Election Fever in the Final Stretch -- “The Sunday Political Brunch” -- October 25, 2026

You know we are nearing the end of the campaign, with more and more political ads flooding TV, radio, and the internet. Some of the closest races are making big headlines. Let's "brunch" on that and more this week.

"Early Voting Boom" – With just over a week before Election Day, the public is clearly engaged. Early voting has been underway in many states ahead of the November 3 election. My alma mater, the University of Florida, operates what's known as the UF Election Lab. It collects voting data and says that, so far, 19 million people have voted early across 45 states. Of those voters, 11 million were mail-in ballots, and 8 million people voted early in person. I voted in person last Tuesday at a public library here in Florida. It was a very smooth process. In all, 58 million mail-in ballots were requested; only about 20 percent have been returned thus far. States with competitive U.S. Senate races are reporting higher turnout. These include Texas, North Carolina, Iowa and Ohio, where control of the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance. The Gazette reports that early voting in Iowa is up 26 percent from four years ago.

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"Ohio Out of Bounds?" – Normally, Ohio is one of the most "purple" toss-up states in the nation, but the last several election cycles have strongly leaned "red." Now we have a weird blowback in the race for governor. Republican nominee and Trump backer Vivek Ramaswamy is running ads against his Democratic challenger, Amy Acton. The ads feature Acton's estranged mother Donna Arthur, who lost custody of her children after it was discovered their stepfather sexually abused them. In the ads, the mom called her daughter "a liar." Ramaswamy admits to funding the $4 million ad campaign, which has brought rebukes from both parties. Nominee Acton said, "I won't normalize somebody who has said that my childhood is just something I'm complaining about, who today just released an ad using my birth mother, who I was removed from at the age of 12 for severe abuse and neglect, and sexual abuse." Many Republicans are outraged. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) Ohio said, "I would just urge the Ramaswamy campaign to take this down." He added the ad was "deeply, deeply troubling." The latest polls show the race for governor and the U.S. Senate in Ohio are close, so this ad could blow up at Republicans. President Trump praised the mom for the "courage" to speak out against her candidate-daughter. He added that Gov. DeWine's comments were "disloyal to the Republican Party."

"A Texas Political Dust Up" – Ever since he left his post at the White House, former Trump advisor Elon Musk has been quiet in politics. Not anymore. The world's wealthiest man is pouring millions in campaign funds for last-minute ad buys. A Political Action Committee (PAC) for Senate nominee Ken Paxton (R) of Texas received $158 million from Musk. Another Paxton PAC in Texas received $10 million. Paxton is in a close race with State Rep. James Talarico (D) Texas, who leads in some polls. Musk posted on social media, "There is something deeply wrong with Talarico." Both candidates are vying for the seat held by Sen. John Cornyn (R) of Texas, who lost in the primary. Talarico said, "On Nov. 3, we are going to send a clear message to the world's first trillionaire. Texas is not for sale." This seat could decide who controls the U.S. Senate.

"Medicare Bonus" – I got a surprise letter in the mail this week, signed by President Trump. It said that, as a Medicare recipient, I would receive a one-time $90 check from the Department of Health and Human Services. In the form letter Trump wrote, "Healthcare Dollars should benefit Patients, not Insurance Companies or Government Bureaucrats. Since returning to office, I have fought to lower Healthcare Costs (sic)." But only 21 million people on Medicare are getting the checks, while 35 million seniors who don't pay for Medicare Part B aren't getting a penny. And there are other critics. Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga called it an attempt to "buy votes" just weeks before the midterm elections.

"Obama on Omar" – It is very rare for ex-presidents to publicly criticize a current officeholder. But the Trump-ordered Justice Department's raid on the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D), Minnesota, has changed that. Former President Barack Obama posted a statement on X, saying, "The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president (Trump)." Obama says it's a case of the president trying to "intimidate" a vocal critic. For his part, Trump has said the raid and possible immigration charges against the Somalia-born Omar are "really up to the DOJ" and added it "has nothing to do with him." When Trump mentioned Omar at a recent rally, people in the crowd chanted, "Deport." Trump says Omar should resign, but she has no plans to do that.

"Transgender Turnabout" – The U.S. Supreme Court has dealt a blow to the Trump White House. The high court has blocked the administration from enforcing a rule against medical care for transgender people who are in federal prisons. The Trump executive order told the Bureau of Prisons that federal funds are not to be spent "for the purpose of conforming an inmate's appearance to that of the opposite sex." That would eliminate everything from surgeries and hormone therapy to wigs. The ACLU called the restrictions, "A direct threat to the well-being of transgender people in federal custody and an open violation of their fundamental rights." Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito were the only two who voted for Trump's ban.

"Trump New Mexico" – When does it end? President Donald J. Trump now says New Mexico should be renamed New America. On Truth Social, he said, "New Mexico should immediately change its name to New America." He added, "We are not Mexico; we are the United States of America!" Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D) New Mexico said the current name carries generations of history, culture, and rich traditions. He added that New Mexicans are proud of both their name and their home, saying, "Long after Donald Trump is out of office, we'll still be New Mexico."

"Border Wall Fight" – As I have mentioned before, Trump is probably the most litigated president in U.S. history. I've lived through 14 of the 47 administrations, and no one else comes close. Now the White House is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow it to continue building a border wall at the "big bend" of Texas, along the Rio Grande River that separates the U.S. from Mexico. No date has been set for arguments in court.

"Trump Must Testify" – President Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against the BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation. This past week, a federal judge ordered that Trump must sit for an in-person deposition before December 13th. It's unusual for a president to testify in court, and the last one I can recall is President Bill Clinton, who was impeached for lying under oath in his case. Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages after he said he was defamed by a BBC documentary regarding the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. The BBC has admitted that shoddy editing by the producer made it appear that Trump was saying things he did not. The head of the BBC and its President of News both resigned.

"Lewandowsky Under Fire" – Longtime Trump aide and advisor Corey Lewandowsky is now the subject of a criminal investigation. Reports say he may have profited during his time as Chief of Staff for the Department of Homeland Security. President Trump said to reporters, "I don't know exactly what it is." He added, "All I know is, I want my people to be honest. And if they're not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted." He gave no further details.

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a South Florida-based political writer and analyst who has covered news and politics nationwide for the past 50 years. He is a multiple award winner, including two prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards. For ten years, he was the Chief Political Reporter for seven Nexstar Media TV stations, covering the Washington DC media market, West Virginia, and its five neighboring states. Curtis is a former Congressional Fellow who worked in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Over the years, he has contributed as a writer and analyst at Patch.com. His commentary and political analysis air every Friday at 1:45 p.m. ET on the 22-station West Virginia Metro News Radio Network. www.WVMetroNews.com.

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