Americans keep voting for scandal-prone candidates because they just don’t want the other party to win

Polarization and negative partisanship have lowered the standards for whom Americans are willing to support.

By: Charlie Hunt, Boise State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 18, 2026

Words: 1,343

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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By Charlie Hunt, Boise State University

Every election cycle sees its share of controversial, scandal-plagued candidates running for office. But the 2026 midterm elections will feature two such candidates – one from each party – in two of the highest-profile U.S. Senate races.

In Texas, the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, recently secured the Republican Party’s nomination over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

Cornyn and others have insisted that Paxton’s substantial legal and

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