Anti-Monopolists Soared in the Midterms

The 2026 midterms are presented as a political realignment on the scale of Watergate: Democrats captured Congress and made sweeping gains in states including Texas, where they won statewide offices and both legislative chambers. The central message, according to the account, was economic power rather than familiar cultural divisions. Voters’ anger over the Iran War, fuel and grocery costs, and tariffs helped drive the result, while opposition to concentrated corporate influence and aspects of U.S. foreign policy broadened its significance. The victories do not guarantee lasting support for Democrats, since recent elections have often punished whichever party holds power; they do, however, create an opening for more forceful action.

The account argues that anti-monopoly campaigning helped shape both the results and corporate behavior. It identifies 71 candidates who ran explicitly against monopoly power, including winners who challenged healthcare consolidation, private equity, price gouging, and data-center expansion. All 41 tracked local votes on data-center construction reportedly failed, often by large margins. The election also challenged the influence of wealthy donors: 50 people supplied more than $2.8 billion of the cycle’s $12 billion in spending, and Elon Musk spent $190 million backing Texas Republicans, yet Democrats made major gains there. CVS’s planned breakup is described as an early corporate response to growing scrutiny and proposed laws targeting ties between pharmacies and pharmacy-benefit managers. The stock market’s mixed reaction - including falling oil prices and pressure on data-center developers - also reflects expectations of changed policy. The piece concludes by urging people interested in antitrust work to join a staffing effort for incoming officials.