A Big Day for America: Nov. 3, 2026

"In Washington over the last few years, it's become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species."

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) June 29,2025

Sen. Thom Tillis, a moderate Republican, announced on the above date that he would not run for a third term in 2026 after being criticized by President Trump for being one of three Republicans who voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The significance of Sen. Tillis' announcement should not be minimized by voters across the United States. Nov. 3 is Election Day. The entire House of Representatives and one third of the Senate are up for election on that day as are numerous important state contests for governor and other positions.

Currently the Senate is firmly in GOP hands 53-47. However the GOP has only a four seat majority in the House of Representatives 218-214 with several vacancies to be filled with interim elections. Ordinarily 33 Senate seats would be up for election this year but two more are on the ballot due to the need to fill the seats prevoulsy occupied by Vice President JD Vance (Ohio) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Florida). Of the 35 seats in contention, the burden is on the Republicans who must defend 22 seats versus only 13 held by the Democrats. A number of the contested seats are open due to retirements by various incumbents.

There are many issues which will determine who will be the victors in the many races come November. It's a long way until then and much can happen which will affect the results. However, at this time, the Republican Party's control of the Congress is in serious doubt. President Trump's popularity rating after one year in office has declined and different polls as of mid-February give him an approval rating of only 36-41%. His contentious behavior is alienating much of his base which is particularly concerned about inflation and affordabiity. Currently inflation is at 2.4%, a consideranble improvment over the previous Biden admnistration's record. Yet the public continues to see high prices in the supermarket, interest rates remain high as do housing costs. All of this translates into trouble for the GOP. President Trump must stop alienating large segments of the voting population as he has done with his personal attacks on various officials, in particular, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell and Governor Lisa Cook. All agree that the Fed must remain independent of presidential control and interference and the President's war on the Fed will not help him. Addditionally, massive budget deficits continue. Fiscal year (FY) 2025's deficit was $1.7 trillion and FY2026's deficit through Jan. 2026 is currently $697 billion, an improvement, but still over a trillion dollars a year. These deficits, and the growth of the national debt and consequent growth in debt service are not sustainable, as the dollar continues to be debased. Inflation is the greatest threat to all, and in particular to the middle class and others who saved for their future and are in danger of seeing their savings and plans for their future evaporate. All of this augurs badly for the party in power, namely the GOP.

Mention should be made of the mid-term national elections held in 1958, during the presidency of one of the most popular presidents in US history, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Traditionally, the party out of power does well in the mid-term elections but 1958 was also plagued with a recession. The Democrat victory in 1958 was massive. In the House, the Democrats gained 49 seats and the House lineup was 283 to 153. In the Senate, the Democrats gained 15 seats and controlled that chamber by 64-34 (Alaska had just become the 49th state). The Democrat control of the Congress lasted for over a generation until the 1980s and the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump does not have the popularity of Dwight Eisenhower, who was a beloved president and the hero of World War II. If the Democrats gain control of the House of Representatives we can expect a repetition of the House's impeachment actions against the president. They will not succeed as they will not have sufficient votes in the senate to convict. If they take the Senate, however, gridlock and chaos in Washington can be expected until the end of President Trump's term on Jan. 20, 2029. The president will then be a lame duck for the last two years of his term. One party rule is not good for America. That includes one party rule by either party. However, it is of particular concern with regard to the Democrat Party, now under attack by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and other extreme leftist groups, under the guise of entryism, who are seeking to take that party over. If the DSA succeeds and the Dems win in November and capture the presidency in 2028, the future will be bleak. The Republican party needs to heed Sen. Tillis' words. The nation should look for moderates and centrists, not radicals. The extreme left and the extreme right have little to offer America and have no place here. The parties need to nominate and run decent candidates. And most importantly, the voters must be informed and protect this country. As Abraham Lincoln said "America is the last, best hope for mankind". The voters must defend democracy from all the extremists. The place to defend democracy is in the voting booth. Those who are too busy or too lazy to vote have no grounds to complain. Voting is a privilege. November 3 is the date.

Garry S. Sklar

Las Vegas, NV

Feb.14, 2026