Hollywood’s political activists are approaching Tuesday’s 2026 midterm elections with anxiety and cautious optimism. Although polls have improved Democrats’ prospects of taking control of Congress, donor activity has been subdued compared with previous cycles, according to political consultant Andy Spahn of GLS Partners. He cited the 2024 losses, devastating wildfires and the entertainment industry’s production downturn as contributing factors.
Interest has picked up over the past month as Democrats’ chances of winning the House and Senate have held steady or improved. Jon Ossoff, seeking reelection in Georgia, and Texas state senator James Talarico, who is running for the U.S. Senate, have drawn particular attention from industry supporters. Donors have also backed Ohio’s Sherrod Brown and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, whose campaign faced new uncertainty after Democratic rival Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers.
The level of activity remains lower than in earlier cycles, but organizers say smaller donors have been energetic. Democratic activist Mathew Littman said he had traveled to Michigan with a group to campaign for gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and had organized a fundraising call for candidates including Brown, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Texas nominee Gina Hinojosa. He attributed some of the continued caution to what he called “PTSD from 2024.”
Among the closely watched contests, Ossoff is widely expected to keep his Georgia Senate seat, with attention focused on his margin of victory. Talarico’s campaign has raised hopes among Democrats of winning a Texas Senate seat for the first time since 1988. In Ohio, Brown is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted in one of the cycle’s most expensive Senate races. Iowa’s open Senate contest between Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson is also considered highly competitive.
Michigan’s Senate race has exposed divisions among Democratic donors over El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel. The United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, invested in backing Stevens and opposing El-Sayed, and has recently resumed spending in the contest. Stevens’ endorsement of Rogers prompted dismay among some Democratic leaders and entertainment figures, Littman said.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass is seeking another term against City Councilmember Nithya Raman. A Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll published the previous week found the candidates tied among likely voters. Bass has faced criticism over her handling of last year’s wildfires and the city’s homelessness problem, while some former critics have recently said they will support her. If the contest is close, the result could take days or weeks to determine because of the county’s lengthy vote-counting process.
California’s governor’s race has drawn less attention, with Democrat Xavier Becerra holding a sizable polling lead over Republican Steve Hilton, according to the report. The article also notes Maine’s Senate contest, where Democrat Troy Jackson is challenging incumbent Republican Susan Collins, and California Proposition 40, a proposed 5% tax on certain residents with assets of at least $1 billion. Entertainment-industry donors have shown comparatively little support or opposition to the measure, while much of the financial activity has come from Silicon Valley.
Sources: Deadline.