Michael Steele claims GOP planning to control state election offices for 2026

MSNBC host and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele tempered his reaction to Democratic Party victories on Tuesday night, warning that Republicans have a “Plan B” that could undermine those gains.

Steele claimed Republicans are preparing to influence the 2026 midterm elections to maintain political control, despite Democratic victories on Tuesday. 

“And the Plan B is the state election offices that they now control and setting up those operations going into ’26 to make sure –  not just that you have ballot watchers and poll watchers – but they have their fingers in some degree on the system,” Steele said during MSNBC’s Election Night coverage on Tuesday.

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Democratic candidates secured victories in several blue states across the country Tuesday night. Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger won Virginia’s governor’s race, while Mikie Sherrill captured the New Jersey governorship.

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won his election for mayor of New York City on Tuesday night. 

Steele told the MSNBC panel it’s worth asking why Republican voters appear unconcerned about Democratic victories, suggesting it reinforces the idea they have a backup plan. 

“Here’s the side of the Republican Party, of this Republican Party, you cannot lose sight of. The reason they don’t care, or it seems like they don’t care, is because they got a Plan B.”

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“You can’t lose sight of that side of this equation, of how they get the ultimate control, and of course all the other things that lead and feed into those various narratives,” he added.

Other media commentators have accused Republicans and former President Donald Trump of plotting to influence the 2026 midterm elections.

Former CNN commentator Angela Rye said on a podcast in July, “Even if [the midterms] are going to happen, are they going to cheat like they did? I still feel like they did, in the 2024 election? I don’t have data. I got a gut feeling, but I’m going to tell you about the Black woman and the Holy Ghost. We be spot on.”

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That same month, Democratic strategist James Carville said, “In the short word, yes,” when former CNN host Jim Acosta asked if he believes Trump will tamper with midterm votes.

“In the longer words, very,” Carville added. 

Despite pushing the conspiracy theory that the GOP will rig the midterms next year, Steele condemned Republican lawmakers who alleged that the Democratic Party rigged the 2020 presidential election. 

In 2021, after Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said he stood by his vote challenging the 2020 election certification, Steele responded that it proved Republicans are “stupid.”

“We’re streaming headlong into that truth about who Republicans are and how they see themselves right now,” Steele told MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace at the time. “It’s just another, you know, degree of stupid that we’re asked to buy.”