2026’s midterm elections are poised to become the most expensive and bitter contests in recent memory, driven by record early turnout and a flood of aggressive advertising and courtroom fights. The stakes are high as both parties scramble to shape a deeply divided electorate.
More than 52.7 million voters had already cast ballots by Saturday, surpassing the 2022 midterm record, while the Trump administration’s Justice Department continued to lose court battles that sought to disqualify thousands of mail‑in votes and to interfere with state election procedures. These legal setbacks have rattled state officials who are constitutionally responsible for conducting the elections.
Campaigns are projected to spend about $11.6 billion on advertising, with the Ohio and Texas Senate races accounting for the largest shares. A $4 million ad by Vivek Ramaswamy that featured a hostile comment from his opponent’s estranged mother was pulled after drawing criticism from Republican leaders, though Trump and JD Vance defended it.
Voters overwhelmingly rank the cost of living as the most important issue, a concern that has eroded confidence in Trump’s handling of the economy and threatens Republican Senate prospects, while Latino voters demand controlled border enforcement paired with a pathway to legalization. Legal challenges over non‑citizen ballot eligibility and Alaska’s Senate certification remain active, and analysts say redistricting and high affective polarization may curb the size of any Democratic wave despite strong early‑voting momentum.
Source: newhampshirebulletin.com
