The 2026 midterm elections will shape the political landscape for the remainder of President Trump’s term and set the stage for the 2028 presidential election. Beyond determining control of Congress and key state offices, the elections will test the strength of democratic institutions amid ongoing polarization, shifting voter coalitions, evolving election laws, and changing patterns of civic engagement.
This webinar will bring together leading scholars and practitioners to examine the political, institutional, and civic dynamics driving the upcoming elections. Panelists will explore the historical significance of midterm elections, the factors most likely to influence voter behavior, and the implications of the results for governance, public trust, and the health of American democracy.
Topics will include the electoral environment heading into November, emerging demographic and geographic trends, the impact of media and technology on campaigns, and what the outcomes may reveal about the public’s confidence in political institutions.
Join us for a timely discussion of one of the most consequential political events of the year and what it may mean for the future of American self-government.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
David W. Brady is the Davies Family Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Hoover Institution and an emeritus professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Morris Fiorina is the Wendt Family Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution. His research focuses primarily on representation and elections. He has published dozens of articles and written or edited fifteen books, most recently, Unstable Majorities Continue: The Trump Era (Hoover Institution Press, 2026).
Douglas Rivers is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor of political science at Stanford University. He is also the chief scientist at YouGov plc, a global polling firm.
Daron R. Shaw is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies American politics, public opinion, voting, campaigns, elections, and survey methods. He is the author of five books and dozens of refereed journal articles. Shaw was a strategist in three presidential election campaigns and is a member of the Fox News decision desk and polling team.
Lynn Vavreck is the Marvin Hoffenberg Professor of American Politics and Public Policy at UCLA, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a contributor to The New York Times. She is also the recipient of the Andrew F. Carnegie Award in the Humanities and Social Sciences. She teaches courses and writes about campaigns, elections, and public opinion and is the author or coauthor of six books, including The Bitter End: The 2020 Presidential Election & the Challenge to American Democracy (Blackstone, 2022).
Moderator:
Brandice Canes-Wrone is the Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, professor of political science at Stanford University, and the founding director of the Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions. She is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Sciences and Letters.
