The 2026 campaign is getting ugly — especially on the right

Republican tactics in the 2026 midterms are turning notably harsh, and CNN reports the party may be acting out of anxiety rather than strategy. The clearest case involves Vivek Ramaswamy, the GOP nominee for Ohio governor, whose campaign aired a spot in which Amy Acton's estranged mother labels her a liar. Acton says she last saw her mother at age 12, after a custody loss and an abuse indictment against the mother's husband; her brother answered with his own ad. Governor Mike DeWine, Senator Jon Husted, Frank LaRose, Ashley Hinson and Nikki Haley all objected. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance told Republicans to drop the complaints, and Trump said he helped persuade Ramaswamy to go ahead. Vance said the ad's propriety was not his concern.

Other races show a similar pattern. Vance joked in a way suggesting Texas Democrat James Talarico is gay. Mike Rogers's Michigan campaign accuses Abdul El-Sayed of backing terrorists, a claim CNN says distorts the facts. In Maine, a Senate Republican super PAC's radio spot targets Democrat Troy Jackson's relationship with his partner, and Susan Collins wants it pulled. CNN's polling average has Acton ahead 50% to 44%.

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