Six major political questions open as 2026 midterm season begins

As the 2026 midterm season opens, a string of recent developments — the United States toppling the leader of Venezuela, President Trump saying the U.S. will “run” the country and declaring “We’re in charge,” and Tim Walz, the Democrats’ vice-presidential nominee less than two years ago, bowing out of his re-election bid for governor of Minnesota — have sharpened high-stakes political questions, Katie Glueck writes in the New York Times.

Glueck lays out six central questions, starting with whether Mr. Trump’s hold on the Republican Party will loosen at all. She notes that the Venezuela operation—contradicting the president’s prior isolationist posture—has been cheered by some Republican incumbents but has exposed tensions beneath the surface, alongside fractures on health care, Israel and the Epstein files.

The piece asks whether Democrats can win back voters lost in 2024, how the party will define “electability,” which voters remain persuadable and how the economy will shape opinions. John Anzalone, a veteran Democratic pollster, is quoted saying that prolonged economic pain could make voters “think[] just a little less in the tribal Democrat, Republican,” while the column emphasizes that, despite Mr.

Trump’s pledge to lower costs, “by many metrics, life for Americans has grown more expensive,” with affordability front of mind for voters.

Key Topics

Politics, Donald Trump, Venezuela, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Economy