'No Kings' Protests and $42M Iran Ad Blitz Frame the 2026 Midterm Push

The fourth iteration of national 'No Kings' protests took place on Saturday, with more than 3,000 rallies occurring across the United States, including in Lima, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas. These gatherings coincided with the opening of early voting for the November 3 election. Organizers, including representatives from the League of Women Voters, framed the demonstrations as a defense of democratic institutions against perceived executive overreach.

In the most competitive House and Senate races, Democrats have aggressively tied the Iran war to rising household costs. An Associated Press analysis of AdImpact data showed that at least half of the 50 targeted races featured Iran-related ads from September 1 to October 14, costing an estimated $42 million. This messaging strategy relies on war powers votes from the spring to portray Republicans as responsible for spiking prices on essential goods, sometimes targeting candidates who have never served in Congress.

Republican strategists are largely ignoring the Iran conflict to avoid fighting on what they consider Democratic messaging turf. Instead, the GOP has focused its ad spend on traditional Democratic vulnerabilities such as taxes, crime, healthcare, and immigration. However, some Republican officials have distanced themselves from the war, including Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers and Maine Senator Susan Collins, who emphasized her votes to halt the conflict during a debate with her Democratic rival.