Voters in Six Battleground States Offer Clues Ahead of 2026 Midterms

In the weeks before the 2026 midterm elections, Morning Edition will dispatch journalists to six critical states—North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Maine and Texas—to capture voter sentiment. A fresh one outlet/one outlet/Marist poll indicates a 12-point Democratic edge in congressional races, with 45 % of respondents saying their vote is a protest against Donald Trump. Across the states, voters cite the cost of living, driven by the Iran war, tariffs and other foreign-policy factors, as their top worry.

Immigration policy, the growth of massive data centers, and recent voting-law changes also feature prominently. Reporters will probe whether traditional party loyalties persist, especially in Texas where Republicans are courting Latino voters and in Maine where cross-border trade with Canada matters. The series aims to reveal how economic, foreign-policy and procedural issues are influencing the upcoming contests.