Former House Speaker warns Republicans are missing easy shots at victory in key gubernatorial races by failing to hammer Democrats on their ‘tax and spend’ records.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich delivered a sharp critique of his own party on Fox Business Monday, accusing Republicans of fumbling crucial opportunities in this year’s gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey.
According to Gingrich, the GOP is letting Democratic candidates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill off the hook by not relentlessly attacking their past support for tax and spending measures that are widely unpopular with voters.
In a candid appearance on Fox News’ “Kudlow,” Gingrich argued that both Spanberger and Sherrill, who previously served in Congress, voted for a bill that would have amounted to a massive tax increase—a move, he says, is overwhelmingly opposed by voters in their respective states.
“Every Democrat who voted no was functionally voting for the largest tax increase in American history,” Gingrich said. “But Republicans have to learn how to drive that message.”
Gingrich expressed frustration that despite having two prominent Democrats running for governor, the GOP has not produced a single effective ad highlighting their voting records on the issue. He noted that polling from his own project, America’s New Majority, shows that voters strongly oppose such tax hikes.
He also pointed to other provisions in the bill that he believes are political gold for Republicans, including reforms to Medicaid that would stop illegal immigrants from receiving funds and require able-bodied adults to work. “All three of those are 75 or 80% issues, as we’ve discovered,” he said, emphasizing that Republicans simply need to “learn the information and how to use it over and over and over again.”
Gingrich’s comments echo a similar sentiment from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which released a memo in August urging GOP lawmakers to highlight the tax relief provisions and cost-cutting efforts in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and attack Democrats for opposing it. The memo framed the law as a key advantage for the 2026 fight to maintain control of the House.
While Republicans seem to have a clear message to use against their opponents, Gingrich’s warning suggests that the execution may be falling short in some of the year’s most high-profile races.
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