The 2026 midterm elections will determine which party controls the House of Representatives and Senate, shaping what legislation Congress advances, which policies receive funding and how the federal government oversees existing programs.
The party in control of each chamber has significant influence over whether bills addressing health care, voting rights, education, housing and workers’ rights move forward or stall.
Those decisions can have direct consequences, from access to affordable medical care to the ability of Black communities to elect representatives of their choice.
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has identified health care, voting rights and workforce policy among the major issues affecting Black Americans in 2026. Here is how some of the races on the November 3 ballot could shape those policies, along with education and housing.
Health Care
Congress helps determine how federal health care programs are funded, while governors and state legislatures decide whether to expand Medicaid and how to administer the program.
The stakes are particularly high for Black Americans because they account for more than 20% of Medicaid recipients, according to the CBCF.
New federal Medicaid requirements could also leave people uninsured because they struggle to document their work or qualify for exemptions.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that changes under the 2025 federal reconciliation law will increase the number of uninsured Americans by millions over the coming years.
In Mississippi, Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom has criticized Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith over the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid.
The Washington Post reported that Colom has pointed to approximately 400,000 uninsured Mississippians. For Black residents, who make up a substantial share of the state’s population, the debate concerns whether more low-income adults could qualify for coverage and whether federal and state policy will help people afford routine care rather than rely on emergency rooms.
Voting Rights
Redistricting can determine whether Black voters have enough collective voting power to elect candidates who represent their communities. When mapmakers divide Black neighborhoods among multiple districts, those voters may have less influence over the outcome in each district.
NPR reported in July that new congressional maps in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas split up predominantly Black communities. In Alabama, the Black voting-age population in the 2nd Congressional District, represented by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, fell from 48% to 40% under the revised map, according to the Associated Press.
North Carolina’s 1st District, where Democratic Rep. Don Davis is seeking reelection, is also affected by redistricting, according to Spectrum News.
These changes matter beyond the racial identity of the candidates. Congressional representatives vote on federal funding for health care, schools, housing and infrastructure. If Black voters have less influence over who represents their districts, they may also have less leverage in choosing lawmakers who address their communities’ concerns.
Control of Congress also affects whether lawmakers pursue stronger federal protections against discriminatory redistricting.
One example is the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025, which was introduced in the House by Rep. Terri Sewell and in the Senate by Sens. Dick Durbin and Raphael Warnock. The legislation would restore federal oversight of voting changes in states and localities with a history of discrimination, requiring them to receive approval before implementing certain changes to election laws.
It would also require approval for certain practices such as redistricting, stricter voter identification requirements and reductions in polling places. These provisions could help prevent changes that weaken Black voters’ ability to elect candidates of their choice.
The bill’s passage would depend on support in both chambers of Congress, 60 votes in the Senate under current filibuster rules and the president’s approval.
Education
State governors and legislatures shape public-school funding, while federal officials influence education grants, student aid and programs supporting historically Black colleges and universities.
In Michigan, Republican gubernatorial candidate John James supports joining a federal education tax-credit program that incentivizes donations to scholarship organizations. Democratic candidate Jocelyn Benson has raised concerns about transparency and the program’s potential effects on public schools, according to Michigan Public Radio Network.
The central question for Black families is how the competing approaches could affect the schools their children attend. If tax incentives shift resources toward private-school scholarships, the consequences for public-school funding will depend on how the program operates and how the state responds.
That matters in communities where families rely on public schools for special education, transportation and other services. The candidates’ positions offer different approaches to education funding, making the program’s design and fiscal impact important questions for voters.
Housing
Housing policy matters to Black Americans because the gap in homeownership limits access to a major source of household wealth. The Federal Reserve’s 2025 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking found that 44% of Black adults owned homes, compared with 72% of White adults.
Texas Senate candidates James Talarico, a Democrat, and Ken Paxton, a Republican, have proposed different approaches to housing affordability. According to The Texas Tribune, Talarico has proposed down payment assistance and expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which supports the development of affordable rental housing. Paxton has proposed tax deductions for homebuyers.
Those differences matter because down payment assistance could help eligible households who have enough income to make mortgage payments but lack savings to buy a home.
Affordable rental development could expand options for households priced out of homeownership.
Tax deductions, meanwhile, generally benefit people who qualify for them and have eligible expenses. The practical effect of each proposal would depend on its eligibility rules, funding and implementation.
Jobs And Economic Security
Congress and state governments influence minimum wages, overtime rules, taxes and paid leave, all of which are policies that determine how much workers earn and how much of their income remains available for household expenses.
Talarico has proposed raising the federal minimum wage, expanding overtime pay, establishing universal child care and providing paid family leave, according to The Texas Tribune.
These policies could affect Black workers who qualify, particularly those in lower-wage jobs or families paying substantial child-care costs. Paxton has emphasized tax deductions for household expenses, an approach that would reduce taxable income for eligible households rather than directly increase wages.
The proposals reflect different approaches to economic security. Talarico’s plan focuses on raising wages and expanding services such as child care and paid leave, while Paxton’s relies more heavily on tax deductions.
For Black workers and families, the practical difference will depend on whether the policies become law and how much financial relief eligible households actually receive.
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