'The biggest wave in 50 years': political scientist Bruce Stokes on the outcome of the US midterm elections

In an interview with Euronews, political scientist Bruce Stokes described the results of the US midterm elections as the biggest wave in 50 years, but cautioned against drawing excessive conclusions: the economy was the main issue for voters, and the Democrats face internal divisions ahead.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 6 November 2026 at 13:142 min read

The key facts

Bruce Stokes called the election result 'the biggest wave in 50 years' but cautioned against overinterpreting it.
According to exit polls, a majority of voters considered the economy the main issue, with voting 'against Trump' prevailing by a margin of 3:1.
Stokes called Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff the 'clear winner' of the elections with an eye to the 2028 primaries.

Assessment of the results and a word of caution

American political scientist Bruce Stokes, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, in an interview with Euronews called the results of Tuesday's US midterm elections 'the biggest wave in 50 years.' At the same time, he immediately cautioned against overinterpreting the result, pointing to looming tensions between the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party in the new Congress. 'Here in the US we have an old saying: it's the economy, stupid,' he noted, explaining voters' motivation.

The economy as the main issue and the Republicans' position

According to the exit polls cited by Stokes, a majority of voters considered the economy the main issue of the election, and voting 'against Trump' prevailed by a margin of 3:1. Stokes also drew attention to the composition of the new Senate: it will put some Republicans, especially those facing re-election, 'in a difficult position' — they will likely have to vote against popular social measures such as food stamps, Medicaid (government health care support in the US) and other medical subsidies.

Looking ahead to 2028: Ossoff as the 'clear winner'

Speaking about a possible Democratic candidate in the 2028 presidential election, Stokes called Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff the 'clear winner' of these elections, drawing a parallel with Obama's rise in the mid-2000s. However, he stressed that it is 'far too early' to speculate about the nomination: in the coming weeks, he said, nearly ten people could throw their hats into the ring.