DeSantis Calls Texas GOP Loss Extinction-Level

Four seats on the Texas Supreme Court changed hands in Tuesday's elections, a loss that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described as an extinction-level event for the national Republican Party.

During a press conference Wednesday morning, DeSantis stated that the party lost every statewide race in the Texas general election. The defeats included contests for governor, attorney general, lieutenant governor, railroad commissioner, and agriculture commissioner. Democrats also seized control of the Texas House.

The governor noted that Texas has served as the crown jewel of Republican politics for his entire lifetime. He argued that no other state holds the same weight for the GOP as the Lone Star State. DeSantis pointed out that the party lost a highly publicized U.S. Senate race in the state.

"No one holds a candle on the Republican side to the Lone Star State," DeSantis said. "And yet, not only did they lose a very highly publicized U.S. Senate race, they lost everything."

DeSantis, who did not seek re-election, positioned Florida as the only remaining large state under Republican control. In Florida, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly by fewer than two percentage points to become the next governor. Republican Ashley Moody won the U.S. Senate race against Democrat Angie Nixon by approximately three percentage points.

The governor warned that the political fallout in Texas will last far beyond the next two years. He predicted the losses could reverberate for a decade or more. "If the Republican Party doesn't have Texas as an anchor, then we are not going to be viable nationally," he said.