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It was supposed to be a red wave that former President Donald Trump could triumphantly ride to the Republican nomination as he prepares to launch another White House run.

Instead, Tuesday night鈥檚 disappointing results for the GOP are raising new questions about Mr. Trump鈥檚 appeal and the future of a party that has fully embraced him, seemingly at its peril, while at the same time giving new momentum to his most potent potential rival.

Indeed, some allies were calling on Mr. Trump to delay his planned announcement next week, saying the party鈥檚 full focus needs to be on Georgia, where Trump-backed football great Herschel Walker鈥檚 effort to unseat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is headed to a runoff that could determine control of the Senate once again.

鈥淚鈥檒l be advising him that he move his announcement until after the Georgia runoff,鈥� said former Trump adviser Jason Miller, who spent the night with the former president at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. 鈥淕eorgia needs to be the focus of every Republican in the country right now,鈥� he said.

Mr. Trump sought to use the midterms as an opportunity to prove his enduring political influence after losing the White House in 2020. He endorsed more than 330 candidates in races up and down the ballot, often elevating inexperienced and deeply flawed candidates. He reveled in their primary victories. But many of their positions, including echoing Mr. Trump鈥檚 lies about a stolen 2020 election and embracing hardline views on abortion, were out of step with the political mainstream.

Mr. Trump did notch some big wins Tuesday, particularly in Ohio, where his pick for the Senate, 鈥淗illbilly Elegy鈥� author JD Vance, sailed to easy victory after Mr. Trump鈥檚 endorsement catapulted him to the front of a crowded primary pack. In North Carolina, Rep. Ted Budd, an early Trump pick, kept an open Senate seat in GOP hands.

But Mr. Trump lost some of the night鈥檚 biggest prizes, particularly in Pennsylvania, where Dr. Mehmet Oz, who only narrowly won his Senate primary with Mr. Trump鈥檚 backing, lost to Democrat John Fetterman. Trump-backed candidates also lost governors鈥� races in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Maryland, and a Senate race in New Hampshire, though Mr. Trump seemed to celebrate the latter, bashing Republican Dan Bolduc for trying to moderate his stances by backing off his embrace of Mr. Trump鈥檚 election lies.

鈥淗ad he stayed strong and true, he would have won, easily,鈥� Mr. Trump said on his social media network. 鈥淟essons Learned!!!鈥� (Mr. Trump also cheered the loss of Colorado Republican Senate hopeful Joe O鈥橠ea, who had said he thought it was time for the party to move on from Mr. Trump.)

Other high-stakes races in Arizona and Nevada remained too early to call.

Indeed, the Republicans鈥� biggest victory of the night came in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis cruised to reelection, cementing his status as a rising national Republican star as he eyes his own potential 2024 run.

鈥淚 have only begun to fight,鈥� he told supporters in his victory speech.

While Republicans still appear well positioned to flip the House, and could ultimately take the Senate, too, those who had believed frustrations with record inflation, combined with President Joe Biden鈥檚 low approval ratings, would deliver swift and decisive victories were pointing fingers in the former president鈥檚 direction. The night鈥檚 message, they argued: The American people want to move on.

鈥淚 mean, we had a historic opportunity and Trump鈥檚 recruitment of unelectable candidates blew it for us,鈥� said Scott Reed, a veteran Republican strategist. 鈥淭rump鈥檚 now lost three elections in a row for the Republican Party and it鈥檚 time to snap out of this foolishness.鈥�

Mr. Reed argued the party 鈥渉ad everything going for us: money, the issue agenda, Biden being in the tank,鈥� but said Mr. Trump鈥檚 efforts to keep himself in the spotlight by teasing a run in the race鈥檚 final stretch 鈥渙bviously worked up a lot of independents and Democrats to turn out and vote.鈥�

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a longtime Trump friend and adviser-turned-critic, who is considering his own run for president in 2024, said Republicans 鈥渉ave a fundamental decision to make.鈥�

鈥淲e lost in 鈥�18. We lost in 鈥�20. We lost in 鈥�21 in Georgia. And now in 鈥�22 we鈥檙e going to net lose governorships, we鈥檙e not going to pick up the number of seats in the House that we thought, and we may not win the Senate despite a president who has a 40% job approval,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 only one person to blame for that and that鈥檚 Donald Trump.鈥�

He blamed Mr. Trump for elevating deeply flawed candidates, who won their primaries but struggled in the general election.

鈥溾�楾he only animating factor [for him] in determining an endorsement is, 鈥楧o you believe the 2020 election was stolen or don鈥檛 you?鈥欌�� Mr. Christie said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not, 鈥楥an you raise money?鈥� It鈥檚 not, 鈥楧o you have an articulatable vision for the future of your state or your district?鈥� It鈥檚 not evidence of past success in communicating to voters. It is a completely self-centered determination.鈥�

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, insisted publicly he was happy with the results.

鈥淲hile in certain ways yesterday鈥檚 election was somewhat disappointing, from my personal standpoint it was a very big victory - 219 WINS and 16 Losses in the General - Who has ever done better than that?鈥� he wrote on his Truth Social network Wednesday afternoon.

His spokesman Taylor Budowich also touted Mr. Trump鈥檚 endorsement record, and said, 鈥淎s President Trump looks to the future, he will continue to champion his America First agenda that won overwhelmingly at the ballot box last night.鈥�

But Republican strategist David Urban, a former Trump adviser, said the Trump brand is wounded no matter what the former president says.

鈥淥f course, he鈥檚 going to claim victory, right? The president touts an accomplishment record that includes victories in uncontested races. He can say whatever he wants. But how do people feel in America? I think people feel not great about the Trump brand right now,鈥� Mr. Urban said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 bad.鈥�

Some now worry that if Mr. Trump goes forward with his planned announcement next week, he could pave the way for a rerun of Republicans鈥� 2021 losses in Georgia by dominating the race.

Former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who now works for Fox News, advised on air that Mr. Trump should hold off on an announcement until after the Georgia Senate runoff.

鈥淚 think he needs to put it on pause,鈥� she said. Asked whether Mr. Trump should campaign in the state, she said: 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e got to make strategic calculations. Gov. DeSantis, I think he should be welcomed to the state, given what happened last night. You鈥檝e got to look at the realities on the ground.鈥�

Mr. Budowich did not respond to questions about such efforts, but Mr. Trump seemed to throw cold water on the advice.

鈥淲e had tremendous success,鈥� he told Fox News Digital Wednesday. 鈥淲hy would anything change?鈥�

Mr. Trump鈥檚 setbacks, meanwhile, were giving new hope to the long list of potential rivals who have been quietly waiting in the wings and now face the decision of whether to run, too.

That includes Mr. DeSantis, who emerged as the night鈥檚 obvious winner. 鈥淒eFUTURE,鈥� The New York Post declared. In addition to his wide margin of victory, Mr. DeSantis carried Democratic stronghold Miami-Dade, and did so without Mr. Trump鈥檚 endorsement. (Though Mr. Trump did tell reporters he鈥檇 voted for the governor days after insulting him as 鈥淩on DeSanctimonious.鈥�)

鈥淒eSantis comes out of the election with lot of momentum,鈥� said GOP strategist Alex Conant. 鈥淭rump has been weak for a long time but it wasn鈥檛 clear who the alternative was. ... For the first time, Trump really has a formidable rival within the party.鈥�

Even some Democrats conceded Mr. DeSantis鈥� strength.

Miami-based Democratic strategist Jose Parra said the Trump rival enters the 2024 conversation with 鈥渁 bunch of wind in his sails鈥� after stronger-than-expected performance across the state 鈥� especially in south Florida鈥檚 Miami-Dade County.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Mr. Biden said his 鈥渋ntention鈥� is to run again. But noting the emerging competition between Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis, he said it would be 鈥渇un watching them take on each other.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽AP writers Steve Peoples and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.