A Bad Night for the GOP

What’s happening: Tuesday proved to be yet another disappointing night for Republicans, as the Grand Old Party came up short in key races across the country.

• In Kentucky, Democrat incumbent governor Andy Beshear won reelection, beating Trump-endorsed challenger Daniel Cameron by a comfortable five percentage points.

• In Pennsylvania, Democrats won a state supreme court race, giving them a 5-2 majority on a court that could rule on crucial election law cases in 2024.

• In Ohio, voters approved a constitutional amendment effectively legalizing abortion up to the moment of birth, as well as removing parental consent requirements for minors who undergo gender transition surgeries.

• In Virginia, Democrats retained control of the state senate and flipped the House of Delegates, giving them complete control of the legislature. This didn’t help incumbent Republican governor Glenn Youngkin, who wasn’t on the ballot, but some believed could have been a dark horse alternative to Trump in 2024.

Money talks: This marks the second election cycle in a row where Democrats heavily outspent Republicans, and GOP candidates suffered the consequences.

• Silver lining: While Virginia Republicans had a disappointing night overall, they reportedly managed to carry every seat that had gone for Biden +9 or less. It’s one hopeful sign that Virginia Republicans can be competitive in races going forward.

The buzz: Some say the GOP’s dismal showing is due to the unpopularity of abortion bans, the influence of Trump, turnout problems, or some combination of all of the above.