All articles tagged with #midterm elections
Republican frustration over Donald Trump’s focus on personal projects and aggressive fundraising coincides with polls showing Democrats ahead in key races, sparking warnings that Trump’s tactics could hurt the GOP in November even as his MAGA base remains loyal; analysts say the party is caught between backing Trump and appealing to swing voters in a tight midterm climate.
CNN data analyst Harry Enten says a core voter group that helped elect Trump—young men—has flipped on him, with Trump’s approval among that demographic now deeply negative and midterm polls showing Democrats leading by large margins among young men, signaling trouble for GOP candidates down the ticket.
Historically, summer in midterm years has been a weak stretch for equities (the S&P 500 has averaged a roughly 2.8% loss from end-April to end-September). This year started May with gains, but analysts warn volatility remains elevated (VIX around 16.7%), and the political backdrop—likely a divided Congress—could limit policy shocks. The market may move sideways to choppily, with outcomes still influenced by inflation and Federal Reserve policy.
FT Swamp Notes argues the GOP has become a Trump-centered personality cult, as dissenters like Cassidy, Cornyn and Massie were punished in primaries; Trump’s grip on loyalists remains ironclad, even as more Republicans push back on costly, Trump-aligned policies. The piece suggests voters’ focus on the economy and affordability may determine the midterms more than Trump’s corruption, though loyalty to Trump still shapes the party’s trajectory.
A Gallup poll shows Americans' confidence in the economy has dropped to a near four-year low, posing a challenge to Republicans and President Trump ahead of the midterm elections as inflation and rising costs threaten his affordability pledges.
The Virginia Supreme Court blocked a newly drawn congressional map for failing to meet the state’s 2020 constitutional amendment requirements, halting a Democrats’ bid to flip GOP-held seats ahead of the midterms; Sen. Mark Warner called the ruling outrageous and Sen. Tim Kaine urged candidates to press on in key races.
Virginia’s high court struck down a Democratic-backed redistricting measure, a setback for Democrats as Republicans gain ground on maps pushed by Trump, leaving Democrats with a steeper climb to win the House in November.
Sen. Susan Collins disclosed a decades-long benign essential tremor that causes tremors in her hands and head but says it has no impact on her ability to perform her duties; she has not missed a vote in 30 years and remains confident in serving another term amid a competitive Maine race.
Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Jon Husted won Ohio’s primaries, advancing to a high-profile November Senate race to fill the remainder of the term left by JD Vance. Husted ran unopposed; Brown faced a single challenger. The contest is expected to attract substantial outside spending as Democrats aim to flip seats and expand their Senate presence, with Ohio also featuring a key gubernatorial race and a vulnerable Rep. Marcy Kaptur race.
A POLITICO poll finds Americans skeptical of both AI and cryptocurrency even as pro-AI and pro-crypto groups pour tens of millions into competitive 2026 races and lobbying. About 45% say investing in crypto isn’t worth the risk and 44% say AI is developing too quickly; two-thirds want federal AI rules, and nearly half trust traditional banks more than crypto. Leading the Future has raised over $75 million and Fairshake around $28 million to back candidates, signaling a new era of industry-driven spending that could face voter pushback if perceived to overwhelm politics.
Six months before the US midterms, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll shows Donald Trump at 62% disapproval and 37% approval, with broad concerns about the economy and Trump’s handling of the Iran war; independents largely disapprove while Democrats hold a small edge in House contests, signaling potential trouble for Republicans in November.
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released six months before the midterms shows Trump’s disapproval at a new peak amid dissatisfaction with his handling of the Iran war and the economy, while Democrats are more motivated to vote and hold a five-point edge in support for Congress compared with February.
House Speaker Mike Johnson urged states to promptly redraw congressional districts after the Supreme Court limited the Voting Rights Act, arguing that new maps could help Republicans gain seats in the upcoming midterm elections.
Florida House Republicans approved a new congressional map designed to give Republicans a four-seat edge in the U.S. House, reshuffling four districts that previously leaned Democratic toward Trump-side outcomes. The GOP‑run Senate is expected to move the measure forward and Gov. DeSantis is involved, but courts are expected to challenge the map under Florida’s ban on partisan redistricting. With primaries in August, litigation and legal battles over the map’s legality are likely to shape the balance of power in 2026 and beyond.
Republicans say charges against Trump foes (notably James Comey) and a Fauci aide, plus a Disney broadcast-licenses review, shift attention from the economy and voters’ priorities, complicating the party’s midterm strategy even as the DOJ denies political motives.