Midterm elections 2026: all the news

The 2026 midterm elections will hold significant implications for President Donald Trump's final two years in office, as well as providing a glimpse into voter priorities heading into the 2028 presidential election. While affordability will likely be the dominant theme of this year's races, several issues related to the tech industry are expected to resonate with voters, including concerns about data centers, energy costs, AI safety, and the expansion of surveillance technology via Flock.

Among the various topics on the voters' radar, there are concerns about how to tax billionaires' wealth in California, which has driven substantial tech spending and creative stock class structures to keep tech executives in the state. Prop 45, a ballot measure in California, could potentially contain a loophole for data centers.

In Texas, voters' disapproval of data centers has united Republican politicians, leading them to embrace anti-Indian racism, which may potentially cost them votes in the upcoming election. Meta made a deal to prevent Mark Zuckerberg from leaving California due to its billionaire tax, while Trump has allocated $10,000 to Nick Shirley and launched a $25 million fraud bounty program.

Democrats see cracking down on AI as a potential way to gain an advantage in the midterm elections. Tech billionaires have reportedly contributed over $340 million to combat a wealth tax in California, with Elon Musk alone donating over $276 million to Republican midterm efforts.

The midterms are anticipated to be a data security nightmare, with Democrats previewing their plans to tackle the Ticketmaster settlement if they regain power. Additionally, there is an emerging backlash against AI that could impact future elections.