“Politics ain’t beanbag,” is a famous warning to politicians. They have to tough as the toughest baseball players to win, throwing hardballs at opponents and sliding with their spikes up. Well, the 2026 midterms have now gone from hardball to lowball.

Here is a list of scummy political advertising, complete with despicable lies.

Let’s save the most reprehensible for last.

First, right-wing smear merchants, aided by Elon Musk’s X platform , trashed Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (D) with wretchedly false claims. They said the Democrat left the campaign trail for treatment at an Ohio hospital for the insane.

It was a despicable lie. Talarico stopped campaigning while recovering from the flu.

The lie was a diversion from the multiple scandals tarring Talarico’s opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).

The truth about Paxton is that a Republican-controlled Texas House impeached him in 2023 .…