Scoop: Tim Scott's no-bailouts warning for red-state Republicans
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Senator Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina. Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) issued a stark warning to GOP incumbents on Tuesday: Pull your own weight in next year's midterm elections.
Why it matters: Scott, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, doesn't want to waste money dragging Republicans across the line in red states.
- The strategy is to put away safe Republican seats "early" and then focus on expanding the GOP's majority from 53 seats to 55, Scott said in a closed-door GOP lunch on Tuesday.
- Scott made it clear that he plans to rely on the entire conference to help raise money.
- The remarks give an early indication of how Scott plans to run the GOP campaign arm and how he'll allocate resources.
What they are saying: "Incumbents need to do everything in their power to control their own destiny," Scott told Republican senators, according to a person with direct knowledge of his remarks.
- "Put all the races away early that we can. We do not need to spend time and money in places where races should not be competitive," he said.
- Scott also urged senators not up for election next year to help the party raise money. "I'm asking you, whatever you thought you could do, increase it.
- "Whatever you thought you could give, give more. Whoever you thought you could ask, ask them twice. And just remember 'no' is simply a request for more information."
Flashback: In the 2024 election, Republicans were privately fuming that they needed to spend resources on Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) instead of pouring more money into swing states.
Zoom out: Republicans are looking to defend their newly-won Senate majority in 2026. And while midterms elections are often brutal for the party in power, Republicans feel good about their three-seat majority.
- They will have to defend Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the only GOP senator up in a state that Vice President Harris won. But she's a proven survivor.
- Democrats also sense an opportunity in North Carolina, especially if former Gov. Roy Cooper runs.
Zoom in: Republicans are targeting Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and the seat left open by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) in two states that Trump won in 2024.
- They are also eyeing the seat held by Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.).
What we're hearing: Tillis also spoke up in the meeting and urged his colleagues to also help out on social media.
- Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, whose home state colleague Bill Hagerty is up for election, echoed Scott's comments.
The bottom line: Incumbents are on notice that they shouldn't rely on the national party to bail them out financially.
