5 takeaways from 2026 primaries and what trouble is ahead for the midterm election

WASHINGTON — The 2026 primary elections officially wrapped on Tuesday, and after months of statewide battles, Democrats and Republicans have their lineup for the critical November battle for control of the House and Senate.Democratic incumbents were rocked by a wave of upsets from far-left challengers as their primary voters indicated that “socialism” isn’t necessarily a dirty word for them.

The real test of whether the far-left can win general election contests is still an open question heading into Nov.3.Meanwhile, on the Republican side, President Trump’s endorsement once again proved to be indomitable, with few exceptions.

But Trump’s continued dominance has raised questions about what the party will look like when he’s out of office, especially as it deals with fighting between MAGA populists and traditionalists.Here is what we learned from the 2026 primaries:Democratic primary voters were angry, not just at Trump, but also at their own leadership.They also seemed eager to rip up the old playbook in favor of insurgent candidates who were prepared to go scorched earth on Republicans and the so-called establishment.That gave rise to self-described socialists winning primaries, decimating an old taboo against the s-word.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) officially backed over half a dozen candidates who won.This included Melat Kiros in Colorado, who took down Rep.Diana DeGette, and Darializa Avila Chevalier, who dispatched Rep.

Adriano Espaillat (D-NY).Some of those upsets took place in House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-NY) backyard, where his endorsement appeared to be far less impactful than that of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.The DSA wasn’t the only source of a left-wing revolt.Numerous other hardcore lefties such as Dr.

Abdul El-Sayed and horny oyster farmer Graham Platner emerged victorious in their primaries as well, though they weren’t formally part of the DSA.Platner ultimately was forced to drop out due to rape accusat...