Trump … and that's exactly what we have: an opportunity to deliver for these folks," Winkelman told the Journal.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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