Talking Sense

Unpacking the 2026 election results

Voting
Voters cast ballots at St. Louis Park High School, Precinct 7, in St. Louis Park, Minn., Nov. 3, 2026.
Courtesy of Vivienne Paulson | University of Minnesota

MPR News host Catharine Richert and her guests unpack the midterm elections and talk about what shaped the results in Minnesota and across the country. 

Guests:

  • Duchess Harris is the DeWitt Wallace professor of American studies at Macalester College.

  • Kathryn Pearson is a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota, where she is also an associate dean of undergraduate education and the director of the University Honors Program.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.