Midterms 2026 · Rhetoric tracker

How the races are being argued

Every competitive Senate, governor and House race, read the same way for each candidate: the rhetorical moves they lean on, and how their tone compares with their own usual.

66 races · updated every 15 minutes · election day 3 November 2026 · Methodology

▶ Watch: how the tracker works (1:49)

Senate

Race	Candidates	Most used move	Audience impact, 30 days	Reported statements, 30 days
Michigan Senate	R Mike Rogers D Abdul El-Sayed	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.1 neutral +0.5 neutral	178 +71 own posts
Texas Senate	R Ken Paxton D James Talarico	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.1 neutral +0.5 neutral	102 +17 own posts
Maine Senate	R Susan Collins D Troy Jackson	— Absolutes	+1.2 leans reassuring 0 neutral	78 +108 own posts
Minnesota Senate	D Peggy Flanagan R Michele Tafoya	Threat & fear Threat & fear	+0.5 neutral 0 neutral	49 +79 own posts
Ohio Senate	R Jon Husted D Sherrod Brown	Absolutes Absolutes	+3 reassures or unites +0.3 neutral	40 +67 own posts
North Carolina Senate	D Roy Cooper R Michael Whatley	Threat & fear Absolutes	+0.7 leans reassuring +1.1 leans reassuring	51 +22 own posts
Alaska Senate	R Dan Sullivan D Mary Peltola	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.8 leans reassuring +0.5 neutral	24 +103 own posts
Iowa Senate	R Ashley Hinson D Josh Turek	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.7 leans reassuring +0.4 neutral	48
South Carolina Senate	R Darline Graham D Annie Andrews	Threat & fear Absolutes	+1.8 leans reassuring +0.6 leans reassuring	38 +5 own posts
Kansas Senate	R Roger Marshall D Adam Hamilton	Absolutes Absolutes	−0.5 neutral +0.3 neutral	33
New Hampshire Senate	D Chris Pappas R John E. Sununu	Absolutes Threat & fear	+0.9 leans reassuring −0.4 neutral	13 +48 own posts
Nebraska Senate	R Pete Ricketts I Dan Osborn	Us vs. them Absolutes	+1.3 leans reassuring +0.1 neutral	17
Georgia Senate	D Jon Ossoff R Mike Collins	Absolutes Deniability hedge	−0.2 neutral +1 leans reassuring	2 +17 own posts

Governor

Race	Candidates	Most used move	Audience impact, 30 days	Reported statements, 30 days
Oregon governor	D Tina Kotek R Christine Drazan	Absolutes Absolutes	+1.1 leans reassuring +0.5 neutral	27 +101 own posts
Iowa governor	D Rob Sand R Zach Lahn	Absolutes Absolutes	+1.2 leans reassuring +1.1 leans reassuring	51
Wisconsin governor	D David Crowley R Tom Tiffany	Vague promise Absolutes	+1 leans reassuring +0.4 neutral	49
Alaska governor	D Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins R Bernadette Wilson R Dave Bronson R Treg Taylor	Absolutes Absolutes Absolutes Absolutes	+1.3 leans reassuring −0.2 neutral −0.3 neutral +1.4 leans reassuring	42
Georgia governor	D Keisha Lance Bottoms R Rick Jackson	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.5 neutral +0.6 leans reassuring	42
Nevada governor	R Joe Lombardo D Aaron Ford	Threat & fear Absolutes	+2.2 reassures or unites +0.4 neutral	36 +24 own posts
Michigan governor	D Jocelyn Benson R John James	Absolutes —	+1.6 leans reassuring 0 neutral	37
Ohio governor	R Vivek Ramaswamy D Amy Acton	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.7 leans reassuring +0.4 neutral	36
Kansas governor	R Ty Masterson D Cindy Holscher	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.3 neutral +0.8 leans reassuring	19
Arizona governor	D Katie Hobbs R Andy Biggs	Absolutes Absolutes	+1.3 leans reassuring −0.3 neutral	16

House

Race	Candidates	Most used move	Audience impact, 30 days	Meantly read	Reported statements, 30 days
NY-17 New York's 17th district	R Mike Lawler D Cait Conley	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.6 leans reassuring +0.6 leans reassuring		33 +117 own posts
NJ-07 New Jersey's 7th district	R Tom Kean Jr. D Rebecca Bennett	Absolutes Absolutes	+2.4 reassures or unites +1.3 leans reassuring		43 +50 own posts
AZ-06 Arizona's 6th district	R Juan Ciscomani D JoAnna Mendoza	Absolutes Absolutes	+2.5 reassures or unites +1.5 leans reassuring		28
CA-22 California's 22nd district	R David Valadao D Randy Villegas	Absolutes Absolutes	+1.7 leans reassuring +0.8 leans reassuring		28
MT-01 Montana's 1st district	R Aaron Flint D Sam Forstag	Absolutes Absolutes	+1.2 leans reassuring +0.6 leans reassuring		27
OH-09 Ohio's 9th district	D Marcy Kaptur R Derek Merrin	Absolutes Absolutes	+2 reassures or unites −0.2 neutral		27
WA-03 Washington's 3rd district	D Marie Gluesenkamp Perez R John Braun	Absolutes Absolutes	+1.6 leans reassuring +0.7 leans reassuring		26
NM-02 New Mexico's 2nd district	D Gabe Vasquez R Greg Cunningham	Threat & fear Absolutes	+0.8 leans reassuring +0.4 neutral		25
PA-08 Pennsylvania's 8th district	R Rob Bresnahan D Paige Cognetti	Absolutes Absolutes	+1.7 leans reassuring +1.4 leans reassuring		23
TX-28 Texas's 28th district	D Henry Cuellar R Tano Tijerina	Absolutes Absolutes	+1.1 leans reassuring +0.5 neutral		23
CO-05 Colorado's 5th district	R Jeff Crank D Jessica Killin	Absolutes Absolutes	+1.4 leans reassuring +0.1 neutral		22
FL-25 Florida's 25th district	D Jared Moskowitz R Scott Singer	Threat & fear Threat & fear	+0.2 neutral 0 neutral		22
CA-48 California's 48th district	D Marni von Wilpert R Jim Desmond	Threat & fear Absolutes	−0.2 neutral +1.4 leans reassuring		21
IA-01 Iowa's 1st district	R Mariannette Miller-Meeks D Christina Bohannan	Threat & fear Threat & fear	+0.9 leans reassuring +1 leans reassuring		21
IA-03 Iowa's 3rd district	R Zach Nunn D Sarah Trone Garriott	Absolutes Absolutes	+2.1 reassures or unites +0.5 neutral		20
OH-01 Ohio's 1st district	D Greg Landsman R Eric Conroy	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.8 leans reassuring +0.3 neutral		9 +33 own posts
FL-27 Florida's 27th district	R María Elvira Salazar D Eliott Rodriguez	Threat & fear Absolutes	+4.3 reassures or unites +0.9 leans reassuring		17
IA-02 Iowa's 2nd district	R Joe Mitchell D Lindsay James	Vague promise Threat & fear	+0.3 neutral +0.8 leans reassuring		17
NC-11 North Carolina's 11th district	D Jamie Ager R Jennifer Balkcom	Absolutes —	+1.4 leans reassuring +0.2 neutral		10 +24 own posts
VA-02 Virginia's 2nd district	R Jen Kiggans D Elaine Luria	Absolutes Absolutes	+2.2 reassures or unites +0.7 leans reassuring		16
NC-01 North Carolina's 1st district	D Don Davis R Laurie Buckhout	Absolutes Threat & fear	+1.9 leans reassuring −0.8 leans negative		15
MI-07 Michigan's 7th district	R Tom Barrett D Will Lawrence	Absolutes —	+1.4 leans reassuring +1 leans reassuring		14
VA-01 Virginia's 1st district	R Rob Wittman D Shannon Taylor	Threat & fear Absolutes	−1 leans negative +1.1 leans reassuring		14
FL-13 Florida's 13th district	R Anna Paulina Luna D Leela Gray	Absolutes Us vs. them	+1 leans reassuring +0.6 leans reassuring		13
FL-14 Florida's 14th district	D Kathy Castor R Mike Beltran	Threat & fear Absolutes	+0.9 leans reassuring 0 neutral		10 +12 own posts
NE-02 Nebraska's 2nd district	D Denise Powell R Brinker Harding	Absolutes Absolutes	+0.7 leans reassuring +1 leans reassuring		13
NY-03 New York's 3rd district	D Tom Suozzi R Mike LiPetri	Absolutes Leverage	+1.4 leans reassuring −1.5 leans negative		13
WI-03 Wisconsin's 3rd district	R Derrick Van Orden D Rebecca Cooke	Leverage Leverage	+0.4 neutral +2.2 reassures or unites		13
PA-07 Pennsylvania's 7th district	R Ryan Mackenzie D Bob Brooks	Absolutes Absolutes	+1 leans reassuring +0.3 neutral		12
PA-10 Pennsylvania's 10th district	R Scott Perry D Janelle Stelson	Threat & fear Absolutes	0 neutral +0.7 leans reassuring		11
WI-01 Wisconsin's 1st district	R Bryan Steil D Mitchell Berman	Us vs. them Absolutes	+1.6 leans reassuring +1.3 leans reassuring		11
AZ-01 Arizona's 1st district	D Amish Shah R Jay Feely	Us vs. them Us vs. them	−0.4 neutral +0.6 leans reassuring		10
CO-08 Colorado's 8th district	R Gabe Evans D Manny Rutinel	— Absolutes	— +0.7 leans reassuring	—	10
FL-22 Florida's 22nd district	D Pia Dandiya R Casey Askar	Absolutes Vague promise	+0.8 leans reassuring +0.6 leans reassuring		10
NV-03 Nevada's 3rd district	D Susie Lee R Marty O'Donnell	Absolutes Us vs. them	+0.9 leans reassuring +2 reassures or unites		2 +32 own posts
OH-07 Ohio's 7th district	R Max Miller D Brian Poindexter	Threat & fear Absolutes	— +0.4 neutral		3 +28 own posts
TX-15 Texas's 15th district	R Monica De La Cruz D Bobby Pulido	Absolutes Absolutes	+4 reassures or unites 0 neutral		9
MI-04 Michigan's 4th district	R Bill Huizenga D Sean McCann	Absolutes Deniability hedge	0 neutral +0.5 neutral		8
NY-04 New York's 4th district	D Laura Gillen R Jeanine Driscoll	Threat & fear Threat & fear	+1.8 leans reassuring +1.5 leans reassuring		7
TX-35 Texas's 35th district	R Carlos De La Cruz D Johnny Garcia	— Threat & fear	0 neutral +0.8 leans reassuring		6
TX-34 Texas's 34th district	D Vicente Gonzalez R Eric Flores	Absolutes Us vs. them	+3 reassures or unites −0.5 neutral		5
CA-13 California's 13th district	D Adam Gray R Kevin Lincoln	Absolutes Threat & fear	+4 reassures or unites +2 reassures or unites		2
MI-10 Michigan's 10th district	R Michael Bouchard Jr. D Christina Hines	— Vague promise	— +2 reassures or unites	—	1

Races are the competitive contests rated by the Cook Political Report in late September 2026. Each candidate is read with the same method. Audience impact is the average likely effect of their statements on the audience they target, from −5 (alarm, anger, division) to +5 (reassurance, unity); it describes effect, not truth. The Meantly read, an AI brief across everything a candidate said in the last 30 days, opens with Reveal for Pro members. Methodology, sources and known gaps