This article is an examination of the Tea Party movement's effects on the 2010 midterm elections. The Tea Party proves to be a grassroots movement that was initially spurred by economic crisis and gradually pulled within the Republican Party. While a handful of experienced conservative interest groups—and the Republican Party itself—managed to use the energies of Tea Party sentiment to effect a Republican takeover of the House of Representatives, the movement's decentralized and independent nature prevented grassroots Tea Party groups from being a significant force in the election. While Tea Party supporters continue to resist organization, the effective translation of their political concerns into policy change seems very unlikely. Moreover, in the absence of severe economic crisis, their fortunes seem certain to be determined by the Republican Party.