NRSC Abandons Georgia and North Carolina: GOP Senate Map Shrinks

In a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Sen. Tim Scott informed Senate Republicans that the campaign arm will shift its spending focus away from the North Carolina and Georgia Senate races, according to four people in the room. The NRSC will instead prioritize defending GOP-held seats in Maine, Alaska, Ohio, Iowa, and Texas, while targeting Democratic-held seats in Michigan and New Hampshire. The decision leaves out North Carolina GOP nominee Michael Whatley's race against Democrat Roy Cooper and Georgia GOP nominee Mike Collins' bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

The move marks a significant shift, as President Donald Trump carried Georgia in 2016 and 2024 and North Carolina in the last three presidential elections. The NRSC's deprioritization of North Carolina effectively cedes a state Democrats haven't won in the Senate since 2008. Scott also shared internal polling showing tight races, including GOP Sen. Jon Husted trailing former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and Republican John Sununu neck-and-neck with Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in New Hampshire. The NRSC did not initially respond to a request for comment, but later Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez denied any spending announcements were made, calling the story 'completely fabricated.'

The shift has prompted pushback from some Republicans. Georgia GOP party chair Josh McKoon dismissed the notion of deprioritization, saying, 'Every cycle, someone in Washington leaks that they're thinking about moving money. What matters is who shows up — and what the actual numbers say.' Senate Majority Leader John Thune is set to headline a fundraiser for Collins in Atlanta on Thursday, alongside Gov. Brian Kemp. Meanwhile, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) acknowledged tough choices, stating, 'At some point I think the people spending that money are going to have to make hard choices and figure out where the money can have the biggest impact, and certainly Texas is the most expensive.' Other GOP groups like Trump's MAGA Inc. could potentially fill the spending gap in Georgia and North Carolina.