The 2026 election season is underway, and we know you’ve got questions. Welcome to your space to ask them.
In this thread, you can drop questions about the races, candidates and issues shaping the road to November, and USA TODAY Network reporters from across the country will do their best to answer them. We’ll be pulling in insights from our local newsrooms, explaining what’s happening on the ground and breaking down what it means for voters.
We also have an election guide with monthly updates; you can check it out For deeper dives, analysis and the latest updates, you can also follow our USA TODAY .
💬 Last month, readers across social platforms already asked us many thoughtful questions. See how our reporters responded:
Q: Why do all Republican gubernatorial candidates in Oklahoma align so hard for Trump?
A: Great question. We reached out to our friends at ( ), who said Trump is hugely popular among the state’s Republican voters, so it makes sense for candidates to tailor their messaging around the president.
They added that every county in the state has voted to elect Trump the past three election cycles. A survey in February found 81% of Republican voters in Oklahoma held a favorable view of Trump, about double his overall national approval rating. and how the candidates are reaching Trump supporters.
Their newsroom has a great politics team, so we suggest if you’d like to deepen your understanding about the state’s political landscape!
Q: In case the Democrats winning both of chambers, what does that mean, for the presidency of (Donald Trump), and 2028 elections?
A: USA TODAY’s White House reporter Bart Jansen told us that if Democrats regain control of the House or Senate – or both – the relatively cooperative relationship Trump has enjoyed with Republicans would disappear and be replaced with far more resistance:
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Legislation: Expect more standoffs over , and foreign policies.
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Investigations: Democratic-led committees would likely launch probes into Trump’s , finances and .
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Impeachment risk: Some Democrats may , though conviction in the Senate would remain unlikely without a two-thirds majority.
Q: What's happening in the Florida gubernatorial race?
A: Glad you asked, because the answer appears to be … quite a bit! Here’s what , news director of the ( ), coordinator of the Capital Bureau and author of the had to say about the :
“Florida’s 2026 governor’s race has no incumbent as term‑limited and both parties are preparing for an Aug. 18 primary ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Republicans are trying to hold a state that has trended red, while Democrats see a rare chance to flip the Governor’s Mansion. Remember: The closed-primary system means only party-registered voters will pick nominees.
“On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds , backed by President Donald Trump and strong fundraising. He’s leading in early polls over Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former House Speaker Paul Renner and . The key question is whether challengers can unify against Donalds before August.
“Democrats, who haven’t won a governor’s race in decades, are trying to capitalize despite a large GOP voter registration edge. Former Rep. David Jolly and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings , but enthusiasm is uneven.
“The best guess for now is that turnout, independents’ views on ‘affordability,’ and choice national political issues (immigration and border security, anyone?) are likely to factor in the outcome.”
Q: What are the platforms for each party on reduced funding of ICE and transparency?
A: We took this question to our Congress reporter Zachary Schermele and here’s what he said:
"Nearly every congressional Democrat has been clear that they believe ICE has more than enough money. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act infused roughly $75 billion into federal immigration enforcement. Democrats recently forced the longest-ever government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (where ICE and Border Patrol are housed), demanding a series of reforms. They pushed for a ban on widespread mask-wearing for agents, judicial warrant requirements and stricter use-of-force standards. They didn't get any of those things out of the shutdown fight, but they did manage to force Republicans to pass DHS's annual appropriations bill without explicit funding for ICE or Border Patrol. "
“Republicans approved that deal because they vowed to pass another more than $70 billion cash bill for immigration enforcement. That budget package is working its way through Congress but has been stalled by unrelated concerns within the Senate GOP conference about the Department of Justice's so-called ‘anti-weaponization’ fund. Several prominent Republicans have agreed with Democrats about a need for less mask-wearing among ICE agents, as well as reforms around training.”
Q: How tight are the races for Senator and Congress in New Hampshire?
A: If you like a quick and dirty answer, has you covered. Here’s what she had to say:
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In the Senate Democratic primary, Rep. Chris Pappas and in hypothetical general election matchups.
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The Senate Republican primary is closer. Former vs. former Massachusetts is a real race, but Sununu is likely to win.
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New Hampshire’s First District (CD1) is an open seat, so primaries on both sides feature many candidates and are fairly close. I may be doing more reporting on this race as it gets closer, but until then
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Second District (CD2) primaries on both sides are not close, with Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D) and Lily Tang Williams likely to win.
Margie added that she may be doing more on New Hampshire between now and the primary in September, so make sure to follow along with her work . And if you’re in Massachusetts or know someone who is,
Q: My state, Washington, has been a vote by mail state for over a decade. Will we be forced to change?
A: The short answer is probably not — but there’s uncertainty heading into the midterms. We asked our friends at the Kitsap Sun for some more context:
Washington has been an all vote-by-mail state since 2011, and state officials still control how elections are run. But new federal proposals could add rules for how ballots are tracked and mailed — changes state officials warn could disrupt the system close to the election.
This could mean there may be more emphasis on returning ballots early, so and make sure to have a voting plan ready!
That’s all for now, but keep the questions coming. DM us or hop in the comments and we’d be happy to take the next set of questions to our network of reporters all across the country. 👇
