Americans keep voting for scandal-prone candidates because they just don’t want the other party to win
Polarization is helping both candidates hold party support as early polling shows most Texas Republicans backing Paxton and Maine Democrats rallying behind Platner.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Graham Platner in Maine secured resounding primary victories despite facing significant personal and legal scandals, positioning both as frontrunners in the 2026 Senate races.
- Political polarization has transformed how Americans view opposing parties, with sentiment dropping from neutral to deeply negative; by 2024, 64% of voters in both parties reported such negative opinions.
- Public opinion studies using the "feeling thermometer" show sentiment toward opposing parties plummeted from 50 degrees to 19 degrees by 2024, with voters reporting they must "hold their noses" to support flawed nominees.
- Party leadership in Congress continues rallying behind Paxton and Platner despite controversies, as political scientist Frances Lee found in "Insecure Majorities" that partisan control remains more contested than any point in over a century.
- Close elections raise the stakes of individual votes and the cost of defecting from party candidates; voters fear the opposition controlling government, driving support for Paxton and Platner regardless of personal baggage.
39 Articles
39 Articles
People keep voting for scandal-plagued candidates because they don't want the other party to win
Every election cycle sees its share of controversial, scandal-plagued candidates running for office. But the 2026 midterm elections will feature two such candidates – one from each party – in two of the highest-profile U.S. Senate races. In Texas, the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, recently secured the Republican Party’s nomination over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Cornyn and others have insisted that Paxton’s substantial legal and persona…
The race to the bottom — and how tribalism made scandal-plagued politicians unstoppable
Every election cycle sees its share of controversial, scandal-plagued candidates running for office. But the 2026 midterm elections will feature two such candidates – one from each party – in two of the highest-profile U.S. Senate races.In Texas, the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, recently secured the Republican Party’s nomination over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Cornyn and others have insisted that Paxton’s substantial legal and personal…
Why Americans Keep Voting for Scandal‑Prone Candidates Like Graham Platner and Ken Paxton
Republished with permission from The Conversation, by Charlie Hunt, Boise State University Every election cycle sees its share of controversial, scandal-plagued candidates running for office. But the 2026 midterm elections will feature two such candidates—one from each party—in two of the highest-profile U.S. Senate races. In Texas, the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, recently secured the Republican Party’s nomination over incumbent Sen. J…
The Conversation
Americans keep voting for scandal-prone candidates because they just don’t want the other party to win
U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner speaks to supporters on June 9, 2026, in Blue Hill, Maine. CJ Gunther/Getty ImagesEvery election cycle sees its share of controversial, scandal-plagued candidates running for office. But the 2026 midterm elections will feature two such candidates – one from each party – in two of the highest-profile U.S. Senate races. In Texas, the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, recently secured the Republican Party’s no…
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