With Election Day still over three months away, a new report from Unite America reveals that 150 congressional races in the 2026 midterms are effectively decided without voter input. These uncontested races represent more than one-third of the House of Representatives and include prominent incumbents such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D–N.Y.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R–Ohio).

Many of these uncompetitive districts are located in so-called swing states. For instance, 12 of Pennsylvania's 17 congressional districts and 12 of Florida's 28 have races that are over before the campaign season begins. Collectively, these districts encompass over 84 million Americans whose electoral input is largely inconsequential.

The report explains that these 150 candidates, mostly incumbents, ran unopposed in their dominant party primaries in districts rated as uncompetitive by the Cook Political Report. According to Meredith Sumpter, president and CEO of Fair Vote, a nonprofit advocating for ranked choice voting and proportional representation, "In poll after poll, voters say our democracy isn't working, or that elected officials don't care what they think. There's a direct connection between that dissatisfaction and our totally uncompetitive elections."

Fair Vote's data further indicates that most congressional races lack competitiveness even when opponents are on the ballot. The organization supports election reforms such as ranked choice voting, where all candidates compete in a single primary and the top performers advance to the general election, akin to playoffs following a regular season in sports.

While polarization and gerrymandering contribute to the lack of competition, they do not fully explain why so many seats are uncontested. As a result, the 2026 midterms highlight ongoing challenges in American electoral competitiveness and voter engagement.

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