Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is warning Republicans that Democrats are increasingly adopting President Donald Trump–style messaging as a strategy to win elections in traditionally conservative areas.
During an appearance Monday on NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich Tonight, McCarthy discussed a recent Texas special election in which a Democrat flipped a state Senate seat by campaigning in a way more commonly associated with Republicans.
“This was a special election, and Democrats often perform well in those,” McCarthy said. “But they did something especially smart here — they recruited a candidate who looked and sounded like a Republican.”
McCarthy noted that the Democrat focused heavily on issues popular with Trump voters, even though Trump would still carry the district by a significant margin.
“He ran on Trump-related issues,” McCarthy explained, adding that Trump would still win the seat by approximately 17 points.
The Democrat who won the race, Taylor Rehmet, emphasized public schools, housing affordability, and what his campaign described as “real results for everyday people.” He also highlighted his background as a military veteran, aircraft mechanic, and union leader — credentials often used to appeal to working-class and center-right voters.
When asked whether the Democratic victory could signal trouble for Republicans heading into the midterm elections, McCarthy said the answer was mixed.
“Republicans still have advantages, particularly when it comes to fundraising,” he said. “Democrats are arguably at their weakest point in leadership with Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, and the Republican Party continues to lead Democrats by roughly 10 points in overall favorability.”
However, McCarthy also expressed concern about how Republicans have used their majority in recent years.
“When Democrats shut down the government, Republicans effectively lost two months they should have used to pass widely popular legislation,” he said. “Those were opportunities to force Democrats into difficult votes.”
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, both parties are spending heavily. The Republican National Committee currently holds nearly a $100 million cash advantage over Democrats, according to recent filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Despite that financial gap, Democrats have secured notable wins in recent off-year elections, including gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as the New York City mayoral race. Those results have raised concerns among some Republican lawmakers.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has cautioned against reading too much into those outcomes.
“History shows that off-year elections are not a reliable indicator of what will happen next,” Johnson said at the time. “They are not a reflection on Republicans as a whole.”
With control of Congress at stake, McCarthy’s warning underscores a growing concern within the GOP: Democrats may be attempting to win competitive races by borrowing conservative messaging — even in districts that still strongly support President Trump.