2026 candidates in battleground states like Georgia, Florida, Iowa and Arizona are increasingly touting cross-party endorsements and appeals to reach undecided, disengaged independent voters. Analysts attribute this to candidates trying to distance themselves from partisan “brand’ penalties and to a broader voter fatigue with hyper-partisan politics.

Richard Barton, assistant teaching professor of public administration and international affairs, says cross-party appeals are more likely to move independent voters than partisan voters, but adds that they especially appeal to independents who are largely politically disengaged.

“I think there’s a narrow slice of the electorate that could potentially be persuaded and moved, swayed by that cross-party endorsement. But in the states that we’re talking about, that narrow slice of the electorate could be pivotal,” Barton says.

“The sort of very toxic, acrimonious, negative partisan environment that we’re living in—I think has become tiresome,” Barton says. “So it’s not surprising that strategic, savvy candidates are thinking of creative ways to cut against the grain and to stand out in a way that might be a breath of fresh air for a lot of voters.”

Read more in the Washington Examiner article, “Candidates in purple states tout cross-party endorsements in appeal to marginal voters.”