The Far-Right in the 2020 General Election

Much attention has been focused on the presidential race this year, but down-ballot there were over one hundred far-right candidates in the November 2020 election. Overall, it was not a good night for far-right candidates

The Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights tracked 107 far-right affiliated candidates in the 2020 general election—54 for federal seats, 53 for state office. As of November 4, 21 far-right candidates were victorious.

Just six of 54 far-right federal candidates won (three incumbents, three newly elected), while four races have not yet been called. At the state level, 15 of 53 far-right candidates won (nine incumbents, six newly elected).

At the federal level, there were far-right candidates in 24 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

Among the notable victors was incumbent Matt Gaetz (R-Florida 1) who won with 64.6% of the vote. Gaetz, a favorite of the far-right across the spectrum, is notable for recently having Proud Boys perform security at a campaign event. Also boasting a Proud Boys link, Cord Byrd (R-Florida 11) retained his seat with 68.2% of the vote. Cord’s wife Esther Byrd is notable for defending the Proud Boys, while Cord was recently photographed with friends on a boat waving the Qanon flag.

Another Q aficionado, Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado 3) won her race with 51.1% of the vote. In addition to having expressed that she hoped the Qanon is real, and later backpedaling on the topic, Boebert tweeted “I am the militia,” posed with paramilitary activists, and had militia groups perform security at an event. Incumbent Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana 3), known for speaking an Oath Keepers event and peddling Three Percenter t-shirts at a past campaign event, won with 67.8% of the vote to keep his House seat.

Qanon conspiracy theorist Marjory Taylor Greene (R-Georgia 14) handily won her strong Republican district with 74.8% of the vote. Madison Cawthorn (R-North Carolina 11) won with 54.5% of the vote despite, or because of, having assailed a critic that he alleges “quit his academia job in Boston to work for non-white males, like Cory Booker who aims to ruin white males.”

Most notable among the losers was anti-Muslim figure, conspiracy theorist, and Proud Boys fellow traveler Laura Loomer (R-Florida 21), who lost handily with 39.2% of the vote.

Among those races not called as of press time are US Senate candidate John James (R-Michigan), who received donations from and was photographed with the leader of the America Patriot Council, the organizer of a rally at which some far-right paramilitarists allegedly discussed a plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Others not yet called include Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas 24), a frequent guest on the radio show of the anti-Muslim Center for Security Policy; Burgess Owens (R-Utah 4), who has flirted with the Qanon conspiracy; and Nick Freitas (R-Virginia 7) who embraced an endorsement from the militia-supporting Gun Owners of America.

At the state level, IREHR tracked 52 different far-right candidates in the November 2020 General Election. Far-right candidates appeared on the November ballot in 25 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Far-right candidates ran for a variety of state elected positions, including governor, state house and senate seats, and the state board of education. Candidates represented seven different political parties including 38 Republican Party, 4 Constitution Party, 3 US Taxpayers / Constitution Party, 2 Libertarian Party, 2 Conservative Party, 2 Independent, and 1 Aloha Aina Party.

Of the 52 candidates, 15 candidates won (9 incumbents and 6 newly elected). Two of those candidates ran unopposed. Four of ten state-level militia supporting candidates won, all in Idaho. Of the 24 Qanon conspiracy-backing candidates on the list, 5 were elected (of those, only 2 were newly elected).

Federal-Level Far-Right Candidates

State-Level Far-Right Candidates

* = race called by some outlets, but not official result as of publication.