After the Nov. 4 election sweep by Democrats, I smell a hint of fear in my Republican Party.

I get it. It's frustrating to see extremists run and actually win. President Donald Trump's win in 2024 was rejuvenating, but I see some of my fellow Republicans are a bit anxious now, and Democrats are basking in their victory.

But some perspective is in order. The wins in California, New York, New Jersey and Virginia happened in blue states. In other words, voters in blue states voted for even more progressive candidates to lead them. If California is our guide, it will not go well.

But voting results still rightly raise questions for my own party, especially with the 2026 midterm elections just a year away: What should Republicans do now? Change strategy?

I could be wrong − my kids tell me I'm wrong all the time − but I don't see a need to panic. We should remember the massive red wave that has increased Republican voter registration in key battleground states. And we should also learn from these election results and double down on what's working.

More people are registering as Republicans, moving to red states

Unlike the 2024 election, when the nation watched a red wave wash over the country, there was no blue wave on Tuesday – just a quick downpour that anybody could have predicted. Blue states stayed blue, particularly in higher-profile gubernatorial and mayoral elections, even as the Republican Party is still gaining voters in droves.

While not every state registers voters by party, those 28 states that do show that Republicans have gained 1 million voter registrations since the 2024 election. For comparison, during Trump’s first term, the shift to the GOP after his 2016 win was just barely 100,000. What's more, Republicans have continued to gain voters after Trump's election and in key battleground states.

The biggest change is in Pennsylvania. "Republicans are now closer to Democrats in total registrations in the battleground state than at any point this century," Steve Kornacki wrote for NBC News in September.

Plus, blue states like California have been hemorrhaging residents to red states for years. These two things together should be far more encouraging for conservatives than an election night where blue states voted for more Democrats to lead them.

Conservatives should clarify and double down on good policy

The GOP should learn from the election results, but ignore the reflex to shift significantly from our values or goals now. To my surprise, Trump is already doing this. Self-awareness and self-reflection are not always present in his character.

But in a Fox News interview on Nov. 5, the president said the Republican Party isn't doing a good enough job spreading the word about the country’s economic progress.

“Republicans don’t talk about it,” Trump said. “They don’t talk about the word affordability.”

The president is correct, and I take this to mean two things: Good things are happening that he could communicate better about, and he could change things that are not helping Americans. Trump has extended the 2017 tax cuts via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but many Americans might not realize that.

He is correct that his administration should communicate good news better, like record-high stock markets, an edging lower deficit and affordability. Wells Fargo released data showing that a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people could be more affordable now than in 2024.

One of the biggest factors in state migration seems to be income tax, something many conservatives, including Trump, are working to abolish. About 40% of U.S. households could pay $0 in federal income tax in 2025, according to the Tax Policy Center. How many Americans know these things?

It's also OK for Trump to veer from policies he thought would work and didn't. While I supported his use of tariffs as leverage, they seem to be pushing inflation slowly upward − although it's true that tariffs are typically a long-term strategy for best results. It's not out of control, like it was under the Biden administration, but it's not remaining steady or slowly decreasing anymore either.

Democrats had their wins on Nov. 4, but only in states that are mostly Democratic. The ground didn't shift, and neither did the votes. The quality and extremism of the candidates Democrats voted for is revealing and discouraging, but they will have to grapple with their own results. Conservatives should not follow suit.

The Republican Party can and should learn from these results, but there is no need to panic.

Nicole Russell is a columnist at USA TODAY and a mother of four who lives in Texas. Contact her at nrussell@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @russell_nm. Sign up for her weekly newsletter, The Right Track, here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yes, Democrats swept their elections. No, Republicans don't need to panic. | Opinion

Reporting by Nicole Russell, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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