The Four ‘I’s of the 2026 US mid-term elections

Four shapes, four concerns. Hover a shape to open its sub-issues,
hover a shaded band to name the shared ground, click anything to read the analysis.

The four I's of the 2026 US mid-terms A Venn-style issue map. Inflation, institutional mistrust and immigration are circles. The Iran war is a wedge, because its electoral weight sits mostly inside the other issues.
Shared ground between two issues Shared by three Dashed outline · sub-issue
US 2026 Mid-term Election Racebook Takshashila Institution DC Dossier

Four I's, one ballot

The frame

Four concerns dominate voter decision-making going into November 2026. Inflation, institutional mistrust, Iran and immigration. Each has percolated down to the local level and may shape results across key battleground seats.

How to read it

Circle size follows how many voters name the issue. The shaded bands are the ground two or more issues share, and most of the analytical work of this dossier sits in those bands rather than in the circles themselves.

Why Iran is a wedge

Almost none of the war's area stands alone. As a standalone issue it barely registers, yet it cuts into both of the two largest concerns, which is the argument the shape is making.