Trump Humiliated During His Big Speech With Republican Losses
Democrats extended their winning streak in state-level special elections.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times
While President Donald Trump was yelling at Democrats and berating the Supreme Court at his State of the Union address, members of his Republican party were getting trounced at the polls.
Three Democrats won special elections for state House seats in Maine and Pennsylvania, helping the party keep slim majorities in both legislatures and offering insights into voters’ priorities in two states that will likely prove decisive for congressional control come November.
In Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins is facing a tough re-election campaign that Democrats see as one of their best chances for picking up a Senate seat during the midterms.

A candidate backed by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine lost to a Democrat in Tuesday’s special election.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Collins endorsed Republican Janet Beaudoin in Tuesday’s race, but voters chose Democrat Scott Harriman by more than 6 points, according to the Maine Morning Star.
In Pennsylvania, where several crucial House races will help determine which party keeps control of the lower chamber of Congress, Democrats Ana Tiburcio and Jennifer Mazzocco easily won, Lehigh Valley News reported.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
All three districts at play leaned blue, but Republicans in Maine especially brought in big names hoping for an upset.
Besides Collins, former Gov. Paul LePage, who’s running for Congress, also campaigned for the Republican candidate, while Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin stumped for Harriman earlier this month, The Hill reported.
The wins offered a clear rebuttal of Trump’s insistence during his record-long State of the Union that he has overseen an economic “turnaround for the ages,” and that the affordability crisis was a “dirty, rotten lie” concocted by Democrats.
In both states, affordability, housing, and ICE’s violent enforcement tactics emerged as voters’ top issues, according to the Morning Star and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

During his State of the Union address, President Trump boasted that he had overseen an economic “turnaround for the ages.”
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
During his speech Tuesday, Trump ranted about “illegal aliens” while ignoring the killings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal immigration agents.
Prior to Tuesday’s contest, Democratic candidates had outperformed Trump’s 2024 electoral results by 10 to 14 points in 20 state-level special elections in Virginia, New York, Minnesota, and Connecticut.
In a Texas district that Trump won by 17 points in 2024, a first-time candidate for state senate, Taylor Rehmet, defeated his Republican opponent by 13 points, becoming the first Democrat in decades to hold the seat.
Those performances have put a handful of new seats in play in the midterms, leaving Republicans scrambling to fire up their base before November.
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog



ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT