WASHINGTON (October 26, 2026) – With all 435 voting seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 U.S. Senate seats scheduled for election, the results could reshape the balance of power in Washington and influence the direction of federal policy for the remainder of President Donald Trump's second term.
As Americans prepare to head to the polls for the 2026 midterm elections, experts at George Washington University are available to provide analysis and commentary on the issues shaping the election, including congressional control, voter behavior, the economy, immigration, health care, reproductive rights, misinformation, and national security. To schedule an interview with a GW expert, contact GW Media Relations at [email protected].
Political Strategy & Congressional Control
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is the executive director of GSPM and a former U.S. representative from Florida. Drawing on her experience in Congress and political leadership, she can offer insight into congressional campaigns, voter engagement, political strategy, and the challenges facing candidates in competitive races.
Todd Belt is a professor of political management and director of the Political Management Program. His expertise includes campaigns and elections, the presidency, public opinion, political messaging, and mass media. He can discuss campaign strategies, voter sentiment, competitive congressional races, and the implications of the election results for the Trump Administration.
Casey Burgat is the director of the Legislative Affairs Program and an expert on congressional operations, legislative capacity, and institutional reform. He can discuss how changes in House or Senate control could affect legislative priorities, congressional leadership, government oversight, and the relationship between Congress and the White House.
Political Communication & Voter Behavior
Peter Loge is an associate professor of media and public affairs and leads GW's Project on Ethics in Political Communication. With decades of experience in politics and communications, he can discuss campaign messaging, political advertising, communication ethics, and strategies candidates use to reach voters.
Ethan Porter is an associate professor of media and public affairs and political science whose research focuses on public opinion, political psychology, and misinformation. He can discuss the impact of misleading political claims, fact-checking, and the influence of campaign messaging on voter perceptions.
Quardricos Bernard Driskell is the director of government relations for The Academy Advisors. The Academy Advisors is a private cooperative membership offered by The Health Management Academy that brings together 20-30 of the largest domestic integrated health systems to drive high-impact healthcare policy and reform.
Voting Rights
Spencer Overton is a professor of law at George Washington University and has expertise in how election denial threatens democracy, along with tracking voter suppression methods. He is the author of Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression and the president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which was founded in 1970 and is America’s Black think tank.
International Affairs & National Security
Gordon Gray, Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the GW Elliott School of International Affairs. Gray worked for the U.S. government for 35 years. Gray’s public service included U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia from 2009-2012, Senior Advisor to the Ambassador in Iraq from 2008-2009, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from 2005- 2008. His other foreign assignments included Egypt (where he served as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2002 until 2005), Canada, Jordan, Pakistan, and Morocco, where he began his career as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Alexander Downes, professor of political science and international affairs, and co-director of the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies at GW. Downes's book Targeting Civilians in War was published by Cornell University Press in 2008 and won the Joseph Lepgold Prize awarded by Georgetown University for the best book in international relations published in that year. Downes has written on a variety of subjects in international security, including civilian victimization, foreign-imposed regime change, military effectiveness, democracy, coercion, alliances, and solutions to civil wars.
Healthcare & Policy
Sara Rosenbaum is the Emeritus Professor of Health Policy and Management, and previously served as founding Chair of the Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Health Policy at George Washington University. She is a nationally recognized expert on health care access for vulnerable populations.
Leighton Ku, a professor of health policy and management and Director of the Center for Health Policy Research at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, is a health policy researcher and public policy analyst. He is an expert in national and state health reforms and how to improve access to affordable health care for vulnerable populations.
Richard Ricciardi is associate dean for Clinical Practice and Community Engagement in the GW School of Nursing and the executive director for the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement.
Tony Yang is a professor in health policy at the George Washington University School of Nursing with a joint appointment at the Milken Institute School of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy and Management.
Economy & Government Spending
Tara Sinclair is the chair of the GW Department of Economics and is the former director of the GW Center for Economic Research. Her research models, explains, and forecasts macroeconomic fluctuations and trends. She also evaluates forecasts, particularly with respect to their role in policy and decision-making. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in macroeconomics and econometrics.
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