25 claims about 2026 midterm elections candidates, investigated

As voters head to the polls on Nov. 3 in a high-stakes U.S. midterm election, we rounded up our top fact-checks related to several 2026 candidates. Rumors about some candidates — such as Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico's views on trans rights or claims that his opponent in the Senate race, Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton, was caught on video traveling to Iceland with his alleged lover — gained particular traction. Claims related to Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, including alleged family connections to militant group Hamas, also circulated. For these stories and more related to other 2026 midterm candidates, continue reading: Sources He, Casey. 'Trump's Approval Ratings Hit New Lows in Final Stretch of Midterms'. Politico, 21 Oct. 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/donald-trump-approval-rating-midterms-01128897. By Taija PerryCook Taija PerryCook is a Seattle-based journalist who previously worked for the PNW news site Crosscut and the Jordan Times in Amman. Article Tags