How the Left and Right Embraced Different Narratives Heading Into the Midterms

Election day for the 2026 midterms has arrived, and many from left to right have embraced different narratives around the races.

Michigan US Senate Seat

Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed is running against Republican opponent Mike Rogers. Democratic Rep. Haly Stevens, who lost in the primaries to El-Sayed, said Sunday that she is endorsing Rogers.

'Kneecapping' Her Rival: Opinion writer Zeeshan Aleem (Left bias) for MS Now (Left) said that Stevens "clearly betrayed her party on Sunday," adding that "what was offensive about her move was the incoherence and unprincipled nature of her rationale." According to Aleem, none of the grievances given by Stevens "withstands the slightest bit of scrutiny as a reason to endorse Rogers and try to sink El-Sayed's campaign," adding that "Stevens' case for kneecapping her Democratic primary rival two days before the election was so vacuous that calling it an argument would be generous." A different MS Now opinion article by Paul Waldman (Left) said "Republicans all over the country are making a desperate wager," explaining that "they're putting their last chips on the square marked 'bigotry.'" According to Waldman, Republicans are waging a "hate election" with campaigns focused on "anti-Muslim hatred" and "anti-Latino racism."

'Betrays The Jews': An opinion writer for American Thinker (Right) highlighted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D) previous comments "declaring himself the champion of the Jews," while asserting that "he has ignored his allegiances" by "condemning a fellow Democrat who refuses to support a candidate whose values, as shown by his personal and familial history, his affiliations (e.g., Hasan Piker and virulently radical Muslims), and his own statements, are anti-American and virulently antisemitic." The article said that "Schumer's furious response to Haley Stevens's endorsement of a Republican reveals that party loyalty matters more to him than his long-professed principles," adding that he "betrays the Jews and Israel."

Texas US Senate Seat

Texas Representative James Talarico (D) is facing off against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in the states race for US Senate.

'Absolutely Not A Weirdo': An opinion writer for Townhall (Right) highlighted an undercover investigation by James O'Keefe allegedly showing that those closest to Talarico "are aware that what Talarico says on the campaign trail does not exactly align with the policies he truly supports." The writer said that "Throughout the course of his campaign, Talarico has expressed views that were significantly more moderate than the policy positions he championed in the past," adding that "His strategy is to come off as a normal, sane, candidate who is absolutely not a weirdo who is obsessed with trans-identified children." According to the author, Talarico is "full of bovine excrement."

'Why Republicans Lost Texas': A Raw Story (Left) article highlighted an X post by Talarico with his niece during trick or treat saying "Happy Halloween from Princess Jane and Uncle Jimmy," with comments from "Some of Donald Trump's supporters respond[ing] with insinuations about him." The article highlighted a repost of Talarico's original post calling out the comment section and saying this "is why republicans [sic] lost Texas."    

Democratic Socialism

'Ludicrous' or 'The Real Frankenstein': An opinion writer for American Thinker said, "The Democrats' position is clear: control at all costs, even if the price is our country." The writer asserted that "Disturbingly, in today's America, a real Frankenstein exists—one on the verge of coming to life tomorrow." To the author, the Democratic party and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are the embodiment of this Frankenstein, and if they win the midterms, "will only unleash upon America a destructive monster of a sort we have never seen before." A Washington Post (Lean Left) opinion pushed back on this narrative by saying that "Democratic socialism isn't Leninism. To the author, "the best way to counter the GOP's Red Scare tactics is to firmly disavow communism." The article asserted that the claims from the GOP "are ludicrous but well aimed," explaining that "they target a weak spot in the Democratic Party: an inadequate break between self-proclaimed 'democratic socialists' and a minority of activists who are explicit Leninists."

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