Karl Rove and David Axelrod give their midterm predictions

Karl Rove, who is known for aggressive politicking on behalf of the GOP, has announced within the past two weeks that he will vote for a Democrat this year. That turn stands out, and it frames a conversation with PBS News Hour about the midterms. The interview was published October 1, 2026, according to PBS NewsHour.

Correspondent Lisa Desjardins questioned Rove together with Democrat David Axelrod, who like Rove is regarded as a shaper of modern politics. Among the subjects they addressed were how secure the voting process is, whether Rove intends to back Ken Paxton, the Republican running for the Senate, and what each man expects when the midterms arrive.

Desjardins covers news from the U.S. Capitol for PBS News Hour, and she also journeys beyond Washington to see how decisions made there reach people where they live and work. The pairing puts a Republican who is crossing party lines beside a Democrat to forecast the midterms.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →