'TELL IT LIKE IT IS': Democrats' Midterm Sweep Sparks Debate Over Gerrymandering and Political Accountability

Talk show host James W. Thomas examines Democrats' victories in Congress, the failure of Republican redistricting strategies and the need for election reform in his Nov. 9 political commentary.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. | The sweeping Democratic victories in the 2026 midterm elections and the growing controversy surrounding partisan gerrymandering took center stage in the Nov. 9 edition of 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS', hosted by veteran broadcaster and political commentator James W. Thomas.

The program's two-part discussion examined the political consequences of the Nov. 3 elections and the arguments presented in Thomas' editorial, "Stop the Cheating," which challenges political leaders to confront partisan manipulation of congressional districts and restore public confidence in representative government.

Under the program's signature tagline, "Be Informed — Not Influenced," Thomas framed the election results as an opportunity to examine not only which party won but also what those victories reveal about the electorate's changing priorities.

Democrats Flip Texas Attorney General’s Office, Reshaping Legal Battles Over Trump Policies and 2028 Elections

Historic 2026 midterm gains give Democratic attorneys general greater influence over voting rights, artificial intelligence, energy policy and corporate regulation as Republicans lose a powerful legal stronghold.

WASHINGTON | Democrats emerged from the 2026 midterm elections with a major victory extending beyond congressional and gubernatorial races: a sweeping expansion of their influence over state attorneys general offices, including a breakthrough in Texas that could reshape national litigation over federal policy, voting rights, energy regulation and emerging technologies.

The Democratic Attorneys General Association, which invested heavily in recruiting candidates and building statewide campaigns, helped its party capture five Republican-held attorney general offices in Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and Georgia while defending competitive seats in Michigan and Minnesota.

But the most consequential victory may have come in Texas, where Democrats broke Republicans' hold on an office that had become a central force in conservative legal challenges to Democratic administrations.

Wright’s Misleading Claims About Electricity Prices in Red vs. Blue States

Wright says renewable energy mandates have driven electricity rates nearly 50% higher in Democratic-led states. Energy researchers say geography, aging power grids, wildfire costs, natural gas prices and growing data center demand explain much of the difference.

WASHINGTON | Energy Secretary Chris Wright has blamed high electricity prices in Democrat-led states on climate policies. Prices do tend to be higher in blue states than red states, but climate policies explain at most a modest portion of the price difference.

Longstanding structural and geographical factors — combined with more recent price increases from wildfires, extreme weather and, in certain areas, anticipated rapid load growth from data centers — have also contributed to high electricity prices in certain states and regions.

Wright’s recent comments have emphasized political differences between states while omitting many of these other factors, at times misleadingly blaming large price rises on climate policies.

“Electricity prices are almost 50% higher in states run by Democrats,” he said Oct. 1 on Fox News. “For 17 years since President Obama came to office, the Democrat position has been to constrict the growth of energy and drive the prices up so Americans could afford less and we would solve climate change.”

In other interviews, the secretary has suggested state-level requirements for adopting renewable energy — called renewable portfolio standards — are to blame for the price differential.

Common Themes in the 2026 Midterms

From rising gas prices and Medicare to transgender rights, rural hospitals and data centers, Republicans and Democrats used selective facts and disputed claims to influence voters in the battle for control of Congress.

WASHINGTON | Over the course of this election, we’ve monitored key toss-up congressional races, fact-checking false claims and distortions of the facts on a host of topics. But some issues have loomed larger than others.

Before the Election Day polls open, here’s a look at the major midterm themes we’ve written about and how both parties have twisted the facts in trying to garner voters’ support.

Inflation and Gas Prices

When inflation and gasoline prices spiked in the summer of 2022, the midterm election airwaves were filled with Republican campaign ads attacking Democrats on those points, as we wrote for our “major themes” story then. With annualized inflation at 3.7% and gasoline prices at $4.27 per gallon the week of Oct. 26 — higher than the metrics when President Donald Trump’s second term began — inflation and gasoline prices are again a centerpiece of the midterm elections, with the party roles reversed.

Most of the Democratic ads blame the war in Iran and Republicans’ support for it, which is a matter for political debate, and not something for fact-checkers.

But the attacks haven’t always been on the mark, as was the case in a North Carolina ad in which Democratic Senate candidate Roy Cooper used an out-of-date quote from his Republican opponent, Michael Whatley, to portray him as out of touch on affordability issues. The economic picture was much different in July 2025 — when Whatley commented on grocery prices, gasoline prices and inflation — than they are today.

And while he isn’t on the ballot (technically), Trump has repeatedly twisted the facts on inflation and gasoline prices while stumping for Republican candidates in the run-up to the midterm elections.

In Kansas, Both Sides Twist the Facts in Accusations of Protecting Pedophiles

Democratic groups accuse Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of protecting Jeffrey Epstein's associates, while a GOP super PAC claims Democrat Adam Hamilton shielded a child abuser. Court records, congressional votes and investigative reporting reveal significant omissions in both attacks.

TOPEKA, Kan. | In Kansas’ tight Senate race, ads from Democratic and Republican outside groups are accusing the other party’s candidate of having protected pedophiles. In both cases, the attacks are misleading or unsupported by the evidence.

Ads from Democratic groups misleadingly claim Sen. Roger Marshall, the Republican incumbent, helped cover up Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes by voting to keep the Epstein files under wraps while taking money from the convicted sex offender’s “associates.” 

Marshall supported the November 2025 law that required the Justice Department to publicly release the files. He previously voted against a Democratic amendment calling for the files’ release, saying he opposed attaching it to an unrelated defense bill. As for the purported Epstein “associates,” they’re people whose names appear incidentally in the files but had no documented contact with Epstein, or whose interactions with him were limited. None has been accused of wrongdoing.

An ad from a Republican group, meanwhile, claims Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton, a pastor, “protected a pedophile” accused of molesting teenage boys two decades ago at a camp his church ran.

According to court records reviewed by local news outlets, the boys reported the abuse but couldn’t identify the culprit, and the church didn’t notify police. It’s unclear what role Hamilton played in that decision. The next year, a camp volunteer was caught and reported to police. Hamilton has acknowledged that the church could have handled the situation better, but there’s no evidence he knowingly protected a predator.

The Cook Political Report rates the Kansas race as one of several toss-ups that could determine control of the Senate on Nov. 3. President Donald Trump campaigned for Marshall in Kansas on Nov. 1, the president’s second rally in the state in two weeks.

Explaining the Case of the Two Dan Sullivans on Alaska’s Ballot

A second Republican candidate named Sullivan sparked a legal battle, allegations of political manipulation and an extraordinary Justice Department intervention in Alaska's closely watched Senate contest between incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska | In the Alaska Senate race, the candidacy of retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. — not the incumbent Republican senator, Dan S. Sullivan — has been the subject of months of legal wrangling. But the issue took on increased national prominence this past week. 

At the behest of President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice took the unusual step on Oct. 22 of filing a preemptive lawsuit arguing that if Sen. Sullivan doesn’t win reelection, and if he loses to his Democratic opponent Mary Peltola by fewer votes than Daniel J. Sullivan gets, the state should “not certify any election result that may be impacted by voter confusion.”

Then, on Oct. 28, the New York Times dropped a story saying it had uncovered evidence that “operatives aligned with Mary Peltola” helped to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan and others to run for the Senate seat in an attempt to siphon votes away from the incumbent Sullivan. The next day, in response to the Times story, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered a criminal investigation to determine if any Alaska criminal laws were violated.

Trump, meanwhile, has weighed in, calling the issue “voter fraud at the highest level” and saying, “Peltola should resign from the race. I think she should be prosecuted criminally for what she did.”

On Oct. 29, Peltola denied she had any knowledge of or participation in recruiting another Dan Sullivan to run in the race.

“I just want to clear the air,” Peltola said. “I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent. That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters.”

With less than a week until Election Day, we’ll lay out the facts of what’s known so far, and the legal history leading up to this point.

OPINION | Democrats Have an Opportunity to Restore Accountability. Don't Waste It.

An open letter to Hakeem Jeffries: Investigate DOGE, restore the Justice Department and FBI, protect the military, lower living costs and prove that Washington can deliver more than political promises.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Congratulations, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, and congratulations to the Democratic Party on its sweeping victories in the 2026 midterm elections.

Now comes the difficult part: governing.

Democrats have won control of both the House and Senate, setting up a divided government for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. Their victory creates an opportunity for congressional oversight, legislative reform and a renewed debate over the direction of the country.

But electoral victory alone is not leadership.

I am an undecided, independent-minded Republican who has voted for Democratic presidential candidates, including Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I do not believe any political party deserves my unconditional loyalty.

I believe in the Constitution, the rule of law, accountability, responsible government and putting the American people ahead of partisan politics.

As a United States Marine Corps veteran who served during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, I understand what an oath means.

When I raised my right hand, I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I did not swear allegiance to a president, a political party or an individual.

That same principle should guide every elected official, Cabinet secretary, federal law enforcement officer and military leader.

Congressman Jeffries, I have a message for you and your colleagues:

The American people are tired of talk. We want action, accountability and results.