Jason Chaffetz: Five campaign lessons Republicans lost in 2026

With the leadership of the House and Senate changing after the 2026 elections, Jason Chaffetz wrote in a Nov. 4, 2026 Fox News opinion that Republicans should return to five long-standing campaign principles to improve prospects in 2028.

Chaffetz listed five specific lessons he said were overlooked in 2026 and urged party operatives to re-emphasize fundamentals rather than shortcuts.

1. Candidate quality matters. Chaffetz wrote that fielding the better candidate is foundational: a candidate who cannot connect with voters, articulate a positive vision or run a disciplined campaign will be vulnerable.
2. Results must be felt. He argued a majority is judged by tangible outcomes, not process or talking points, citing voter concerns such as prices at the pump and grocery stores, community safety, and whether promised fixes were delivered.
3. Volume is not a strategy. Chaffetz criticized excessive spending on repetitive attack ads, intrusive texts and nonstop solicitations, saying such volume tends to annoy voters rather than persuade them.
4. Candidate choice is a local decision. He warned against short-circuiting primaries, citing Democrats’ elevation of Kamala Harris and a South Carolina example where Darline Graham was appointed to a late brother’s seat, won the nomination and was later rejected by voters in the general election.
5. Endorsements do not win or lose races. Chaffetz wrote that endorsements mainly help lesser-known candidates generate headlines and fundraising, but for federal races most voters focus on the candidate standing before them and the candidate’s message.

Chaffetz framed the five points as long-standing, practical ideas that have worked for decades and said the question is whether campaigns will treat them as optional or return to the basics, he wrote.

This article is an opinion piece by Jason Chaffetz published on Fox News on Nov. 4, 2026.

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