2026 midterms put tech policy and Trump’s power in focus

The 2026 US midterm elections will help determine the scope of President Donald Trump’s power during the final two years of his term. The results are also expected to indicate which issues may shape voter priorities ahead of the 2028 presidential election. Affordability is likely to be a broad concern, alongside several technology-related questions.

Voters are weighing the effects of data centers, including whether their expansion could raise energy costs. AI safety, the growth of surveillance technology through Flock, and proposals to tax billionaire wealth in California are also part of the debate. Prop 45 may contain a loophole affecting data centers, while opposition to such facilities has appeared in Texas and elsewhere.

The election could influence the next Congress’s approach to AI regulation, data-center policy and technology-company oversight. Technology executives and investors are spending heavily on the California wealth-tax fight: billionaires have reportedly given more than $340 million to oppose it, while Elon Musk has donated over $276 million to Republican midterm efforts. Meta made a deal intended to keep Mark Zuckerberg in California, and Donald Trump is giving Nick Shirley $10,000 while launching a $25 million fraud-bounty program.