The GOP's Biggest Opponent In 2026 -- Itself

GOP logo over a black background.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Author: Dan Sally
Published: 13 May, 2025
Updated: 18 Jun, 2025
1 min read

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has announced he won’t run for Senate in 2026 - a surprising move given his strong statewide appeal and proven ability to win over independents.

Kemp, one of the few Republicans with crossover credibility, would have been the GOP’s best shot at unseating Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. But his history of defying Donald Trump and refusing to indulge election denialism would have guaranteed a bruising primary against the party’s MAGA wing.

In this episode, we unpack how Kemp’s decision reflects a deeper problem: the GOP’s biggest opponent in 2026 might not be the Democrats, but a primary system that seems to favor an increasingly extreme breed of Republican.

NOTE: After the time of recording this episode, Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she would not be entering the race, either. While this changes the immediate primary landscape, the broader questions we raise about candidate quality, primary dynamics, and the GOP’s structural challenges in 2026 remain just as relevant.

Related articles

Military uniform with an American flag over it.
Can The Military Remain Apolitical?
Last week, Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the objections of state leaders, delivered a highly partisan speech to uniformed troops at Fort Bragg, and held a military parade in Washington, D.C. on his birthday....
16 Jun, 2025
-
1 min read
A donkey reading a book titled How to Talk to Men.
The Politics of Pandering: From Blockades to Bro-Outreach
Last week, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, who led a one-man blockade preventing military promotions under the Biden Administration, announced he would not be seeking reelection. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats launched a $20 million campaign to learn how to talk to men....
02 Jun, 2025
-
1 min read
Presidential podium set up in White House.
Presidential Health: Who Determines When a President Is Unfit to Serve?
In this episode, Dan and Shawn examine how the system let this happen, how similar failures have played out in American history, and what it says about a two-party structure that forces voters to choose between different flavors of dysfunction, rather than ensuring effective governance....
20 May, 2025
-
1 min read

Latest articles

President Donald Trump at CPAC.
Promises Unkept? New Poll Shows Independent Voters Turning On Trump
President Donald Trump won another term in the Oval Office thanks to the support of independent voters. However, a new poll commissioned by The Independent Center shows independents aren’t happy with Trump's failure deliver on the economic and political promises that led them to swing in his favor in November. ...
24 Jun, 2025
-
3 min read
Time Square at night.
Why Do New York City Elections Look Like Such a Mess?
For the third time in history, New York City voters used ranked choice voting (RCV) to determine their party nominees in Tuesday’s citywide primary elections. First implemented in 2021, the system was used in that year’s highly competitive Democratic primary, where Eric Adams ultimately secured the nomination and went on to become mayor. It was used again in 2023 without incident....
24 Jun, 2025
-
10 min read
Person walking across the street in front of the Texas Capitol Building.
TX Gov. Vetoes Hemp Bill - No Criminalization for Synthetic THC
<p>On June 23, 2025, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott shocked lawmakers and lobbyists alike by vetoing Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), a measure that would have banned hemp-derived THC products across the state.  He also called for a special session to bring lawmakers back to Austin on July 21 to craft regulations that restrict, but do not outright ban, intoxicating hemp products.</p> ...
23 Jun, 2025
-
5 min read