Institute for Legislative Analysis Projects Leftward Shift in Congress

The Institute for Legislative Analysis released its 2026 Post-Election Simulator, projecting a significant leftward ideological shift in the incoming U.S. Congress. National alignment with the Republican National Platform is expected to drop from 47.35% to 40.65%.

Iowa is projected to experience the most drastic change of any state, with its delegation's alignment with the platform falling from 78.77% to 40.07%. The analysis attributes this shift to both seat losses and the departure of influential conservative lawmakers, specifically Chip Roy, Scott Perry, and Ralph Norman.

Ryan McGowan, CEO of the Institute, stated that the loss of conservative voting strength will have major consequences for the legislative agenda of President Donald Trump. McGowan noted that the impact extends beyond the number of seats lost, emphasizing the loss of lawmakers most closely aligned with the party platform.