2026 Midterm Races See Nearly 12 Candidate Exits as Scandals and Ballot Tactics Upend Campaigns
Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Aug 11
2026 Midterm Races See Nearly 12 Candidate Exits as Scandals and Ballot Tactics Upend Campaigns
1 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Aug 11
Summary
Nearly a dozen 2026 midterm candidates have quit or faced intense pressure to quit over the past three months, making withdrawals a defining feature of the campaign summer.
Montana crystallized the trend Monday: Democrat Alani Bankhead refused to leave the Senate race before the ballot deadline, even though polling shows independent Seth Bodnar ties Republican Kurt Alme head-to-head but a three-way race lets Alme win by 20 points.
Scandals have driven many of the exits, including sexual-harassment findings that pushed North Carolina Republican Chuck Edwards out and assault allegations that toppled Maine Democrat Graham Platner and California's Eric Swalwell; Ohio Republican Max Miller also faces resignation calls over abuse allegations he denies.
Strategic withdrawals have also spread across both parties, with Democratic Senate nominees in Nebraska, South Dakota and Idaho stepping aside after winning primaries to help independents, while Wisconsin's governor's race was reshuffled by successive Democratic dropouts.
With nearly three months until Election Day, the churn has forced campaigns to focus on state replacement deadlines as much as on the usual midterm issues.