Tag: 2026 midterms

Record Number of Women Are Running for State Legislatures This Year

Buck Banks

3,824

A record number of women are running for state legislative seats this November, more than two-thirds of whom are Democrats, reports Florida Phoenix. Across the 46 states with legislative seats on the ballot, a total of 3,824 women are running — up from 2022’s previous record of 3,621 women candidates, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Women make up 35.5% of all state legislative candidates this cycle. Currently, women hold about one-third of state legislative seats across the country — a record level of representation but nowhere near parity.

Prediction Markets See $1.4 Billion in Midterm Bets

Buck Banks

$1.4 billion

“Prediction markets about the 2026 midterm elections have surpassed $1.4 billion in trading volume as Election Day fast approaches,” CNN reports. “This year has seen massive growth in the prediction industry, where people can bet on real-world events like sports, entertainment and the weather. While small-scale election markets have been around for a while, they gained traction before the 2024 presidential election and have seen huge numbers for the 2026 midterms.”

Pollster: Ramaswamy’s Ad the ‘Most Memorable’ of Campaign

Buck Banks

“This may prove to be the most memorable ad of the entire election cycle. It is devastating. But I would’ve held it until the final weekend of the campaign. With this much time before the election, I fully expect the Democrats to have an equally devastating response.”

— Republican pollster Frank Luntz, quoted by Politico, on the campaign ad run by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (R) featuring his opponent’s mother.

Trump’s Approval Hits 31% Two Weeks from Midterms

Buck Banks

31%

President Donald ?Trump’s approval rating fell to a record low as Americans worried about high gasoline prices and appeared ready to punish his Republican Party in the November 3 congressional elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday. Some 31% of Americans approve of Trump’s ?performance in office, down a percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level in ?either of his presidential terms, the four-day poll showed.