Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The 2026 midterms are the opening act for 2028, and this explainer breaks down what this year's races are already telling us about the next presidential race. Newsnation’s Elizabeth Prann, with analysis from Kurt Bardella and NewsNation's Steven Joachim, walks through the electoral architecture before digging into the states that reveal the most: Texas, where a Talarico-Paxton contest could be seismic; Michigan and Wisconsin, where the Democrats' progressive-versus-establishment fight is playing out; Georgia and Colorado, where voters seem to be interested in electability; and New York, a stress test for the party's future. From there it maps the emerging 2028 contenders: Ossoff, AOC, Buttigieg, Newsom, and rising governors on the Democratic side; and Vance, Rubio, DeSantis, and wildcard Tucker Carlson on the Republican side. The throughline being, while 2026 may not tell us who will win for sure in 2028, it does show which states each party is fighting to claim.
Guests: Kurt Bardella, Cohost, Party Lines Podcast; Steven Joachim, Newsnation Executive Producer Of Research & Content
Chapters List:
0:00 - Why 2026 Is The Opening Act For 2028
01:31 - What Does 2026 Actually Decide?
2:51 - Texas: A Political Earthquake?
3:24 - Michigan: El-Sayed And The Progressive Shift
4:19 - Wisconsin: Progressive Vs. Establishment
6:08 - Georgia: Ossoff, And A Governor's Race Surprise
8:36 - Colorado: A Warning, Not A Revolution
10:18 - South Carolina & New York: Stress Tests
12:05 - The 2028 Democratic Field
14:40 - The 2028 Republican Field
15:41 - The GOP Contenders: Vance, Rubio, Desantis & More
18:49 - Why History Signals A Blue Wave
19:45 - Looking Forward
Credits:
NewsNation National Correspondent: Elizabeth Prann
Executive Producer: Andy Gipson
Editorial Producer: Meagan Ourada
Segment Producer: Christine Jenkinson
Associate Producers: Mekhi Rhodes
Editor: Irit Nayden
#Elections #Midterms #Texas #Michigan #Wisconsin #Georgia #Colorado #SouthCarolina #NewYork #Voting
The 2026 midterms are the opening act for 2028, and this explainer breaks down what this year's races are already telling us about the next presidential race. Newsnation’s Elizabeth Prann, with analysis from Kurt Bardella and NewsNation's Steven Joachim, walks through the electoral architecture before digging into the states that reveal the most: Texas, where a Talarico-Paxton contest could be seismic; Michigan and Wisconsin, where the Democrats' progressive-versus-establishment fight is playing out; Georgia and Colorado, where voters seem to be interested in electability; and New York, a stress test for the party's future. From there it maps the emerging 2028 contenders: Ossoff, AOC, Buttigieg, Newsom, and rising governors on the Democratic side; and Vance, Rubio, DeSantis, and wildcard Tucker Carlson on the Republican side. The throughline being, while 2026 may not tell us who will win for sure in 2028, it does show which states each party is fighting to claim.
Guests: Kurt Bardella, Cohost, Party Lines Podcast; Steven Joachim, Newsnation Executive Producer Of Research & Content
Chapters List:
0:00 - Why 2026 Is The Opening Act For 2028
01:31 - What Does 2026 Actually Decide?
2:51 - Texas: A Political Earthquake?
3:24 - Michigan: El-Sayed And The Progressive Shift
4:19 - Wisconsin: Progressive Vs. Establishment
6:08 - Georgia: Ossoff, And A Governor's Race Surprise
8:36 - Colorado: A Warning, Not A Revolution
10:18 - South Carolina & New York: Stress Tests
12:05 - The 2028 Democratic Field
14:40 - The 2028 Republican Field
15:41 - The GOP Contenders: Vance, Rubio, Desantis & More
18:49 - Why History Signals A Blue Wave
19:45 - Looking Forward
Credits:
NewsNation National Correspondent: Elizabeth Prann
Executive Producer: Andy Gipson
Editorial Producer: Meagan Ourada
Segment Producer: Christine Jenkinson
Associate Producers: Mekhi Rhodes
Editor: Irit Nayden
#Elections #Midterms #Texas #Michigan #Wisconsin #Georgia #Colorado #SouthCarolina #NewYork #Voting
