RNC regroups and recalibrates for midterm election fight

SANTA BARBARA, California — The Republican National Committee’s winter meeting in Santa Barbara this week was held as both a rallying cry and a reset — a chance for party leaders and delegates to regroup, sharpen their message, and chart a strategy to blunt Democratic momentum and address voter frustration ahead of the midterm elections. 

RNC Chair and President Donald Trump ally Joe Gruters told the Washington Examiner that the party is “more focused and energized than ever” to win the midterm elections.

RNC Chairman Joe Gruters speaks at the RNC winter meeting in Santa Barbara, California, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Barnini Chakraborty/Washington Examiner)

Despite Gruters’ upbeat prediction, Republicans are heading into the midterm election cycle on thin ice, battered by internal divisions and external controversies that have