Previewing the Midterm Elections

Ahead of this year’s Midterm Elections, journalists Kirk Bado (National Journal) and Jacob Rubashkin (Inside Elections) join Dole Fellow Dr. Colleen Shogan to discuss the forces shaping this year’s campaign.

Dr. Colleen Shogan served as the 11th Archivist of the United States – the first woman to be nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). She currently serves as a senior fellow at More Perfect and CEO of In Pursuit, an ambitious history-based nonpartisan civics initiative that is identifying the most insightful and timeless lessons from the past 250 years of American history. She also currently serves as a Senior Practitioner Fellow at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia. Shogan was recognized at the Dole Institute’s Elizabeth Dole Women in Leadership Lecture in early 2026.

Kirk Bado is the editorial force behind National Journal’s campaign coverage. He directs campaign coverage, edits National Journal’s twice daily political newsletters, and leads a team of correspondents covering the day-to-day political news from races all over the country. Kirk is a graduate of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School before he received his Bachelors of Science in Politics and Public Law from Belmont University and a Masters in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina.

Jacob Rubashkin is the deputy editor of Inside Elections, which provides nonpartisan analysis of campaigns for Senate, House, governor and president. He’s also co-host of The Inside Elections Podcast and was previously a contributor to elections site FiveThirtyEight. Jacob has appeared on CNN, MS Now, Fox, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, the BBC, and other TV networks around the country and globe. He’s been quoted on elections in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, and local outlets from South Florida to Alaska.