Given the Trump administration’s policies, ranging from racist ICE and police violence against Black, brown, and white working class people, arbitrary and inhumane deportations of immigrants and others, baseless and illegal imperialist wars of aggression, Americans and people through the world are looking to the midterm elections as a moment to fight for a different direction.  

This Marxist IQ is dedicated to the working and oppressed peoples, and women, who are using the 2026 midterm elections as a moment of struggle for a change in the national direction.

1. U.S. midterm elections have changed the direction of social policy in 

a. the 1918 Republican victory against Wilson’s “Making the World Safe for Democracy” policies at the end of WWI.x

b. the 1858 anti-slavery Republican party victory against the pro slavery Buchanan administration. 

c. the 1998 Jesse Ventura surprise victory in Minnesota’s governor’s election where pundits didn’t see his campaign as viable.

d. the 1958 Democratic victory against the Eisenhower administration, fueled in part by AFL-CIO efforts to stop “right to work” laws.

2. Communists see midterm elections in recent U.S history as highlighting the undemocratic nature of U.S politics because

a. turnout is significantly lower than in presidential elections.

b. districts are drawn in back-room deals between party leaders, not by independent commissions.

c. the majority of districts and states and their issues are ignored as campaigns are centered on so-called “battle ground” districts and states.

d. All of the above

3. Communists call for the working class and all voters to

a. Boycott the elections on the principle that both parties are equally representatives of monopoly capitalism.

b. Attack the Democrats on the principle of “the worse the better;” that victory by Trump would strengthen the movement for socialism.

c. Focus on the anti-working class, racist, imperialist policies that Trump and the Republicans implement, as well as on their and their campaign to dismantle democracy and workers’ voices in policy making in the U.S.

d. Uncritically support all Democrats, regardless of their positions.

4. Communists, given past history, warn that an election victory against Trump

a. will incorrectly be seen as an end in itself.

b. cannot be seen as permission for the Democratic party leaders to return to the corporate friendly policies which led to the victories of reactionary Republican candidates over the last 60 years.

c. will fail unless all working and oppressed people, women and the LGBTQ community, and all who struggle for civil rights, civil liberties and peace unite to build broad movements to force the administration to change their political direction.

d. All of the above

5. For Communists, central issues in the 2026 elections include Trump’s

a. ongoing campaign to establish a fascist dictatorship, the destructive and oppressive racist, anti-worker, and anti-women economic policies.

b. imperialist policies and ongoing, arbitrary, wars, including against Iran, Venezuela, Palestine, and Cuba.

c. anti-environment policies and denial of climate change.

d. All of the above

Answers: here

The opinions of the author do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CPUSA.