Politics | Washington Monthly

Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed deflected questions about his family's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood in an interview with NBC Nightly News.

Is It True That If You’re Explaining, You’re Losing?

by Bill Scher October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and James Talarico have taken opposite approaches to fending off Republican attacks.

Class Photo: Brandon Herrera, John McGuire, Randy Fine, Max Miller, and Roger Marshall stand in back; Mike Collins, Darline Graham, Darializa Avila Chevalier, Ken Paxton, and Scott Perry sit in front.

The 10 Worst Midterm Candidates Running for Congress

by Nate Weisberg October 15, 2026October 15, 2026

Trump's Midterm Elections Rally Blitz: President Donald Trump speaks to the reporters as he walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Oct. 13, 2026, as the new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia looks on.

Trump’s Midterm Rally Blitz Probably Won’t Work

by Bill Scher October 14, 2026October 14, 2026

Senators Shelley Moore Capito, Mike Lee, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Martin Heinrich hold a press conference to announce a deal on permitting reform at the U.S. Capitol on September 30.

The Monopolized Economy

The Senate’s Surprisingly Populist Permitting Reform Deal

by Kainoa Lowman October 13, 2026October 13, 2026

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attends an October 7 anniversary vigil in New York City and faces both an outcry from Jewish groups and Hamas supporters. It was the third anniversary of the Hamas attack

The Mamdani Tightrope is Slippery

by James D. Zirin October 12, 2026October 13, 2026

High school students display the French flag atop the Monument à la République in Paris, France on October 6, 2026.

Amid Student Protests, Pessimism About France’s Future

by Gillen Tener Martin October 9, 2026October 14, 2026

Iowa state Representative Josh Turek speaks during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, June 2, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Why You Should Believe the Polls This Time

by Bill Scher October 9, 2026October 9, 2026

Here are things that might allow even Trump's addled mind to see the merit in leaving office early and resigning.

Should Democrats Win Congress, What Could Persuade Trump to Resign?

by Ralph Nader  October 8, 2026October 8, 2026

October 7: Remember, pro-Palestinian protesters cheered cold-blooded mass murder even before Israel retaliated.

October 7: How Can So Many People Celebrate a Massacre?

by Jonathan Alter October 7, 2026October 7, 2026

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, seen here listening as President Donald Trump speaks at Peterbilt Motors, Oct. 1, 2026, in Denton, Texas, has been significantly outraised by his Democratic opponent James Talarico.

The Republican Plan to Buy the Election Got Too Expensive

by Bill Scher October 6, 2026October 6, 2026