This story is part of a series of monthly snapshots from the Washington Examiner, titled Midterm Countdown, gauging the state of the 2026 election cycle.The 2026 election is shaping up to be another test of how much “candidate quality” matters to voters, and the answer could very well decide which party controls Congress next year.Democrats are poised to nominate Graham Platner as their candidate for Senate in Maine despite a “sexting” scandal that has raised fresh doubts about his ability to defeat five-term incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
In Texas, Republicans have grudgingly embraced state Attorney General Ken Paxton after they tried, and failed, to prop up incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) with more than $100 million in campaign spending. Paxton has been dogged by corruption allegations and an affair that led to his 2023 impeachment in the Texas House.
The Paxton and Platner races are hardly the only ones hinging on voters’ willingness to overlook a candidate’s flaws. In the House, both parties are dealing with candidates accused of affairs, insider trading, and more.
But the test cases in Texas and Maine, two states that will decide who controls the Senate next year, have outsize implications for each party – and are notable for how far leadership went to box out their respective candidates.
