All articles tagged with #2026 midterms
Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister and South Carolina’s appointed senator, mishandled a national-security question about Taiwan in a runoff debate, underscoring her inexperience and raising questions about the staying power of Trump’s endorsement as turnout and intra-party divides shape the race between her and Ralph Norman.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,166 adults conducted Friday–Monday finds 33% approve of President Trump's job performance and 64% disapprove (±3 points), the lowest Reuters/Ipsos reading of his second term and tying the lowest level of his presidency from December 2017—the poll notes the Iran confrontation and rising energy costs as backdrop and shows ongoing partisan dynamics ahead of the 2026 midterms.
As the 2026 midterms approach, Trump’s bid to have the Kennedy Center bear his name and the ongoing ballroom project highlight a preoccupation with self-promotion that polls show voters view as misaligned with priorities, risking political backlash for the GOP.
Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, likely to win Wisconsin’s GOP primary, frames a general election against socialist Francesca Hong as a test of whether Wisconsin will become a firewall against leftist policies; Hong, a Democratic Socialist of America member, promotes paid leave, higher minimum wage, and a pause on AI data centers while denying defunding the police, and the race is portrayed as part of a broader midterm battle over Democratic socialism.
Brit Hume argues Trump faces a tough political squeeze over the Iran conflict: while military aims may be feasible, rising U.S. casualties and criticism complicate public support, leaving limited time to shape opinion before the 2026 midterm elections.
At a Maryland Democratic Party fundraiser two years after their last debate, Biden targeted Donald Trump, calling him a "loser" and accusing him of vanity and corruption, including plans to compensate January 6th defendants. He urged Democrats to stay engaged and fight on in a challenging post-presidency, while touching on themes of legacy, health, and family ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Graham Platner won Maine's Democratic Senate primary amid controversy and baggage, advancing to a fall race against Republican Senator Susan Collins; his ascent highlights a political moment where some Democrats tolerate personal scandal for a chance to contest a key battleground, even as insiders worry about electability in the 2026 midterms.
Moderate and establishment-backed Democrats hold a slight edge in several key primaries, but progressives win some races, leaving a muddled sense of the party’s direction as it plans for the 2026 midterms and 2028 platforms. Iowa tipped toward a moderate in its Senate race, New Jersey’s 12th District favored a Hamawy candidate backed by both progressive and establishment voices, and California’s contests showed a mix of outcomes in Pelosi’s seat, the Central Valley, and the governor’s race, underscoring an ongoing Democratic civil war with battles across both wings of the party.
Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville dubbed Donald Trump’s remark about Americans’ finances—amid rising costs tied to his Iran policy—as perhaps the greatest admission against interest in presidential history. Some Republicans, including VP hopeful JD Vance, pushed back, but Trump doubled down, a move that could fuel Democratic attack ads ahead of the 2026 midterms.
A Generation Lab poll of over 1,000 young Americans (ages 18–34) finds sharp economic anxiety fueling a Democratic lean for the 2026 midterms: 52% plan to vote Democratic vs 19% for Republicans, and only 58% of young Republicans intend to back the GOP (about a third won’t vote or choose neither). A striking 81% rate the economy as bad or terrible, with Trump widely blamed. Democrats emphasize affordability and have expanded youth-focused outreach, while Republicans push spending cuts and tax breaks and lean on social-media messaging. The data also hints at early 2028 dynamics where name recognition matters for both parties.
Virginia voters approved a Democratic plan to redraw the state’s congressional map for the 2026–2030 decade, potentially giving Democrats about 10 of Virginia’s 11 House seats. NBC News reports the measure passed 51.3% to 48.7% with about 155,000 votes still outstanding; county results show early wins for Yes in suburban counties like Loudoun while No leads remain in some rural counties, reflecting a broader, partisan redistricting battle ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The piece argues Donald Trump wields outsized influence over the GOP and pursues aggressive, often unpopular policies (notably the Iran war) with little regard for party consequences, risking alienating voters and jeopardizing the Republicans' midterm prospects. With limited tools to rein him in and polls showing concern about his erratic behavior, many Republicans may need to distance themselves from Trump, but significant challenges remain, including the unlikelihood of impeachment or invoking the 25th Amendment.
New Jersey’s Jeff Van Drew, long viewed as unbeatable in a Trump-leaning South Jersey district, is now facing questions about vulnerability in the 2026 midterms as national shifts toward Democrats, local concerns like an AI data center in Vineland, and multiple Democratic challengers energize opposition; while some Republicans warn any district could flip, Van Drew’s camp remains confident, pointing to his district’s registration and history, with Democrats fielding several primary contenders.
Emerson College Polling finds Trump at 43% approval and 55% disapproval (up 4 points). For 2028, Newsom leads the Democratic primary (20%), followed by Buttigieg (16%), Harris (13%), AOC (9%), Shapiro (7%),Beshear (5%), with 24% undecided; in the Republican primary, JD Vance leads at 52% over Rubio (20%) and DeSantis (6%), with 11% undecided. The 2026 generic ballot shows Democrats up 50% to 42%. Cost of living is the top voter concern (mean 8.2/10), with healthcare costs and inflation also high. The poll surveyed 1,000 likely voters Feb. 21–22, 2026, MOE ±3%.
The Texas Democratic U.S. Senate primary between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico is heating up as early voting continues ahead of the March 3 primary. Talarico has gained national attention after CBS pulled his unaired interview with Stephen Colbert due to regulatory concerns, triggering a fundraising surge of about $2.5 million in 24 hours and boosting his profile. Crockett campaigns across Dallas–Fort Worth, arguing her federal experience, while both candidates chase momentum in a state where Democrats haven’t won a Texas Senate seat since 1988 and hope to build toward a November path to a majority.