longer.blue

Here's what you need to know about the upcoming elections and about how Senate and House elections work. 2026 may seem like a long way off, but in terms of campaigning it's actually a very short time. And don't forget that some of the harsher aspects of the Big Beautiful Act don't take effect until right after the 2026 midterm elections, so the Republicans are hoping people won't defect before the midterms because they won't feel the bulk of the horribleness until after they have voted! It's our job to make people realize - including the people who voted for this mess and who are just now starting to realize that it's not what they voted for - that it's time to take back our democracy! We can't afford to be complacent, we need to keep what's happening in front of people every day between now and November 4, 2026! And we need to start supporting the Democrat challengers to the Republican senators and representatives now if we have any hope of regaining a majority in either chamber. And it helps to remember that the Republicans are under Trump's thumb, there's really nothing they can do; Democrats and Republicans used to be sparring partners, not enemies, and we need to get back to that again. Sadly, reasonable or moderate Republicans who might otherwise run for election themselves don't stand a chance, as Trump will just back a different Republican challenger. Here are a few things that you need to know about the 2026 midterm elections: Senate Elections ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are elections for United States Senators during presidential election years (such as 2024), and during midterm election years (such as the upcoming 2026 elections). There are 100 senators; senate seats are held for 6 years, and the 100 senators are divided roughly into thirds and assigned to a group known as a "class", class I, class II, and class III (sometimes referred to as class 1, class 2, and class 3). Every two years one of the senate classes is up for reelection. So in 2024 the senators in class I were up for reelection, in 2026 the senators in class II are up for reelection, and the senators in class III will be up for reelection in 2028. We need to focus on the Democrat challengers to the Republican senators who are in class II and will be running for reelection next year. House Elections ~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are 435 members in the House of Representatives, and they all serve a 2-year term. That's right, that means that everybody in the House has to run for reelection every two years, which also means that, technically, all 435 seats are up for grabs. Of course, practically speaking many of them are entrenched in solidly red or solidly blue districts. But upsets happen! Stay tuned for information about specific actions to take, how to find out who are the Democrat challenges in your state and district, how to support them, and more!