Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley told Newsmax on Thursday that voter turnout will be the deciding factor in whether Republicans can hold power in the midterm elections, arguing President Donald Trump can defy historical trends if GOP voters show up in force.
"It's all turnout," Whatley told "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" when asked about recent Democrat wins in lower-level races, including a Florida legislative seat in a district that includes Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
Whatley, the Republican candidate in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race in November, pointed to Trump's 2024 victory as evidence that mobilizing voters, not just persuading them, is key to winning elections.
"When you think about what we did in order to win President Trump's election in 2024, it was making sure that we were pulling everybody out," he said. "We don't need people just to support President Trump. We need people to vote for him."
He warned that Democrats maintain an advantage in consistent turnout, describing them as having "a professional voter class" that reliably participates in every election cycle.
"They're always going to be out there every single time," Whatley said. "We need to make sure that the Republicans understand the magnitude of this election cycle and that they're going to be there and they're going to turn out the vote."
Midterm elections have historically favored the party out of power, with the president's party often losing control of the House. But Whatley said Trump can break that pattern by focusing on issues voters prioritized in 2024.
"I think he absolutely can," Whatley said. "The American people made it very clear in the 2024 election cycle they want our economy to be rebuilt and work for every family. They want to have a strong border, and they want to keep our kids and our community safe. They want to have a strong military and America to be respected again around the world."
He framed the upcoming midterms as a clear choice between competing visions.
"This is a choice election," Whatley said. "It's a fundamentally important election cycle where we're going to decide, are we going to go into the future with this America First agenda, or are we going to go back to where we were under Joe Biden?"
Whatley also emphasized that all forms of voting are critical, as long as Republicans participate.
"It's great if people vote by mail. It's great if people vote in person early, it's great if they vote on Election Day," he said. "The key is they've got to vote. We need to get every Republican, every conservative out there."
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