Midterms Will Shape the Future of the States—and Our Day-to-Day Lives

Much ink has been spilled about the ramifications of the 2026 midterms, often with a focus on which party will end up with majorities in the U.S. House and Senate. But this election is about far more than who will control Congress. At the state level, voters in 36 states will elect governors, and 83% of all state legislative seats are up for election. The victors in these races will have a tremendous ability to shape the everyday lives of Americans.

As the federal balance of power for the next two years becomes clear, state and local policymakers will be charting the course closer to home. State governments have the power to enact public policy ranging from the monumental to the mundane—all the way from defining murder down to defining which species of fish you can catch, with what equipment, and even where you can park your RV while doing it.

It is difficult to overstate what hangs in the balance of Tuesday night’s election results. Recent actions in several states demonstrate the stakes.

This year, left-wing majorities in state legislatures have advanced destructive and barbaric pieces of legislation. Massachusetts enacted a law legalizing the killing of unborn children until birth. Illinois legalized changing one’s gender on official state IDs and driver’s licenses. New York prohibited state and local agencies from cooperating with immigration enforcement, even as we read of senseless deaths caused by illegal aliens month after month.

These laws weaken the protections for life, disregard biological reality, and create public safety risks for Americans.

But there is another path.

State legislatures and governors can advance policies that protect and strengthen freedom and traditional American values rather than seeking to destroy them. Expanding education freedom, strengthening election integrity, countering the malign influence of adversaries like China, protecting the unborn, and making energy more abundant and affordable are all within the purview of state governments.

Securing durable policy victories depends on informed and engaged citizens and elected officials willing to take up the mantle of defending our great country and way of life.

This year, Heritage Action has equipped and mobilized grassroots advocates, worked with lawmakers, and celebrated the enactment of meaningful conservative policies across the country, including legislation strengthening election administration and citizenship verification safeguards, increasing immigration enforcement, and rejecting DEI and gender ideology.

These laws and others like them are the result of elected officials and engaged citizens with sound policy ideas working together to preserve the good life for millions of Americans.

As voters head to the polls, they carry with them the keys to the future. Every federal, state, and local race represents a vehicle to advance a vision for our nation. The state and federal leaders elected on Tuesday will set policy agendas that will impact all facets of our lives.

While there are diverging paths before us, Heritage Action will continue to equip and empower Americans with the policy solutions and skills necessary to secure our Republic for future generations, regardless of electoral outcomes.

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