Welcome to The Midterms, Actually. Every week I’ll be writing about two things: one big idea or trend I see forming across the 2026 primaries, and one thing I’m hearing from a voice on the ground. Let’s get into it.

One thing I’m thinking about: Electability and identity are intertwined

On Sunday, former President Barack Obama did something most others seemed to avoid: He called out the Trump administration’s targeting of Rep. Ilhan Omar .

The administration, Obama wrote, is “ actively trying to deport Congresswoman Omar ” over a theory he called unsubstantiated: that she was 18, not 17, when her father was naturalized. The effort, he said, “should outrage all Americans , regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views.”

The statement stands in contrast to the mixed response of Democrats on the campaign trail and the relative silence of the mainstream press.…