The Aporia
The Aporia
McDonnell, T. (2026, November 3). Gas on the ballot in US elections. Semafor. https://www.semafor.com/article/11/03/2026/gas-on-the-ballot-in-us-elections
McDonnell, Tim. “Gas on the ballot in US elections.” Semafor, 3 Nov. 2026, https://www.semafor.com/article/11/03/2026/gas-on-the-ballot-in-us-elections.
McDonnell, Tim. “Gas on the ballot in US elections.” Semafor, November 3, 2026. https://www.semafor.com/article/11/03/2026/gas-on-the-ballot-in-us-elections.
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On November 3, 2026, Americans voted in the midterm elections determining control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term. These elections saw all 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats up for grabs. Polling suggested a potentially disastrous outcome for Republicans, with Democrats likely to regain majority in the House and possibly in the Senate as well. Key issues included election integrity, extremism, and policy priorities like reinstating parts of the Affordable Care Act. The elections were marked by significant campaign twists, including the unexpected death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and questions about operatives' involvement in various races.
Today’s US election is a test of how much voters will want to punish the president for soaring gasoline and power prices.
Energy costs are always an important factor in elections; gas prices are the only economic indicator displayed in big bold numbers at major intersections.
Since the oil embargoes of the 1970s, US presidents have been keenly aware that Americans have a very limited willingness to tolerate pain at the pump in the service of foreign policy objectives.
If Democrats succeed in regaining a majority in one or both houses of Congress, the US energy story is in for big changes over the next two years.
