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:

* = 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.

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 (Lake later rescinded her endorsement.)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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.