Morning Joe Morning Joe

Midterms become most expensive election cycle in history

Nov 2, 2026 · 41m

Summary

Morning Joe covers the final hours of the 2026 midterm elections, highlighting record youth turnout in Georgia and a potential Democratic surge in key Senate races like Michigan and Texas. The show discusses the most expensive election cycle in history, with Republicans spending heavily in traditionally safe states to defend gerrymandered House seats.

Topics discussed

Gemini AI and SimpliSafe advertisements Civil rights attacks and FBI actions in Georgia Georgia voting records and Senate race context Republican concerns over Democratic gains in red states John Ossoff on building broad coalitions Foundational shifts in longtime Republican states Georgia's political shift and nonpartisan organizing Role of cultural and community organizations in Georgia Credit for wins: Candidates vs. grassroots engagement Interview with Susan Del Bene: House landscape Strategy to win swing districts and net three seats Gerrymandering backfiring on Republicans Voter anger at corruption and affordability issues Importance of strong candidates and closing remarks Transition and discussion on campaign money Republican polling data and spending in trouble states NYT poll suggesting a blue surge and caveats Polling details: Michigan, Texas, and Alaska Polling details: Alaska and Iowa races Historical precedent for Democratic Senate wins Reliability of polls and the 2016/2020 track record Pollster accuracy and current Republican panic Republican fears of losing South Carolina Why the NYT/Siena poll carries significant weight Late breaks in elections and Michigan trends Third-party candidates and following the money Prediction of surprises on election night SimpliSafe advertisement Business jet crash in Florida kills nine Senator Chris Murphy hospitalized after stroke Most expensive midterm election cycle ever Examples of negative campaign ads Late money spending in Ohio and other states Democratic offensive in deep red states Transition to NYC Marathon segment SimpliSafe advertisement Stephanie Ruhle's experience at NYC Marathon Community and service in marathon running Introduction of legal reporters and Alaska ballot issue Judge tosses DOJ case on Alaska ballot names Allegations of spoiler candidate recruitment Analysis of Trump DOJ's legal strategy Other legal avenues to watch on Election Day Potential federal interference with voting rights DOJ attempts to put aside ballots Trump's wealth increase and lack of transparency Link between economic struggle and corruption perception Trump's lawsuit against WSJ over Epstein story WSJ wins lawsuit and media integrity Closing remarks and transition to Iran story Afghan refugees facing deportation to Taliban Trump considering firing Hegseth and Dan Caine Scapegoating for Iran war and deterrence failure Final thoughts and sign-off
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