--- title: "2026 election issues: where candidates stand" url: "https://www.2026election.com/issues" updated: "2026-10-09" source: "Candidates' campaign sites and Ballotpedia, quoted verbatim" publisher: "Pluribus" --- # 2026 election issues: where candidates stand Every settled race carries an issue guide. Grouped by topic, they show where the 2026 midterms are actually being contested — which topics campaigns lead with, and where each party’s nominees have published documented positions. 17 topics · 499 issue guides · 4655 issue mentions · 9175 verbatim quotes ## All seventeen topics, in full. Every topic across every settled race’s issue guide — and in how many of those races each party’s nominee has published a documented position. Bar length is documentation, not support: the gray track is every race where the topic appears. Every row opens that topic’s page. - [Economy & cost of living](https://www.2026election.com/issues/economy-cost-of-living.md) — 488 races; Democratic nominee documented in 446 of 488, Republican in 418 of 488 - [Immigration & border security](https://www.2026election.com/issues/immigration-border-security.md) — 465 races; Democratic nominee documented in 343 of 465, Republican in 370 of 465 - [Healthcare](https://www.2026election.com/issues/healthcare.md) — 461 races; Democratic nominee documented in 426 of 461, Republican in 312 of 461 - [Energy & environment](https://www.2026election.com/issues/energy-environment.md) — 392 races; Democratic nominee documented in 335 of 392, Republican in 299 of 392 - [Education](https://www.2026election.com/issues/education.md) — 350 races; Democratic nominee documented in 313 of 350, Republican in 275 of 350 - [Abortion & reproductive rights](https://www.2026election.com/issues/abortion-reproductive-rights.md) — 337 races; Democratic nominee documented in 268 of 337, Republican in 199 of 337 - [Government reform & ethics](https://www.2026election.com/issues/government-reform-ethics.md) — 331 races; Democratic nominee documented in 293 of 331, Republican in 268 of 331 - [Democracy & elections](https://www.2026election.com/issues/democracy-elections.md) — 291 races; Democratic nominee documented in 255 of 291, Republican in 210 of 291 - [Guns](https://www.2026election.com/issues/guns.md) — 276 races; Democratic nominee documented in 169 of 276, Republican in 218 of 276 - [Crime & public safety](https://www.2026election.com/issues/crime-public-safety.md) — 260 races; Democratic nominee documented in 216 of 260, Republican in 219 of 260 - [Foreign policy & defense](https://www.2026election.com/issues/foreign-policy-defense.md) — 257 races; Democratic nominee documented in 201 of 257, Republican in 197 of 257 - [Taxes & government spending](https://www.2026election.com/issues/taxes-government-spending.md) — 246 races; Democratic nominee documented in 212 of 246, Republican in 213 of 246 - [Veterans](https://www.2026election.com/issues/veterans.md) — 197 races; Democratic nominee documented in 153 of 197, Republican in 155 of 197 - [Housing](https://www.2026election.com/issues/housing.md) — 149 races; Democratic nominee documented in 135 of 149, Republican in 76 of 149 - [Agriculture & rural](https://www.2026election.com/issues/agriculture-rural.md) — 142 races; Democratic nominee documented in 118 of 142, Republican in 118 of 142 - [Infrastructure & transportation](https://www.2026election.com/issues/infrastructure-transportation.md) — 130 races; Democratic nominee documented in 112 of 130, Republican in 84 of 130 - [Social Security & retirement](https://www.2026election.com/issues/social-security-retirement.md) — 70 races; Democratic nominee documented in 60 of 70, Republican in 40 of 70 499 issue guides · topics grouped by keyword · a race can appear under more than one topic · as of October 9, 2026 ## What they shout — and what they shelve. Campaigns tell you their priorities with volume. Every issue mention carries a salience flag: high means the campaign is pounding the table, low means it’s box-checking. The spread is the strategy. Salience is ordinal — the ramp stays grayscale because urgency isn’t a party fact. - [Economy & cost of living](https://www.2026election.com/issues/economy-cost-of-living.md): 475 high, 70 medium, 9 low - [Taxes & government spending](https://www.2026election.com/issues/taxes-government-spending.md): 208 high, 49 medium, 7 low - [Immigration & border security](https://www.2026election.com/issues/immigration-border-security.md): 264 high, 193 medium, 9 low - [Healthcare](https://www.2026election.com/issues/healthcare.md): 273 high, 197 medium, 19 low - [Housing](https://www.2026election.com/issues/housing.md): 64 high, 67 medium, 18 low - [Abortion & reproductive rights](https://www.2026election.com/issues/abortion-reproductive-rights.md): 109 high, 197 medium, 31 low - [Crime & public safety](https://www.2026election.com/issues/crime-public-safety.md): 81 high, 168 medium, 29 low - [Agriculture & rural](https://www.2026election.com/issues/agriculture-rural.md): 41 high, 79 medium, 36 low - [Government reform & ethics](https://www.2026election.com/issues/government-reform-ethics.md): 62 high, 227 medium, 61 low - [Energy & environment](https://www.2026election.com/issues/energy-environment.md): 69 high, 294 medium, 36 low - [Social Security & retirement](https://www.2026election.com/issues/social-security-retirement.md): 11 high, 38 medium, 21 low - [Education](https://www.2026election.com/issues/education.md): 51 high, 243 medium, 56 low - [Infrastructure & transportation](https://www.2026election.com/issues/infrastructure-transportation.md): 16 high, 85 medium, 30 low - [Democracy & elections](https://www.2026election.com/issues/democracy-elections.md): 33 high, 205 medium, 53 low - [Guns](https://www.2026election.com/issues/guns.md): 23 high, 173 medium, 80 low - [Foreign policy & defense](https://www.2026election.com/issues/foreign-policy-defense.md): 22 high, 173 medium, 79 low - [Veterans](https://www.2026election.com/issues/veterans.md): 12 high, 105 medium, 80 low 4655 issue mentions · topics grouped by keyword · a race can appear under more than one topic · as of October 9, 2026 Topics are an editorial grouping: each race names its own issues in its own words, and we bucket those names by keyword. An issue can match more than one topic — “Economy and Taxes” counts under both — so topic counts overlap and sum past the number of issue mentions. Positions are documented, not inferred; where a candidate hasn’t published one, the race page says so. Data gathered October 9, 2026.