Our latest Marist Texas and Iowa Polls explore the state of the 2026 midterm elections, including key Senate and governor’s races, President Trump’s influence, and the issues shaping voters’ choices. Plus, we look at whether women trust the institutions responsible for handling sexual-assault reports, what the polling reveals about confidence in campus investigations, and the broader debate over sexual-assault policies.
We return to Texas and Iowa with our second round of Marist Polls this election season. With Election Day just weeks away, the key races look much as they did in September. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico continues to edge Republican Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate, and the governor’s race between Gina Hinojosa and Gov. Greg Abbott remains competitive. In Iowa, Democrats Josh Turek and Rob Sand also have the edge in the races for Senate and governor. We look at President Trump’s influence on the midterms and the issues shaping voters’ choices in two states he carried in 2024.
In segment two, we examine whether women trust the institutions responsible for handling sexual-assault reports. The allegations involving seven Cornell students have renewed debate over how campuses respond and over New York’s consent laws. That debate includes a reopened criminal investigation, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s call for an independent review, and new calls to change the law. We look at what national surveys show about confidence in campus investigations. Fewer women than in 2019 expect a report to be taken seriously, and there’s a wide gender gap in views of how often harassment and assault go unreported. Marist University Associate Professor of Crime and Justice Studies, Dr. Julie Raines, joins to provide insights.