Many Republicans privately hoped that GOP Rep. Cory Mills would be defeated in his Florida primary, fearing that his scandals could convert a secure district into a contentious one.
Instead of removing him from the race, they allowed voters to decide his outcome. With Mills struggling in fundraising and polling due to allegations of sexual misconduct and domestic violence, party leaders anticipated his loss, sparing them from intervening.
“There wasn’t much of a push to yank him out,” commented a national Republican operative involved in House races, speaking anonymously.
On Tuesday, Florida voters denied Mills another term, averting a potential issue. This election cycle, both parties have been challenged by candidates entangled in controversies ranging from ethical issues to sexual misconduct, affecting key races that could determine congressional control. Neither party has a clear strategy for when to intervene or what should be considered disqualifying, interpreting these matters differently.
Top Republicans are discreetly supporting Ohio Rep. Max Miller, who faces domestic abuse allegations involving his ex-wife and child, despite calls for his withdrawal. They refrained from expelling then-Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), whose staffer committed suicide following an affair with him. Faced with an expulsion vote, he resigned shortly after Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), balancing the margins. GOP leadership eventually backed scandal-tainted Ken Paxton after President Donald Trump and Texas voters supported him in the Senate primary.
Democrats also struggled with how to handle Graham Platner amid escalating scandals until a POLITICO report on a sexual assault allegation led to his exit from the Maine Senate race. Some fear their prolonged indecision will haunt them in the midterms.
“We don’t trust our instincts anymore,” admitted a longtime Democratic strategist.
“The laws of political gravity have just been so upended” since Trump’s 2016 win amid scandals, the strategist noted, adding: “We’re reluctant to apply the old rules because … are we handicapping ourselves or potentially punishing ourselves by adhering to the old standards that haven’t been serving us, or certainly didn’t stop the other side from winning the presidency twice?”
For Mills, his loss provided Republicans with quiet relief, even though a Trump-endorsed incumbent was defeated. He is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and is subject to a restraining order after a former girlfriend accused him of threatening to release explicit videos. Mills denies any wrongdoing.
Following the primary, Trump stated on social media that he had urged Mills to withdraw, but Mills refused, and Trump promptly endorsed the winner, Ryan Elijah.
Voters are increasingly willing to overlook controversies, particularly when political power is at stake. A recent POLITICO Poll indicates that voters are open to supporting candidates with DUI convictions, allegations of tax evasion, or exaggerations of military service, although Democrats are less forgiving than Republicans regarding sexual assault and domestic violence allegations.
“[When] the gavel is on the line, people in both political parties have the … highest tolerance for political weakness of their party,” observed an Ohio-based GOP operative. “This is the year like no other where voters and political leaders and political parties are willing to look past blemishes and weaknesses of their own candidate.”
The GOP and Democratic Party handle serious allegations differently. Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, often prefer processes to unfold and voters to decide. Even when White House officials or Trump himself urged scandal-ridden Republicans like Mills or Miller to step down, they seldom withdrew their support.
Democrats, conversely, have been more inclined to set boundaries, especially regarding sexual assault allegations. However, their handling of Platner was complex: many tolerated months of controversy before eventually pressing him to suspend his campaign.
“They either didn’t care about the scandal, were willing to turn a blind eye to it,” a second Democratic operative focused on Senate races explained. Democrats were determined to defeat Susan Collins, accepting multiple scandals, but “I am glad to see that credible allegations of a sexual assault were actually a red line for people.”
Democrats swiftly distanced themselves from Swalwell, who suspended his California governor bid days after sexual assault and misconduct allegations derailed his campaign. Still, Democratic leaders have yet to demand the resignation of Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) amid sexual misconduct allegations, instead calling for a “thorough and swift” Ethics Committee investigation.
Gomez has acknowledged extramarital affairs but claimed they were consensual, a statement disputed by the woman’s lawyers interviewed by the ethics panel.
On the Republican side, Johnson and House leaders took weeks to withdraw support for Gonzales. It was only a day after POLITICO reported that independent investigators found a “substantial reason to believe” Gonzales violated House Rules by having sex with his subordinate that they abandoned him.
Nevertheless, the GOP allowed Arizona voters to decide, where Trump-backed Mark Lamb, the former Pinal County sheriff, won his congressional primary despite misconduct and abuse of power allegations.
Republicans have quietly accepted Miller in Ohio. Once the Trump administration realized Miller would not abandon his reelection bid, they requested Ohio Republicans avoid a public pressure campaign to prevent a difficult situation where they would defend a candidate they initially opposed.
Democrats argue this illustrates their greater willingness to define boundaries compared to Republicans.
“Graham Platner is not a candidate, and Max Miller is. That should tell you everything you need to know about the differences between the two parties,” stated Democratic ad maker Ian Russell.
“There are complicated situations that have definitely not been handled in retrospect by both parties as well as they could have been, but there is nothing the same in how Democratic leadership has responded to issues in our ranks versus our Republican leadership has responded to issues in their ranks,” Russell commented.
However, the decision-making regarding scandals, according to a second national GOP strategist and a senior House staffer, often boils down to Congress’ slim margins.
“It’s about numbers,” they expressed. “It’s not about the gravity of a scandal.”
Chris Marquette and Riley Rogerson contributed to this report.
