Today, Vox is launching The Midterms, Actually, a new weekly newsletter from Astead W. Herndon examining the big ideas and key people behind the political shifts shaping the 2026 elections — and what they reveal about where American politics is headed next.
Each week, Astead will break down one big idea he’s identified and one revealing thing he is hearing from voters, candidates, organizers, and other figures on the ground. The goal is to understand what the midterm elections are telling us about how the parties are changing, which new coalitions are emerging, whose voices are being overlooked, and what it all could mean beyond November.
The launch marks Vox’s first expansion onto Substack. Readers can sign up for The Midterms, Actually directly on Vox or follow on Substack. Astead will also regularly host Substack Lives, creating additional opportunities for conversations with readers and guests throughout the election cycle.
Astead is the host and editorial director of Vox’s America, Actually, a podcast focused on understanding how political change is unfolding across the country. He joined Vox in 2025, after working as a national political reporter at the New York Times and hosting The Run-Up, the Times’s flagship politics podcast. His reporting has focused on covering American politics from a voter perspective, tracking the changes in the country and the political parties from the bottom up.
Beginning today, Vox’s flagship daily newsletter, Today, Explained, written by Caitlin Dewey, will also be available on Substack in addition to its existing home on Vox.com. Every weekday afternoon, Today, Explained helps readers understand the big ideas behind the most important news stories.