Neil Coates, chair of the Department of Government and Criminal Justice at ACU in Abilene, described the 2026 midterm results as a corrective election. He said concerns about the economy and the war in Iran helped shape voters' decisions.
Some Abilene voters said they were disappointed by the results. Abilene resident Lee Swanson said many people who moved to Texas to get away from their former state's politics voted for the same policies. Abilene resident Wendy said she was disappointed, citing new residents moving into the state and what she described as young people being influenced at colleges and universities.
Coates said Democrats now have a chance to show voters whether their policies work. He said the question is whether their ideas will work, and that they will have two years to show the results.