7 Questions a 2026 Candidate Must Get Right to Earn Your Vote on Election Day

I happen to live in a state where MAGA enthusiasms are relatively subdued, and where Republicans skew toward old-school conservatism rather than Q-Anon crazy. The old Prescott Bush world of Connecticut. The state’s senators and the representative of my congressional district do an “admirable enough” job representing my interests and advocating for good causes, giving me just enough to complain about, but not too much. Given the times we live in, and with the midterms looming large, I rather wish I could cast a ballot in a state that where my vote might make a bigger difference; a state where senators and congressional representatives have gotten away with far too much, often for far too long. Mind you, I don’t want to live in such a place, I just want to vote there.

It is with all this in mind that I have written a letter, a request for information by a concerned and proactive citizen, that might prove useful and revealing to those who live in deeply red or contested states. It seeks information from those currently in office in those states, but it might just as easily be tailored to those seeking office as well. Anyone who chooses to use the letter can adapt it as they please. It’s all about accountability and protecting our rights as citizens. As follows:

Dear Senator X or Congressional Representative Y,

As a citizen of your state or district, I am determined to make sure that the votes I cast next month go to the most qualified and talented candidates on the ballot. For me, getting things right means, above all, making sure that the persons I vote for are committed to protecting the US Constitution and upholding the basic principles of American democracy—as all senators and congressional representatives are sworn to do. I also want to make sure that the persons I vote for have spoken out against the current administration’s rampant corruption and indecency by taking a strong public stand when it counts.

With that in mind, I would love to have you, or a member of your staff, bring me up to speed on your track record of protecting my rights as a citizen and of supporting the cause of restoring decency by answering the following questions, all very straightforward, and not at all time-consuming—and to keep things simple I have narrowed my questions down to just seven items from the last year or so.

1. When, on February 6, 2026, President Donald Trump shared a video depicting Barack and Michele Obama as apes, you expressed your outrage how, and where can I locate that public response?
2. When, on February 28, 2026, President Trump launched an unprovoked war against Iran, having sought no congressional approval (though the law requires it), what steps did you take to rein in this abuse of power?
3. When, earlier this month, President Trump used nearly 22 million taxpayer dollars to fund a series of political ads praising himself, you spoke out how, and took what measures to uphold the rule of law?
4. When, in November of 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Fox News’ Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense (and here you should feel free to swap in any other agency head as you like, such as Robert Kennedy Jr., Kristi Noem, Todd Blanche, Linda McMahon, etc.), what measures did you take either that day, or in the following weeks, to protect the American people from having someone so dangerously unqualified hold that office? Again, please indicate where can I locate that information.
5. When, on September 23, 2026, Donald Trump went before the United Nations General Assembly and threatened to annihilate Iran, in what public forum did you express your outrage, and what measures did you take (or are you taking) to follow up on that outrage?
6. When, at a campaign rally in Grand Island Nebraska on October 6, 2026, President Trump joked about wishing Iran would launch a nuclear attack on Los Angeles and San Diego, how was your outrage expressed before the American public?
7. When, on October 9, 2026, Donald Trump announced plans to brush aside legal sanctions that are currently in place by purchasing 300,000 tons of diesel fuel from Russia, followed by another 3-4.5 million tons in the months ahead, thereby tossing a lifeline to Vladimir Putin in his war against Ukraine, you registered your objections how, and what actions have you since undertaken to address this outrage?

That’s it. I have so many additional questions I would like to ask you—regarding how you have responded to the president’s attempt to overthrow the 2020 election, to his leveling of the East Wing of the White House, his embrace of Putin, his threats to Greenland, his self-enrichment in office, his dismissal of the Epstein scandal as a “democrat hoax,” his disgraceful posts, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement killings, the reflecting pool, the budget deficit, his support of genocide in Gaza, and so on, and on, and on… But I will accept your answers to the seven questions posed above as sufficient for the purpose of your earning or failing to earn my vote.

Please understand that a track record of silence or inaction on any one of these items, let alone on several or all, will tell me all that I need to know. Weak objections, objections devoid of action, and objections made for show won’t cut it for me either. To earn my vote, you will need to provide evidence that you opposed these dangerous and demeaning abuses and illegalities aggressively, right when they took place, not just for show, and especially not just now, when elections loom and public support for the president’s agenda is crumbling.

I thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Concerned Citizen [Name]