Four Issues Defining the 2026 Midterms

Insight,2026 Midterm Elections,Economy And Jobs,Data Centers,Corruption,Immigration

Becca Costello/WVXU

Major concerns for US midterm voters this year span from their own households and neighborhoods to far across the globe.

The Insight provides you the full picture of facts and viewpoints on a top issue for Americans each week, powered by your questions and balanced answers from our multipartisan news team.

The Issues

The cost of living

In a poll from Reuters (Center bias) and Ipsos (Center) conducted from August 28–31, 47% of 1,167 potential voters said the cost of living is the single most important factor in their midterm vote. Inflation, home prices, mortgages, and childcare are the focal points.

The same Reuters/Ipsos poll suggested that 71% of U.S. adults disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling the cost of living, compared to only 22% who approve.

Both the New York Times (Lean Left) and Washington Examiner (Lean Right) wrote that Trump’s low approval ratings could signify difficulty for Republicans in the midterms, with the Examiner calling the low approval rating a "troubling sign for Republicans competing in closely contested districts and Senate races."

Data centers

Public sentiment toward data center development is increasingly skeptical. According to Gallup (Center), roughly 71% of Americans oppose constructing data centers in their areas.

Fox News (Right) reported that data center-related policies were on seven ballots, including in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin, which it said "underscor[es] how quickly data centers have become a political flashpoint." It noted divides in elections across the country, including in Texas, where candidates debated tax breaks for data centers and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) paused data center permitting.

A Fox News poll found that 71% of American voters opposed building a data center in their area, but that 52% supported building them in remote locations, while 44% opposed. It also reported that Republican voters more often supported AI and data centers compared to Democratic voters.

The Economist (Lean Left) also reported that data centers were "turning Trump voters into Democrats," as the number of those planning to vote Democrat has risen from 54% to 61% among those living within less than a mile of a data center. It reported that 17% of people living within 1.2 miles of data centers who voted for Trump in 2024 said they would now support a Democrat, compared to just 6% of Trump voters who live further away from data centers.

The Economist argued that President Trump's messaging around data center development "isn't landing with his own supporters" and highlighted races in Nevada, Colorado, and Ohio where Democrats were campaigning on stricter restrictions on data centers.

CBS News (Lean Left) reported some Republican nominees were breaking with Trump on data centers and that it seemed to be "the single issue where Democratic and Republican candidates sound nearly identical."

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Immigration

Border security measures remain popular among conservatives, especially in border states, but recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions could have alienated some moderate voters.

In September, Independents trusted Democrats over Republicans on immigration by 41% to 27%, according to polling from Marist College. Another recent poll from Fox News (Right) found that most Americans believe the Trump administration has “gone too far” on immigration policy, including 60% of independents.

Republicans may have also lost some Latino support over the immigration issue since 2024, while others are sticking with the GOP. According to Pew Research (Center): On immigration enforcement, 30% of Hispanic voters who backed Trump in 2024 say his administration is doing too much on deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally. Still, a majority say it is either striking the right balance in their approach or not doing enough.

When it comes to this year’s midterms, about two-thirds (65%) of Hispanic voters who supported Trump in 2024 say they would vote for the Republican candidate in their district if the congressional election were held today. Meanwhile, 24% say they would support another candidate or are not sure whom they would support. And 11% say they would vote for the Democratic candidate in their House race.

Corruption and fraud

Fraud investigations into candidates on both sides have frequently made headlines in recent months. And voters are taking notice; unlike the Reuters/Ipsos poll mentioned above, a recent CNBC (Lean Left) poll said voters are more concerned about government corruption than the cost of living or any other issue.

AllSides contributor Dan Schnur (Center) wrote this week:

Even in an election dominated by the economy and affordability, voters’ concerns over government corruption continue to creep up in public opinion polls. Both parties are running hard on this issue, but incumbents are almost always on the defensive in this debate since they are definitionally part of the existing government. In the closing days, this is a discussion worth watching, especially given Jeffrey Epstein’s reemergence as a vote-determining issue.

He continued:

Democratic candidates are talking more about Epstein, and they are spending far more on ads relating to corruption than Republicans. In total, Democrats have spent $53 million on ads mentioning Epstein in competitive races, compared with $3 million from Republicans.

This scandal is much more difficult for Trump and Republicans, given the president’s past ties to Epstein. But Trump and JD Vance did a high-profile event on Medicare fraud last week, and their focus on voter fraud is designed to stir the same suspicions. So the GOP is not letting go of the broader corruption issue either.

Insight,2026 Midterm Elections,Economy And Jobs,Data Centers,Corruption,Immigration