Analysis: The huge stakes of an unusually momentous midterm election | CNN Politics
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Midterm elections are always a verdict on a sitting president. But the 2026 edition could become something rarer and more significant — a catalyst that points the way to a new political era.
Voting booths in Silver Spring, Maryland, on October 22.
Allison Robbert/AP
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Midterm elections are always a verdict on a sitting president. But the 2026 edition could become something rarer and more significant — a catalyst that points the way to a new political era.
Tuesday’s election is critical for Trump’s presidency and legacy. It could either sustain the MAGA movement’s decadelong grip on national life or initiate its decline. It could result in redemption for Democrats two years after their crushing defeat in the last presidential election. And in both parties, it will demarcate the opening chapters of the 2028 presidential race.
