2026 Election
Election 2026: A Political Earthquake
How close were the forecasters? And what happens next?
Now that the votes are actually in, it’s time to take stock. There are still races that are too close to call. Overall, however, the Tuesday vote was a remarkable Democratic win . The effect will be to hinder Trump’s anti-environmental campaign while expanding state support for clean energy. The vote counting for 2026 is not yet over, but the 2028 presidential campaign has now begun.
CONTINUE READINGShhh: The 2026 Midterms Were a Climate Election
The Drain is a roundup of environmental and climate news from Legal Planet.
The topic of climate change was mostly missing from the midterm campaign trail and yet the election results could go down as the biggest climate election in U.S. history. Both things can be true. Yes, mentions of climate change in 2026 were sparse on the campaign trail and they disappeared from press releases issued by …
Continue reading “Shhh: The 2026 Midterms Were a Climate Election”
CONTINUE READINGWhy the Midterms Matter for Energy & Environment
Trump could still pursue his fossil fuel dominance agenda – but not as easily.
Trump still can take many administrative actions regardless of who controls Congress. But the election still matters for the future of the U.S. energy system and the planet. A President who has the support of a united Congress can do a lot more than a President who must contend with serious congressional opposition. Here’s why it matters.
CONTINUE READINGWho Will Control the Next Congress?
The election could be very close — or things could break hard for one party.
As we get closer to the election, there are no doubt surprises ahead. Still, we can get a sense of where things are heading based on current information. Who controls Congress will impact a lot of issues, including environment and energy. Even with a President as wilfull as Trump, Congress has significant levers to pull. I’ll take a look at the key races. At present things look very close.
CONTINUE READINGFour Tight House Races in California
None of these is a true toss-up, but they’re still very much in contention.
I can only see four California congressional districts where Republicans seems to have any reasonable chance (apart from those where Republicans have been packed as part of the gerrymander). They all lean at least slightly Democratic, but the Democrats are far from having these races locked down. I’ll start with the race that seems most in question and move to others that are tougher challenges for Republicans.
CONTINUE READINGElection 2026: Three Months to Go
Gerrymandering has given House Republicans a boost, and the Senate leans toward the GOP, but it still promises to be a real horse race.
Given partisan polarization on climate change and other environmental issues, the composition of Congress makes a big impact. We’re three months from election day. This post scopes out what things look like now. Obviously, things will change between now and the election. It’s worth reflecting, however, on how it would impact policy if current trends …
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CONTINUE READINGThe 2026 Election and the Environment
Trump will still be able to take a lot of anti-environmental actions. But not as many as today.
I published a post a week ago about prospects for the upcoming 2026 elections. I didn’t say much, however, about why the results will matter for the environment. No matter what happens electorally, Trump will still be in the White House and able to use executive powers to favor fossil fuels and bulldoze environmental protections. Nevertheless, the elections could still make a real difference in environmental terms. Even just taking the House would matter, but there are additional potential environmental gains if there are power shifts in the Senate or governorships.
The best way to understand the shifts is probably to look at what Trump has been able to do with the support of Congress and then consider how the situation would shift if Democrats take one or both Houses.
The 2026 Election: Six Months to Go
Here’s what things look like now, but a lot could change.
Six months is a long time in politics, especially in the Trump era. What we can say at this point is that, compared with last November, the landscape has shifted toward the Democrats. They would now be favored to win the House, although that’s not a certainty. Republicans still clearly have edge in winning the Senate, but it’s a smaller edge than it was six months ago. Control of the House would allow Democrats to block further anti-environmental legislation, open investigations into Trump’s rollbacks, and potentially bargain for some pro-environmental provisions. Control of the Senate, while less likely, would also allow them to block appointments of extremist anti-environmentalist judges and officials.
CONTINUE READINGBending Under Pressure
Every now and then, the Trump Administration shows signs of reluctantly giving in to reality.
The Trump Administration’s basic stance has been to pursue ideological purity all costs, beginning with the “shock and awe” campaign of the first year. Don’t expect miracles, but there are at least a few signs that the Administration is tempering that strategy. It’s a bit comforting to see indications that reality is slowly sinking in. It’s also evidence that resistance to Trump policies isn’t futile.
Any trend toward saner policies is likely to be very limited. For instance, Trump and his supporters are too invested in climate denial to ever admit that climate change is a serious problem. The best we might hope for is that they ease up just a little on their war against clean energy. There are at least some hints that this may be starting to happen.
CONTINUE READINGMaintaining California’s Environmental Leadership
California’s 2026 Gubernatorial Race
California will elect a new governor in 2026. The primary is June 2 and the top two candidates will face off on November 3. If you are in California, make sure you are registered to vote! This election comes as a pivotal time for California’s environmental leadership. California’s next governor must be ready to step …
Continue reading “Maintaining California’s Environmental Leadership”
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