# Senate races 2026 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 28, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534 "2025-01-28T15:04:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 50
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/982 "2026-10-29T13:42:47Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > “Mike Rogers is for - AHEM - _tiny chuckle_ - They/Them”. > > Did you really not hear that previously? Did you see the ad online, or on TV? Was it a clip or the whole thing as originally Tweeted by Cenk? I didn’t notice it as a throat clearing, and thought you were referring to something the main actors said, not that bit at the end. The main skit is the part that is arguably anti-semitic, although i took it as anti Israel. I really disliked the bit at the end, and yes, the way the speaker emphasizes the catch phrase (the throat clearing, which i now can identify, thanks) is nasty. Honestly, i took it as anti-trans, not as anti-semitic. But yes, i agree, it’s meant to indicate a dog whistle. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/983 "2026-10-29T13:54:07Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Honestly, i took it as anti-trans, not as anti-semitic. But yes, i agree, it’s meant to indicate a dog whistle. Well, I think it’s both, in that it’s meant to otherize Jews and make them the source of misfortune, and the way that it accomplishes this is by reminding you of an anti-Trans slogan. It’s like if you’re insulting one minority by a slur or a stereotype used towards another - not only are you trying to insult one group, but you are doing so by appealing to a stereotype. Sort of like of someone said, “Those Belgians (hopefully this isn’t a real stereotype) can be real Jews about money”. You’re insulting both Jews and Belgians. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > But yes, i agree, it’s meant to indicate a dog whistle. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/984 "2026-10-29T14:04:33Z")
And also, i like AES, and I’m glad he is trying to distance himself from the ad and that he didn’t create or pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/985 "2026-10-29T14:06:01Z")
The ad is also particularly stupid and intellectually uncurious. “I’m sure that the $4 billion in military aid we send to Israel somehow pays for their $40 billion healthcare system but I’m not going to bother checking because I don’t want to have my beliefs challenged in any way shape or form”. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/986 "2026-10-29T14:06:47Z")
AES is awesome and he’s going to win comfortably because he’s enormously politically talented. He has a very bright future. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/987 "2026-10-29T14:07:03Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > And also, i like AEL, and I’m glad he is trying to distance himself from the ad and that he didn’t create or pay for it. AES I assume? Yeah, like I said earlier, I am glad he has more sense than some in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/988 "2026-10-29T14:11:29Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > AES I assume? Yes, and i just edited my post to fix that. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/989 "2026-10-29T14:20:24Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Saying that people shouldn’t vote for Peltola because of this is like saying that football fans should stop rooting for their team because they should be morally outraged about a ten-yard holding penalty. My initial reaction was DOOM. We just blew a chance to flip Alaska, and therefore any chance at taking the Senate. That may have been an over-reaction. I’ve been a bit on edge for, oh, 10 years. ---
**Author:** ![JDYanYan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jdyanyan/32/21663_2.png) [@JDYanYan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDYanYan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/990 "2026-10-29T14:37:04Z")
> **[Democrats in striking distance: New CNN polls in four states highlight...](https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/29/politics/cnn-polls-michigan-maine-texas-kansas-senate-races-midterms-vis)** > > CNN polling across four key Senate races in the final days of the midterm campaign finds Democrats well-positioned in Michigan and Texas, with no clear leader in the races in Maine or Kansas. AES up 7 Talarico up 6 Hamilton up 4 Jackson up 4 If this is right, and it seems like some other high quality polls are aligning to this. Dems look like they’re on track to close strong with late deciders, which is an absolute nightmare for the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/991 "2026-10-29T15:01:03Z")
As I mentioned a few posts upthread, Trump will be in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday in a last-ditch effort to prop up the campaign of incumbent Roger Marshall. His speech/rally will be at Hangar 509 at the Salina Municipal Airport, in case anybody is interested in attending. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/Z9jNFPA.png "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/Z9jNFPA) ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/992 "2026-10-29T15:37:01Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > His speech/rally will be at Hangar 509 at the Salina Municipal Airport, in case anybody is interested in attending. I wonder if this type of place is typical for political rallies held by the POTUS. When Trump was in Corpus a couple of days ago, he held his rally at a similar place. I can’t help but wonder if he’s been reduced to these types of locations because he’s stiffed too many (of what I assume are more typical for these types of rallies) convention centers, sports arenas, concert halls, and such over the years. The only such rally I’ve ever attended was back in the early 90s (I was in high school at the time and it was basically a field trip that the whole school went to), when George Bush Sr. spoke at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/993 "2026-10-29T16:54:58Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > His speech/rally will be at Hangar 509 at the Salina Municipal Airport Wulp, the speech has been cancelled. > The Salina Airport Authority confirmed Thursday that President Donald Trump’s rally in Salina is canceled because of the president’s schedule. The airport had been told by the WH and SS to expect 10,000 attendees. My WAG is that the giveaway tickets weren’t going quite as rapidly as they had hoped. > **[President Trump cancels rally at Salina Regional Airport](https://www.kake.com/home/president-trump-no-longer-campaigning-in-kansas-at-salina-regional-airport/article_0fd37882-a640-4f47-8d20-7ffcf4da070a.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawVQVx9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMU9xYjVoY21YZHR2aXEzaWZzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEfkj5tv8iOhVgJvzcMrjqHyLNBy4RdAjFL6nPvuNNoYwteYEtFU9f9556HvDw_aem_m8ft1FIi46-MNm9sYZhjRw)** > > The Salina Airport Authority confirmed Thursday that President Donald Trump’s rally in Salina is canceled because of the president’s schedule. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/994 "2026-10-29T17:00:59Z")
I think the issue is that he can’t draw big enough crowds to fill actual concert halls or stadia anymore. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/995 "2026-10-29T17:04:58Z")
Back in 1978 my car broke down and I was stuck in Salina on Sunday until a mechanic opened up Monday morning. There isn’t a lot to do in Salina during the weekend. I might have attended the rally if only just to see how long I’d last before being thrown out. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/996 "2026-10-29T17:07:43Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > I think the issue is that he can’t draw big enough crowds to fill actual concert halls or stadia anymore. I think you’re exactly right, plus an airport hangar gives him the opportunity to fly in, quickly get to the podium, blab his normal drivel, and then leave just as quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/997 "2026-10-29T17:34:23Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Back in 1978 my car broke down and I was stuck in Salina on Sunday until a mechanic opened up Monday morning. Salina is a place I drove past a few times when I used to live in the Wichita area. I only know it from signs. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/998 "2026-10-29T19:29:04Z")
> **[Alaska's governor orders a probe into Peltola's Senate campaign over the...](https://apnews.com/article/alaska-peltola-senate-dan-sullivan-democrats-dunleavy-c391cc7b546384c7adde9aebc9973620)** > > President Donald Trump says he thinks Alaska’s Democratic U.S. Senate candidate should be “removed from the ballot and prosecuted” over accusations her campaign recruited another candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation into the Democratic candidate running for the U.S. Senate in the state after revelations that her campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting another candidate with [the same name](https://apnews.com/article/dan-sullivan-alaska-trump-lawsuit-8b650aa32e24a21d229a5076845b54e2) as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. > Dunleavy’s order, posted overnight on social media, comes a day after President Donald Trump [called for the criminal prosecution](https://apnews.com/article/alaska-peltola-senate-dan-sullivan-democrats-743677c9fb0d6696af7901504df2be3e) of Mary Peltola and her campaign. > > In a race that’s among a handful of Senate contests this year expected to determine control of the chamber, the Republican president had previously directed his Department of Justice to [sue to block certification](https://apnews.com/article/alaska-senate-race-sullivan-name-lawsuit-certification-d8f4a3c7b5247cc427a05f796d7c0d82) of it, demanding that Alaska be prevented from certifying a win by Peltola if Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. remains on the state’s ballots… The case went to the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled [he was qualified](https://apnews.com/article/alaska-senate-dan-sullivan-primary-ballot-7ab7729f59ada83a498e91bf5ae0b67f) to run. He has [long denied](https://apnews.com/article/alaska-senate-dan-sullivan-peltola-68ca38749253c6bf52d13051fda01251) he was running at Democrats’ behest and has said he had no contact with Peltola’s campaign: “Zero, none, zilch,” he said in June after announcing his run. > > Alaskan voters will see “Dan S. Sullivan” identified as a “registered Republican” and “incumbent” on their ballots, while “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” will not have a party affiliation. > [@jsc1953](#): > > My initial reaction was DOOM. We just blew a chance to flip Alaska, and therefore any chance at taking the Senate. I do not get “we” here. There is no evidence that the Democrats had anything to do with the 2nd Sullivan, other than saying maybe “Good for you!” or similar. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/999 "2026-10-29T19:46:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > . There is no evidence that the Democrats had anything to do with the 2nd Sullivan, other than saying maybe “Good for you!” or similar. The allegation of campaign involvement came from an ex-staffer. Not sure it’s credible, of course. But she said Peltola was aware of the efforts. > The information came to light in interviews with at least a dozen people who participated in or were told of the plan, including Peltola’s former campaign manager and longtime aide, Elisa Rios. > > Text messages and documents revealed Peltola’s campaign staff worked with senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) to find “spoiler” candidates, including Dan J Sullivan, to run in the hopes of helping Peltola’s campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1000 "2026-10-29T21:28:41Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > [But Turek has gone way beyond that by proposing that Medicare and Medicaid should not pay for any sort of gender-affirming medical care _for adults_](https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/10/26/josh-turek-ad-on-transgender-issues-draws-bipartisan-criticism/)_._ Fun fact: By far the most common gender-affirming surgery is breast-enlargement surgery by ciswomen. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I didn’t like the ad for the same reason you did. That “they/them” tagline. I feel like that’s a nasty dog whistle. “I’m for you, my opponent is for they/them” started in use by Republicans, attacking LGBTQ. Using “they/them” to refer to… Israelis, I guess… is just bizarre. > [@Procrustus](#): > > The allegation of campaign involvement came from an ex-staffer. Not sure it’s credible, of course. But she said Peltola was aware of the efforts. Again, awareness is not involvement. We have here a person with an incentive to lie against Pelota, who says only that she was “aware” of the run, and who has since retracted even that. I’m not sure how much thinner that can get. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1001 "2026-10-29T21:41:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > I didn’t like the ad for the same reason you did. That “they/them” tagline. I feel like that’s a nasty dog whistle. > > “I’m for you, my opponent is for they/them” started in use by Republicans, attacking LGBTQ. Using “they/them” to refer to… Israelis, I guess… is just bizarre. Yeah, the kindest interpretation is “bizarre”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534.md?page=49) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534.md?page=51)