"They really gave us a beating," said U.S. Congressman Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor.
He was referring to Democratic victories in the races for the Wisconsin Supreme Court and for mayor of Waukesha, a conservative suburb outside Milwaukee. However, some Republicans were also shaken by a special election in Georgia, where their candidate to succeed Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress won by a much narrower margin than the party previously enjoyed.
Taken together, these shifts from red to blue added further evidence to the increasingly clear picture of Democratic momentum ahead of the November congressional elections, where control of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and a number of state governments across the country is at stake.
"In rural, urban, red, and blue areas, Democrats have exceeded expectations everywhere," said Jared Leopold, a Democratic consultant whose clients include, among others, Keisha Lance Bottoms, a candidate for governor of Georgia.
"This is a significant canary in the coal mine signaling what November 2026 could look like."
Some Republicans insist there is no reason to panic and that their fundraising remains stronger than that of Democrats. Georgia-based strategist Stephen Lawson says "the sky is not falling."
At the same time, he acknowledges that the party has fallen behind where Democrats were previously and that Republicans must "carefully analyze these results."
So-called midterms are often unreliable as political indicators, but Democrats are consistently showing surprising strength. They flipped a state Senate district in Texas. They also won a seat in Florida's House of Representatives in a district encompassing Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump's Palm Beach resort.
Then, on Tuesday, they also advanced in the race to succeed Greene, who resigned from Congress in January after a clash with Trump.
Republican candidate Clay Fuller won by a 12-point margin. Two years ago, Greene won by a 29-point margin, and Trump carried that district by nearly 37 points.
"This is a red alert for Republicans," says Democratic strategist Meredith Brasher.
Fuller defeated Shawn Harris, who plans to challenge him again in November.
Jackie Harling, chair of the county Republican committee, believes Greene's resignation motivated Democrats, while her party suffers from "election fatigue."
"Marjorie Taylor Greene was like a freight train you couldn't stop, and when she stepped down, it gave Democrats hope and an opportunity to fight for something they thought was unwinnable," Harling said.
Georgia has key races this year, including an open race for governor. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is also trying to defend his seat.
There is also reason to believe that simmering discontent could turn against Republicans just two years after Trump harnessed voter anger for his comeback presidential bid.
In November, Democrats at the state level defeated two Republican incumbents in races for seats on the Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities. Rising electricity prices have become a key issue in recent campaigns, especially as massive data centers for artificial intelligence are being built.
However, Georgia Democratic Party Chair Charlie Bailey is trying to keep expectations modest.
"We can solidify, position ourselves, on the somewhat bluer side of purple. We're not going to turn into Colorado overnight," he said.
Wisconsin holds state elections for Supreme Court justices, and liberals expanded their majority on Tuesday with a decisive 20-point victory.
Democrats saw growth in red, blue, and so-called purple counties compared to an earlier judicial race that also ended in a victory for the liberal candidate.
"For me, this was a very clear sign of momentum and enthusiasm for Democrats heading into the fall," said Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Devin Remiker.
The state also has an open race for governor this year, and Democrats hope to take control of the state legislature and unseat Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden.
"It's time to shift into high gear," said Mandela Barnes, former Democratic lieutenant governor of Wisconsin who is running for governor.
David Crowley, Milwaukee County executive and another Democratic candidate for governor, says it's clear that "people at this moment are really angry at the Republican Party and their brand."
"But that doesn't mean they'll automatically switch to the Democratic side. That's why we must continue to focus on concrete issues and talk about the values of all voters in Wisconsin."
Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin, warned against overstating the significance of recent results.
He said that "every election is unique" and that he won't change his campaign. According to him, the key to victory is "clearly illustrating the difference in how we will help ordinary Wisconsin residents."
However, Democrats appear to be slowly breaking through Republican strongholds, including Waukesha. The city is located outside Milwaukee in Waukesha County, a traditional Republican bastion.
Democratic City Council President Alicia Halvensleben defeated Republican Scott Allen, one of the most conservative members of the state assembly.
She says Trump was mentioned "a lot" during her campaign, although she believes her victory primarily boils down to local issues and how the state legislature failed to address them.
"There is so much uncertainty at the national level. I think that level of uncertainty creates a lot of anxiety among people, all the way down to the local level," Halvensleben said.