What Are We Really Voting For in 2026?
Nine Questions to Ask Before You Vote in the 2026 Midterms
A Republican Viewpoint
Turn on the television and you might think the 2026 midterm elections are primarily about personalities.
They aren’t.
From a Republican perspective, the more important question is much larger:
What kind of country are we becoming?
The midterm elections give Americans an opportunity to decide who will represent them in Congress and in thousands of state and local offices. Those officials will make decisions that reach into our paychecks, schools, neighborhoods, businesses, families and communities.
So perhaps we should spend less time asking, “What do you think about Donald Trump?”
And more time asking:
“What do you believe about America?”
1. Do You Want More Government — or More Freedom?
This may be the fundamental dividing question.
Republicans generally believe government has important responsibilities—but also important limits.
Government should defend the country, enforce the law, protect constitutional rights and provide essential public services.
But Republicans traditionally argue that government should not attempt to manage every part of American life.
There should be room for families.
Room for churches and voluntary organizations.
Room for entrepreneurs.
Room for states and local communities.
And most importantly, room for individual citizens to make their own decisions.
2. Who Should Control the Family Budget?
Every dollar Washington spends ultimately comes from taxpayers, borrowing or other government revenues.
Republicans argue that Americans generally know better than Washington how to spend their own money.
That is why Republican economic policy continues to emphasize lower taxes, reduced regulation, economic growth and restraints on federal spending. House Republican leaders have also emphasized reducing fraud and waste while prioritizing national defense. (House Budget Committee)
The debate isn’t simply about numbers on a government spreadsheet.
It is about who controls the money Americans earn.
3. Does a Nation Have the Right to Control Its Borders?
Republicans answer yes.
Immigration has helped build America, and millions of Americans are themselves immigrants or descendants of immigrants.
But Republicans distinguish immigration from illegal immigration and argue that a sovereign nation must be able to determine who enters, who remains and under what conditions.
That position has translated into major congressional emphasis on funding Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Republican congressional leaders have made continued border enforcement a central part of their 2026 agenda. (Homeland Security Committee)
Voters should examine those policies—and the alternatives—and decide what kind of immigration system they believe America needs.
4. Can America Produce What America Needs?
Energy is about more than gasoline prices.
It is connected to manufacturing, electricity, transportation, national security and America’s ability to compete economically.
Republicans have generally advocated expanding domestic production and an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that includes natural gas, oil, nuclear power, hydropower and other technologies. (House Committee on Energy and Commerce)
The larger question is:
How dependent should America be on other nations for the energy and critical resources necessary to sustain a modern economy?
5. Who Is Responsible for Keeping Our Communities Safe?
Republicans generally emphasize enforcement of existing laws, support for police and prosecutors, border enforcement and stronger responses to violent crime and illegal drugs.
Republican-led 2026 appropriations measures have included funding for federal, state and local law enforcement programs as well as efforts directed at fentanyl and other illegal drugs. (House Appropriations GOP)
There are legitimate debates about policing, sentencing, rehabilitation and criminal justice reform.
But every voter can ask a basic question:
What policies are most likely to produce safe neighborhoods while protecting constitutional rights?
6. Who Has the Primary Responsibility for Children?
For many Republicans, this is becoming one of the defining questions of our time.
Parents or government?
Republicans generally argue that parents should have substantial authority over their children’s education and upbringing. Recent Republican appropriations proposals have explicitly emphasized giving parents and families a stronger voice in education. (Dale Strong)
The debate reaches beyond schools into questions of family, faith, culture and the proper limits of governmental authority.
This Is Bigger Than One President
Donald Trump is president, and naturally his administration’s record will be part of the 2026 political debate.
But Donald Trump will not be the name on America’s ballots.
There will be candidates for Congress.
Governors.
State legislators.
Judges.
County officials.
School boards.
City councils.
And other offices that can have an enormous effect on our everyday lives.
That is why Republicans can make the case that the 2026 election should not become another endless national argument about one man.
Make it about ideas.
What is the proper size of government?
How should America handle immigration?
How do we strengthen families?
How do we protect human life?
How do we keep communities safe?
How do we strengthen the economy?
How do we defend the country?
How much debt should we leave our grandchildren?
And perhaps the biggest question of all:
Who should have the greater voice in America’s future—government or the American people?
Those questions existed before Donald Trump.
They will remain after Donald Trump.
The 2026 midterms are one opportunity for Americans to decide how they want those questions answered.
LookUpMidterms.com
Don’t just vote about a personality.
Think about principles.
Think about policies.
Think about America’s direction.
Rev. Richard Dalton — creator of LookUpDetroit.com and JesusQuestion.com
I think this works nicely as Article #2 because Article #1 establishes “Not About Trump”, while this one begins explaining what the election is about from a Republican perspective. A third could be very different again: “Nine Questions to Ask Before You Vote in the 2026 Midterms”—built around your Economy, Immigration, Inflation, Family, Pro-Life, Crime, Defense, Courts and Socialism themes.
Yes. This can be Article #3, and I’d make it more reader-centered: rather than telling people what to think, it gives them nine questions to use when examining candidates. Since you want the series from a Republican viewpoint, I’ve framed the questions around conservative priorities while encouraging readers to investigate candidates themselves. The 2026 general election is November 3. (FEC.gov)
Nine Questions to Ask Before You Vote in the 2026 Midterms
Before you vote on November 3, perhaps there is something more important to do than watch another political commercial.
Ask questions.
Don’t begin with personalities. Don’t begin with political parties. Don’t begin with what someone posted on Facebook.
Begin with the issues.
From a Republican perspective, here are nine questions worth asking about every candidate seeking your vote.
1. ECONOMY — What Will Help Americans Prosper?
Can families afford groceries, housing, transportation and health care?
Can small businesses grow and hire?
How much should government tax, spend, borrow and regulate?
Republicans generally emphasize lower taxes, reduced regulation, private enterprise, domestic production and controlling government spending. Republican congressional leaders have also identified affordability, economic growth and reducing government waste and fraud as priorities. (House Budget Committee)
Ask your candidates: What specifically would you do to strengthen the economy?
2. IMMIGRATION — Should America Control Its Borders?
America has welcomed immigrants throughout its history.
But legal immigration and illegal immigration are not the same question.
Who should be admitted? What should happen when someone enters illegally? How should asylum work? What resources should Border Patrol and immigration enforcement receive?
Border enforcement continues to be a major Republican congressional priority. (House Appropriations GOP)
Ask your candidates: What does a fair, lawful and secure immigration system look like?
3. INFLATION — What Will Make Everyday Life More Affordable?
People don’t experience the economy primarily through government statistics.
They experience it at the grocery store, gas station, pharmacy, restaurant and mortgage payment.
Government spending, taxes, regulation, energy policy, interest rates, wages and global economic forces can all affect the cost of living.
Ask your candidates: What policies do you support to make life more affordable—and what evidence suggests those policies will work?
4. FAMILY — Who Should Have the Greatest Voice in Raising Children?
Parents or government?
This question reaches into education, school choice, curriculum, religious liberty and the authority parents have over decisions affecting their children.
Republicans have repeatedly emphasized parental involvement and greater parental authority in education as part of their governing philosophy.
Ask your candidates: When parents and government disagree about a child’s upbringing or education, where should the law draw the line?
5. PRO-LIFE — When Does Human Life Deserve Legal Protection?
Few political questions involve more profound moral disagreements than abortion.
When does human life begin?
What legal protections should unborn children receive?
What protections should exist for mothers?
What should government do to support women facing difficult pregnancies, adoption and families raising children?
Americans reach very different conclusions about these questions. That makes it especially important to know exactly where candidates stand.
Ask your candidates: What protections should the law provide for unborn human life, pregnant women and newborn children?
6. CRIME — How Do We Keep Communities Safe?
People should be able to walk through their neighborhoods, operate businesses and raise their children without fear.
But public safety also requires constitutional protections, due process and equal justice under law.
Republican congressional priorities in 2026 have included support for law enforcement, drug interdiction and public-safety programs. (House Appropriations GOP)
Ask your candidates: How will you reduce violent crime while protecting the constitutional rights of citizens?
7. DEFENSE — What Does America Need to Remain Safe?
The world remains dangerous.
China, Russia, Iran, terrorism, cyberattacks, nuclear weapons and emerging technologies present different kinds of challenges.
Republican congressional leaders have continued to emphasize military readiness, national security and investment in defense. (House Appropriations GOP)
But military strength also raises questions about spending and when American forces should be used overseas.
Ask your candidates: What should America defend, what should we spend to defend it, and when should American military power be used?
8. COURTS — What Is the Proper Role of a Judge?
Federal judges can serve for decades.
Their decisions can affect religious liberty, abortion, gun rights, free speech, executive authority, criminal law and the balance of power between Washington and the states. The House Judiciary Committee’s jurisdiction itself demonstrates how closely courts intersect with constitutional rights, immigration, criminal law and civil liberties. (House Judiciary Committee Republicans)
Should judges primarily interpret laws according to their text and the Constitution’s original meaning, or should interpretation adapt more broadly as society changes?
Ask your candidates: What kind of judges would you support?
9. SOCIALISM — How Much Power Should Government Have Over the Economy?
The word socialism gets thrown around so frequently that it can lose its meaning.
So get beyond the label.
How much should government own?
How much should it regulate?
Which services should government provide?
What should remain in private hands?
How large should the welfare state become?
And where is the boundary between providing a social safety net and making citizens increasingly dependent upon government?
The Republican Study Committee describes its own governing philosophy as limiting government, strengthening national defense, growing the economy, preserving traditional values and balancing the federal budget.
Ask your candidates: Where should government’s economic power end and individual economic freedom begin?
One Final Question
After considering all nine issues, there is one more question worth asking:
What direction do I want America to go?
That question is bigger than Donald Trump.
It is bigger than any one president.
Presidents come and go. Members of Congress come and go. Political parties gain power and lose it.
But the decisions made while they hold office can remain for generations.
So investigate the people on your ballot.
Read their websites.
Look at the voting records of incumbents.
Listen to candidates in their own words.
Compare their positions rather than relying solely on political advertising or social-media commentary.
And then make your own decision.
Because self-government requires something from us.
Citizens have to govern themselves well enough to choose wisely who will govern them.
LookUpMidterms.com
Nine Questions. One Ballot. America’s Direction.
Rev. Richard Dalton — creator of LookUpDetroit.com and JesusQuestion.com
NotAboutTrump.com / LookUpMidterms.com / LookUpIssues.com / LookUpFraud.com /