The Day After Postmortem: Digging Through the Election Data

On The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, political strategist Ryan Girdusky, host of It’s a Numbers Game on the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network, joined the show for a deep dive into the 2025 election results from New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.

Girdusky pointed out that while Democrats dominated in deep-blue areas, the data shows Trump-aligned voters didn’t turn out without Trump on the ballot, confirming Clay’s earlier warning about the GOP’s turnout gap. He also highlighted how Democratic candidates like Spanberger and Sherrill ran almost exclusively against Trump, using fear of authoritarianism and cultural messaging to drive turnout.

In New York City, Girdusky noted that Zohran Mamdani’s socialist appeal gained traction among voters squeezed by inflation, debt, and job insecurity, signaling a shift in urban political dynamics. He also flagged the impact of mail-in voting and demographic shifts, especially among younger and minority voters, as key factors in shaping outcomes.

Looking ahead, the trio agreed that unless Republicans find a way to energize their base without Trump, and counter the left’s economic messaging, they risk repeating these losses in the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race.