2 publishers · first seen Tue, 27 Oct 2026 21:10 UTC · updated Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:00 UTC
Republicans are concerned that Libertarian candidates could influence the outcome of several key U.S. Senate elections, potentially affecting control of the chamber. This concern is particularly pronounced in Texas, Ohio, Kansas, and Iowa, where close races could be swayed by a few percentage points. Unhappiness with President Donald Trump, an unpopular war with Iran, and his expansion of executive power are cited as reasons why some conservatives might vote for third-party candidates. In Ohio, former Libertarian Party national chairman Bill Redpath is running against Republican Sen. Jon Husted and Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown. In Kansas, Libertarian David Graham is in a tight race against Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton. In Texas, Libertarian Ted Brown is running against Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic nominee James Talarico.
In Texas, Brown received 2.3% of the vote in 2024, but the race is tighter this year. Brown's campaign has a budget of about $30,000, compared to the combined $390 million spent by Talarico, Paxton, and aligned groups.
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