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Developing story
A Washington Examiner opinion column argues that America has less a governing problem than a reelection problem. It says officials spend so much time campaigning that the work of governing suffers.
A Washington Examiner opinion column, published Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, argues that America has “less a governing problem than a reelection problem.”
The column says Tuesday’s midterm elections will settle control of Congress for two years. It adds that the vote will also quietly start the next campaign.
The author writes that, come Wednesday morning, people considering a presidential run will be scheduling visits to states that vote early in the primaries. The column adds that recently elected House members will be back out fundraising for 2028.
The author says presidents spend half of their first term running for a second. Senators, who are elected for six years, lose roughly two of them to campaigning, according to the column. House members, elected for two years, never stop, it says.
The author concludes the result is “a government built to win elections rather than solve problems.” The column points to aging infrastructure, Social Security fixes pushed off for another cycle, and immigration compromises that never advance.
These figures and judgments are the author’s own, as presented in the column. This brief draws on that one opinion piece and on no other source.
This story is developing and will be updated.
What it means for you
- If the column’s view is right, officials who campaign nearly all the time may have less time left for the work of governing.
- If the author is correct, delays on infrastructure, Social Security and immigration could be tied to the campaign calendar, though the column offers its own assessment rather than verified data.
- Because the column says the 2028 campaign starts right after Tuesday’s vote, readers may see early campaign activity in the days after the midterms.