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bannon_midterms.png

Molly Butler / Media Matters

Most midterm candidates who appeared on Steve Bannon’s shows lost their races

Bannon lost big time

Written by Justin Horowitz

Published 11/21/22 10:25 AM EST

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The majority of 2022 midterm general election candidates that appeared on insurrection coup plotter Steve Bannon’s podcasts lost their respective races. 

A Media Matters analysis of guest appearances on Bannon’s War Room and War Room: Battleground shows from January 1 to November 8 found:

  • Thirty-four of the 59 candidates Bannon hosted lost their election. That is 58% of candidates.
  • Bannon hosted 48 general election candidates who were non-incumbents. Thirty-three of them lost. That is a losing percentage of 69% for non-incumbents. 
  • One race is going to a runoff.
  • Three races have not yet been called.

The review included general election candidates at a statewide and national level.

Bannon has been instrumental in promoting election denial, QAnon, and far-right midterm candidates while simultaneously working to undermine American democracy at the local and national levels. Americans overwhelmingly denied Bannon’s pool of crank candidates that were dangerous to our nation’s future. 

The table below outlines candidates who appeared on Bannon’s shows in 2022 and their election results:

Candidate

Race

Win/Lose

Tudor Dixon

Michigan governor 

Lose

Rayla Campbell

Massachusetts secretary of state

Lose

Joe Kent

WA-03

Lose

John Gibbs

MI-03

Lose

Andy Biggs*

AZ-05

Win

Abraham Hamadeh

AZ attorney general

Not called

Jim Marchant

Nevada secretary of state

Lose

Eli Crane

AZ-02

Win

Peter Hernandez

CA-18

Lose

Jim Bognet

PA-08

Lose

Sue Kiley

NJ-06

Lose

Blake Masters

Arizona senate

Lose

Mark Finchem

Arizona secretary of state

Lose

Sandy Smith

NC-01

Lose

Jim Banks*

IN-03

Win

Jim Jordan*

OH-04

Win

Audrey Trujillo

New Mexico secretary of state

Lose

Doug Mastriano

Pennsylvania governor 

Lose

Irene Armendariz-Jackson

TX-16

Lose

Julianna Murray

Delaware attorney general

Lose

Gordana Schifanelli

Maryland lieutenant governor

Lose

Cara Castronuova

New York state assembly 

Lose

Kristina Karamo

Michigan secretary of state

Lose

Elise Sefanik*

NY-21

Win

Anna Paulina Luna

FL-13

Win

J.R. Majewski

OH-09

Lose

Ryan Zinke

MT-01

Win

Ken Paxton*

TX AG

Win

Marjorie Taylor Greene*

GA-14

Win

Gerald Malloy

Vermont senate

Lose

Sarah Palin

AK-01

Not called

Joe Pinion

New York senate

Lose

Kelly Cooper

AZ-04

Lose

Luis Pozzolo

AZ-07

Lose

Liz Joy

NY-20

Lose

Cory Mills

FL-07

Win

Heidi Ganahl

Colorado governor 

Lose

Karoline Leavitt

NH-01

Lose

Kelly Tskibaka

Alaska governor 

Runoff

Kari Lake

Arizona governor 

Lose

Harriet Hageman

Wyoming At Large

Win

Brandon Williams

NY-22

Win

Don Bolduc

New Hampshire senate

Lose

Kris Kobach

Kansas attorney general 

Win

Claudia Tenney*

NY-24

Win

J.D. Vance

Ohio senate

Win

Matt DePerno

Michigan attorney general

Lose

Adam Laxalt

Nevada senate

Lose

Diego Morales

Indiana attorney general

Win

Hung Cao

VA-10

Lose

Joe Severino

IL-10

Lose

Mayra Flores*

TX-34

Lose

Kevin Kiley

CA-3

Not called

Bo Hines

NC-13

Lose

Katie Britt

Alabama senate

Win

Matt Gaetz*

FL-01

Win

Kristi Noem*

South Dakota governor 

Win

Andy Ogles

TN-05

Win

Lauren Boebert*

CO-03

Win

* = incumbent candidate

Bannon promoted some losers more than others, taking special interest in election deniers running in swing states, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. A handful of these Bannon-endorsed candidates were part of the nationwide QAnon-connected coalition of candidates seeking “to take over election process[es] in key states” ahead of the 2024 presidential race. 

Here is a breakdown of select candidates closely tied to Bannon’s War Room who lost their races: 

Kari Lake 

Kari Lake lost her race for governor of Arizona to current Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. 

Lake is an election-denying extremist who had appeared on numerous white nationalist and QAnon-linked media programs, including at least 25 appearances on Bannon’s programs. After winning her primary in August, Lake told Bannon that she “could not have done this without” Bannon’s help.

Video file

Citation From the August 2, 2022, edition of Real America's Voice's War Room: Pandemic   

Before running, Lake was a longtime local TV newscaster. During her run, she was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and had appeared with a Nazi-sympathizing YouTuber, QAnon activists, and once endorsed a far-right, antisemitic streamer running for Oklahoma state Senate. (Lake later rescinded her endorsement.) 

Doug Mastriano

Doug Mastriano unsuccessfully ran for governor of Pennsylvania and lost to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. 

Mastriano is an election denier, QAnon adherent, Christian nationalist, antisemite collaborator, confederate army fan, and a frequent guest on Bannon’s show, with at least 21 appearances in 2022. 

Mark Finchem 

Mark Finchem, who is an election denier and conspiracy theorist, lost his race for Arizona secretary of state. He appeared on Bannon’s programs at least 19 times in 2022. 

Bannon was instrumental in launching Finchem’s campaign and assisted him in spreading lies about election fraud and voting machines. The day before his primary, Bannon championed Finchem to his fullest extent, asking the candidate, “How are we going to get your folks to show up? Where do they go, how do people volunteer, what do they have to do in the next 24 hours?”

In the long run, Bannon’s endorsement wasn’t enough. 

Joe Kent 

Trump-endorsed Joe Kent ran for Congress in WA-03 and lost to auto shop owner and Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez. Kent appeared on Bannon’s programs at least 23 times in 2022. 

During his run, Kent appeared frequently on Alex Jones’ Infowars, attacked the LGBTQ community, collaborated with white nationalists, and expressed sympathy for insurrectionists. 

Since losing his race, Kent is still making appearances on Bannon’s War Room to argue that he could win his race by curing ballots. Curing ballots is “the practice of tracking down ballots that have been challenged by elections officials and ensuring they are counted.” This is unlikely to change the outcome of the election. 

Bannon appears to be all-in on Kent’s curing mission, telling his audience, “Joe Kent is not quitting.”

Video file

Citation From the November 14, 2022, edition of Real America's Voice's War Room

Jim Marchant

Jim Marchant, an election denier and the leader of the QAnon-aligned America First Secretary of State coalition that is seeking office in order to steal the 2024 presidential election for Trump, lost his election for Nevada’s secretary of state. Marchant appeared at least 20 times on Bannon’s show. 

Marchant rarely held back in telling Bannon his extremist plans if he won his election. In early November, Marchant suggested to Bannon that if he and his allies won their positions, Democrats “can’t win” another election.

Video file

Citation From the November 1, 2022, edition of Real America's Voice's War Room: Pandemic

Following the midterms, Marchant begged Bannon’s listeners to volunteer for a hand count set to occur in rural Nye County, Nevada. The effort is linked to conspiracy theories and distrust in voting machines sown by the far-right.

J.R. Majewski 

J.R. Majewski is a QAnon-loving conspiracy theorist and streamer who lost his run for Congress in OH-09. Majewski appeared at least 11 times on Bannon’s shows. 

In May, Majewski proudly told Bannon that he was “the new face of the Republican Party.”

Video file

Citation From the May 10, 2022, edition of Real America's Voice's War Room: Pandemic

While campaigning, it was revealed that Majewski had misrepresented aspects of his military service, including false claims that he was deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11 and that he was punished by military officials for being involved in a “brawl.” Majewski was actually punished for drunk driving on a U.S. air base. 

After the inconsistencies with Majewski’s claims were reported by the Associated Press, Bannon invited the candidate onto his show to claim that his Democratic opponent and the outlet “teamed up and sent out a fake hit piece.” Bannon nodded along.

Video file

Citation From the October 17, 2022, edition of Real America's Voice's War Room

Bannon’s scorecard during this election cycle recalls his relentless promotion of Roy Moore’s campaign during the 2017 special election in Alabama, when Republicans lost in a major upset. But instead of damage being limited to one seat in one state, he supported dozens of losers for a multitude of different offices all across the country.

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In This Article

  • Steve Bannon

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  • Voter Fraud and Suppression

    Voter Suppression
  • QAnon Conspiracy Theory

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  • January 6 Insurrection

    jan 6
  • Real America's Voice

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