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The Democratic Party wins a midterm election plagued by scandals from a Republican administration while an unpopular war rages on during an economic crisis. This describes both the elections of 1974 and 2026.

In 1974, the United States was in the middle of an economic crisis known as stagflation, characterised by high inflation and stagnating economic growth. The country was also in the middle of an oil crisis caused by factors such as domestic production peaking in 1970 and Middle Eastern countries embargoing the US for its support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War.

In 2026, the country is also in a cost-of-living crisis, driven by factors such as high post-pandemic inflation, tariffs levied on America’s trading partners by President Donald Trump, and rising fuel prices due to the War in Iran.

The Republican Party in the 1974 midterms was hit by several corruption scandals. Most notably, the Watergate scandal and the ensuing cover-up which led to Richard Nixon’s resignation in August 1974. He was succeeded by Vice President Gerald Ford after former Vice President Spiro Agnew had resigned following allegations of criminal conspiracy, bribery, extortion, and tax fraud during his time as Governor of Maryland.

Consequently, the second Trump administration is also hit hard by scandals, most notably the controversy surrounding the revelation of the Epstein Files, President Trump accepting a $400 million jet from Qatar, and pocketing more than $1.4 billion from the Trump Organisation’s cryptocurrency businesses. These have attracted strong online opposition from the American people.

The United States had finished its withdrawal from the Vietnam War in 1973. The war’s unpopularity stemmed from the draft sending young men to war before they could vote, the high number of civilian and military casualties and the Vietnam War’s distinction of being the first war broadcast live on television.

On February 28, 2026, President Trump initiated the Iran War to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and to pursue regime change. On the same day, Israeli airstrikes killed Ali Khamenei, who had served as the Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989. The war’s unpopularity stems from rising fuel prices, a lack of a clear strategy, and President Trump breaking his campaign promise not to start any new wars.

In 1974, the Democratic Party gained 49 seats in the House of Representatives and 4 in the Senate. In 2026, the Democrats have gained a net 42 seats in the House and 7 seats in the Senate so far.

Both the 1974 and 2026 elections also led to a new wave of young Representatives and Senators. The 1974 midterms led to the election of what were known as the “Watergate babies”, because many were in their 20s, 30s and 40s, such as Senators Patrick Leahy, Gary Hart and Richard Stone, along with Representatives Thomas Downey, Thomas Harkin, and Paul Tsongas.

The 2026 election also saw a new wave of young Democrats elected, including Representatives Michael Alfonso and Melat Kiros, along with Senators James Talarico, Annie Andrews, and Abdul El-Sayed.