The 2026 Mid-Term Elections and Stopping Trumpism by J.E. Dean

Breaking News! Those of us who regularly write about the Trump administration often imply that nothing can be done to stop, or even slow down, Trumpism. The unintended message in stories about Trump’s complete dominance of the Republican party is that our situation is hopeless. We are doomed to watch Trump and his party destroy democracy over the next few years. Not so fast.

A few weeks ago, a Spy reader reached out to me about an initiative that could get the wheels of America back on track. The idea is a simple one and is based on hard truths about today’s politics. The country is badly divided. For many Republican voters, little that is being said about Trump and his policies that appears to move them to abandon the MAGA dogma. Plus, in the 2026 mid-term elections, there are shockingly few seats that can be described as competitive.

The truth of the 2026 mid-terms is that a handful of House races will determine whether the country is liberated from Speaker Mike Johnson’s (Trump’s) death grip on the House of Representatives. If Democrats win in November 2026, President Trump can no longer count on Mr. Johnson to pass legislation such as the comically named Big Beautiful Bill.

More importantly, a Democrat-controlled House would mean that the Trump administration will be held accountable for its actions. Democrats will be empowered to issue subpoenas to get the information needed to determine whether the President is faithfully executing the laws of the United States. In short, there will be a new sheriff in town. Not necessarily one that will be able to stop everything destructive that the administration attempts, but one that is able to stop much of the MAGAnification of America. In short, the liberation of the federal government will have been launched. 

William Galston of the Brookings Institution wrote this last month:

“The president’s party almost always loses ground in midterm House elections, as has happened in 20 of the past 22 midterm elections stretching back to 1938, and both exceptions reflected unusual circumstances.

The president’s job approval has a strong impact on the outcome of midterm House elections.

The odds that public sentiment will shift enough to extend Republicans’ control of the House seem low, an assessment reinforced by the parties’ changing demographic bases.”

I agree. So, too, does President Trump. That explains the Congressional redistricting efforts in Texas, Missouri and other states and Trump’s calling mail-in voting “fraud.”

A group called Enough! has launched a campaign to target “swing” Congressional districts in the hopes of securing a Democratic majority. Eighteen House districts have been identified, including both Republican seats won by a narrow margin and similarly vulnerable Democratic seats. Enough! will attempt to persuade voters in those districts through targeted media campaigns that Trump’s policies, broken promises, and lies are hurting Americans.

The weapon that Enough! and other groups planning a similar strategy will use is truth. If voters are reminded—or informed- of how Trump policies are increasing prices, denying people health care, disrupting the rule of law, and otherwise jeopardizing America’s future, they will see Trump for who he is—an oligarch out for himself.

Notably, Andy “Handgun” Harris (R-MD) is not on the group’s list. I would like to see him targeted. Harris hasn’t represented the Eastern Shore for some time. As Chairman of the Freedom Caucus, he has become one of Trump’s top foot-soldiers on the Hill. 

Harris’ tenure in Congress could also end if Maryland, like Texas, California and other states revises Congressional districts before the 2026 mid-term elections.

I will be keeping an eye on Enough! and other groups that are working to end the GOP regime in the House of Representatives. 

Can these campaigns succeed? I would say yes, but even if they don’t, they will help slow down Trumpism. Republicans in swing districts will respond to pressure from constituents who are unhappy about Trump’s policies and angry that their representatives voted for the “Big Beautiful Bill.”  If one more Republican had voted no on Trump’s massive debt-increasing bill, it would have been defeated. 

The Cook Political Report analyzes House races and publishes a list of competitive races. See the list here.

If you are among the millions of Americans unhappy with Trump and MAGA, do not give up hope. We can all see what is happening. We need to do something about it. Working to ensure a positive outcome in the 2026 mid-term elections is a good place to start.

---

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government but, too frequently, on President Trump. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack. He expects the 2026 mid-term elections to provide some relief from Trumpism.