2026 US Midterm Elections

"Along with ideological polarization, the parties and their supporters have not only disagreed on issues but also come to dislike each other intensely and personally – what has been dubbed ‘affective partisanship.’"

- Robert Y. Shapiro

"Chinese leaders are likely to see Trump as significantly weakened, which creates new opportunities to press for concessions but also gives them reason to worry that congressional pressure will make those concessions harder to deliver."

- Julian Gewirtz

"At the crux of this competition [for critical minerals, chips, energy, and infrastructure] is the need for computing power. Sustaining innovation at the AI frontier depends on constructing extensive (and expensive) data centers."

- Erica Lonergan and Tamar Mitts

"Throughout this election cycle, candidates and pundits rightly pointed to skyrocketing gas and grocery prices. Some, however, missed another significant part of the financial squeeze that families are experiencing: child care."

- Jennifer Klein

"US allies in the Asia Pacific region will hope that the midterm elections promise an eventual return to normalcy in their US diplomatic treatment, but perhaps only after President Trump leaves office in January 2029."

- Thomas Christensen

"Women made record gains in statewide office. In 2027, women will govern a third of America’s states, with an all-time high of 17 women governors, surpassing the previous record of 14."

- Rachel Vogelstein

"Many of the Trump administration’s policies — from cutting health care and reducing SNAP to driving up consumer prices through tariffs and the Iran war to relentless attacks on immigrants — have been devastating for cities, but rural and suburban voters have also felt their effects."

- Ester Fuchs

"It is my sincere desire that Democrats, soon to be majorities in both the House and Senate, will develop an action plan, with hopefully meaningful support from Republicans [focused] on the real issues that Americans care about"

- Michael Nutter

"The midterm results tell a clear story about growing public concern over the consequences of [AI] ambition. Debates over AI safety, data centers, and the influence of tech money in politics have brought these questions closer to home, affecting our children, our communities, and our democracy."

- Camille François

The 2026 US Midterms

A Compendium of Rapid Response Analysis by Columbia SIPA Faculty

"Like we did in the Philippines, Americans stepped out of the virtual line of fire and mobilized in the real world, building communities of action to fight back and reclaim their rights."

- Maria Ressa

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