Episode 183: Election Recap with GovNavigators

Blue wave? Tsunami? To quote Governor DeSantis, an “extinction level event for Republicans?” Whatever you call it, Robert and Adam come together this week to unpack a historic midterm election that saw the Democrats take control of both the House and Senate. Our hosts walk us through the election results, the policy implications for government management, and their predictions for the future. Plus, speculations on the upcoming lame duck session of Congress.  

Special thanks to Allocore for sponsoring. 

Show Notes 

• Allocore.com 

• Politico: DeSantis calls midterm bloodbath an ‘extinction-level event for Republicans’ 

• NBC: 2026 Senate Results: Democrats retake control 

• BBC: Razor-tight Mississippi Senate race sparks ballot battle - could there be a recount? 

• CNN: Alaska Dem Chair Surprises CNN’s Pamela Brown with Analogy for Counting Ballots 

• NBC: 2026 House Results: Democrats Win Control 

• NBC: 2026 Governor Results 

• NYT: The Democratic Wave Swept State Houses Across the Country 

• FairVote: Shifts in Incumbency Advantage in the US House 

• Reuters: Abdul El-Sayed becomes first Muslim elected to US Senate 

• NYT: Democrat Holds on to Senate Seat in New Hampshire 

• CBS: 2 Native American women make history in 2026 midterm elections 

• AP: Democrat Annie Andrews wins US Senate election in South Carolina over Republican Darline Graham 

• WaPo: Adam Hamilton wins Kansas Senate race, becoming first Democrat elected to seat in nearly a century 

• BBC: James Talarico becomes first Democrat to win Texas Senate seat since 1988 

• Time: Democratic Socialist Mayors Will Now Run LA, New York, and D.C. After Nithya Raman’s Win 

• Senator Hassan: Press Release 

• LinkedIn: Mark Bussow announcement 

• The Hill: Incoming House Oversight chair to Republicans: ‘Lawyer up’ 

• GAO: Federal Vacancies Reform Act 

• GAO: FAQs on the Vacancies Act 

• GAO: Antideficiency Act 

• GAO: Congressional Review Act 

• Congress.gov: The Congressional Review Act (CRA): A Brief Overview 

• Ballotpedia: Uses of the Congressional Review Act during the Biden administration 

• NYT: Trump Says in Interview That He Will Accept Election Results 

• White House: President Trump Names Stephen Miller as 33rd White House Chief of Staff 

• Congress.gov: Appropriations Status Table: FY2027 

• Congress.gov: H.Con.Res.113 - Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2027 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2028 through 2036. 

• Congress.gov: Enforceable Spending Allocations in the Congressional Budget Process: 302(a) Allocations and 302(b) Suballocations 

• White House: Budget of the U.S. Government 

• Punchbowl News: Appropriators to meet on FY2027 spending 

• Politico: Republicans’ last chance to cement their legacy in Trump’s Washington 

What’s on the GovNavigators’ Radar? 

November 11th 

• Veterans Day 

November 12th  

• Dayforce Federal HR and Payroll Roundtable, Washington, D.C. 

November 13th  

• ACT-IAC's Service, Delivery, and Experience Summit 2026, Reston, VA