With five weeks remaining until the midterm elections, extremism is a significant presence on ballots throughout the United States. A WIRED analysis of candidates seeking statewide and federal offices reveals hundreds of Republican contenders who openly promote virulent ideologies, share racist content, maintain close associations with white supremacist and antisemitic figures, or belong to far-right online communities. President Donald Trump and his administration have actively embraced, endorsed, and defended many of these individuals.
Data obtained by the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights and shared with WIRED indicates that more than 500 candidates vying for state legislature seats in November are members of far-right Facebook groups that advocate for militias, gun rights, and Christian nationalism. Although prominent extremists such as groyper James Fishback and antisemitic influencer Dan Bilzarian were defeated in GOP primaries, numerous other candidates with similar views have advanced to the general election and are projected to win.
Luke Baumgartner, a former research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, told WIRED that these candidates are modeling their behavior after the Trump administration. He argued that the executive branch has effectively granted permission for rhetoric and actions that would have been considered unthinkable during the eras of George W. Bush, John McCain, or Mitt Romney within the GOP.
This surge in extremist political language correlates with a rise in real-world threats. Researchers at the University of Maryland reported a 19 percent increase in terrorism and targeted violence incidents in 2025 compared to 2024. Additionally, the US Capitol Police noted a 58 percent increase in threat assessment cases against members of Congress from the previous year, marking the third consecutive annual rise. The US Marshals Service also documented threats against nearly 400 judges, representing approximately a 5 percent increase.
Among the high-profile races under scrutiny is the Texas Railroad Commissioner contest. The Republican nominee, Bo French, is regarded as so extreme that former Republican strategist Karl Rove stated he would prefer to vote for a Democrat rather than support what he described as a bigot.
Karl Rove preferring a Democrat over his own nominee? That’s a stark indicator of how far the party has drifted from its traditional base.
This level of normalization within the GOP is genuinely alarming. The shift from fringe to mainstream feels faster than I anticipated.