# Extremists Run for November Elections > Trump-backed extremists dominate US midterm races with racist and antisemitic ties. - Title: Extremists Run for November Elections · WIRED | Shortify - Summary: Trump-backed extremists dominate US midterm races with racist and antisemitic ties. Over 500 Texas state legislators and candidates share extremist… - Keywords: midterm elections, republican, white supremacy, antisemitism, trump, extremists, state legislators, texas, arizona, congressional race, georgia, Run - Source: WIRED — https://wired.com/story/these-extremists-are-running-for-election-in-november - Author: David Gilbert - Published: 2026-09-28T14:41:08.137+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: us, midterm elections, republican, white supremacy, antisemitism, trump, extremists, state legislators, texas, arizona, congressional race, georgia ## Extremists on Ballot Five weeks until US midterms with hundreds of Republican candidates openly expressing virulent hatred, sharing racist content online, and having ties to white supremacists. > President Donald Trump and his administration have openly embraced, endorsed and defended many of these candidates. ## Texas State Legislator Race Over 500 Texas state legislators are members of far-right Facebook groups promoting militias, gun rights, and Christian nationalism. > According to data collected by the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights and shared with WIRED. ## Texas Railroad Commissioner Bo French, GOP candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner, posted racist comments about South Asian students celebrating at a University of Texas football game. > Like bodycam footage exposed criminals, social media is exposing how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners. ## Arizona Congressional Race Mark Lamb, GOP nominee for Arizona’s 5th district, has ties to paramilitary groups, anti-immigration organizations, and far-right constitutional sheriffs. > He has protested Covid lockdowns and vaccine mandates, expressed support for the 'stop the steal' movement, and sympathized with Capitol rioters. ## Texas Congressional Race Brandon Herrera, GOP candidate for Texas Uvalde district, has shared sexist, racist, and antisemitic opinions, comparing feminists to whales and nuclear bombs. > The fact that you kept your cum trophy doesn’t make you any less wrong about the dumb shit that you say. ## Georgia Senate Race Mike Collins, Trump-backed GOP candidate in Georgia, has ties to white supremacists and antisemitic figures through staff and associates. > Former Collins staffer William Paul hurled antisemitic insults at representative Mike Lawler from New York. ## Florida State House Race Marshall Rawson, Florida GOP activist, marched at Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and posted racist remarks online. > He has suggested that gay people should be criminally charged and possibly executed. ## Extremist Rhetoric Impact Terrorism and targeted violence incidents rose 19 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, with a 58 percent increase in threat assessments against Congress members. > The US Capitol Police reported an increase in 'threat assessment cases' against members of Congress for the third year in a row. ## Trump's Influence Luke Baumgartner, former research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, says candidates are taking a page from Trump’s playbook. > In essence, the executive branch has handed them a permission slip to say and do what would have been unthinkable during the George W. Bush, McCain, or [Mitt] Romney eras of the GOP. ## Election Outcomes Polling shows Mike Collins is trailing Jon Ossoff in Georgia, while Bo French is a slim favorite in Texas Railroad Commissioner race. > New polling this week suggests French, who has not been publicly endorsed by Trump, is a slim favorite to win the seat. ## What Happens Next Extremist candidates could influence November elections with Trump’s support, raising concerns about rising extremism and violence. ## Key takeaway Over 500 Texas state legislators and candidates share extremist ideologies, with Trump endorsing figures linked to white supremacy and antisemitism.