PolitiFact announces nationwide partnership network to fact-check critical 2026 midterm elections

Our mission has never been more vital as voters face an onslaught of viral misinformation and AI-generated content. By embedding our fact-checking expertise into local newsrooms, we ensure that voters have access to verified, nonpartisan information right where they live.”

PolitiFact Executive Director Aaron Sharockman

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — PolitiFact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking news organization, today announced its most extensive partnership network to date for the 2026 midterm election cycle. Building on a nearly two-decade legacy of public service, PolitiFact is joining forces with premier local newsrooms in battleground states to help voters navigate a complex landscape of political claims and online misinformation.

Founded in 2007 by the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) and operated since 2018 by the Poynter Institute, PolitiFact remains the largest political fact-checking operation in the United States. This cycle, its reporters will work on the ground with local outlets to provide Truth-O-Meter ratings for high-stakes Senate and gubernatorial races.

• Maine: PolitiFact’s partnership with WMTW is focused on the Senate race in which longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins faces a challenge from Democratic former state Senate President Troy Jackson. 
• Massachusetts: PolitiFact and WCVB in Boston are providing coverage of the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate — in which incumbent Ed Markey is facing a challenge from Seth Moulton — as well as the gubernatorial race.
• New Hampshire: With WMUR, PolitiFact will cover the open Senate seat following the retirement of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat. The primary field includes former Republican Sens. John E. Sununu and Scott Brown, as well as Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.
• Ohio: Working with WLWT in Cincinnati, PolitiFact is tracking the governor’s race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton as well as the Senate race between Democrat Sherrod Brown and incumbent Republican Sen. John Husted.
• Iowa: PolitiFact will partner on coverage of key races with the Daily Iowan student newspaper and University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, as well as KCCI in Des Moines.
• Florida: PolitiFact is partnering with NBC Miami and Telemundo affiliates in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami, WLRN in South Florida and the Tampa Bay Times. Primary focus areas include the gubernatorial race to fill the open seat left by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the U.S. Senate special election, where Ashley Moody, a Republican who was appointed to the seat, seeks to secure a full six-year term against Democratic challengers.
• Texas: PolitiFact is covering the Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico in partnership with The Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman and Houston Chronicle.
• North Carolina: PolitiFact partner WRAL in Raleigh is monitoring the open Senate seat vacated by outgoing Republican Thom Tillis. Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley is facing off against Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper. 
• New York: PolitiFact and the Buffalo News are covering Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s run for a second term, with a challenge from Republican Bruce Blakeman.

Some of the partnerships are new, and others are built on long-term relationships. PolitiFact’s regional partners for the 2026 election reach approximately 15 million television households and nearly 40 million people, according to Nielsen estimates. 

“Our mission has never been more vital as voters face an onslaught of viral misinformation and AI-generated content,” said PolitiFact Executive Director Aaron Sharockman. “By embedding our fact-checking expertise into local newsrooms, we ensure that voters have access to verified, nonpartisan information right where they live.”

PolitiFact is also providing regular coverage of the Michigan and Georgia Senate races. News outlets interested in partnering in these states should reach out to Aaron Sharockman at asharockman@poynter.org or Editor-in-Chief Katie Sanders at ksanders@poynter.org.

Since winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for its coverage of the 2008 election, PolitiFact has remained at the forefront of accountability journalism. 

To see the latest fact-checks, visit PolitiFact.com/2026-midterms.

If you are interested in partnering with PolitiFact, reach out to Sharockman or Sanders.

Media Contact
Katie Sanders
Editor-in-Chief, PolitiFact
Ksanders@poynter.org

About PolitiFact:

PolitiFact is an independent fact-checking newsroom founded in 2007 and operated by the Poynter Institute. Its journalists evaluate claims made by elected officials, public figures and widely shared online sources, rating their accuracy and providing evidence-based context to help readers separate fact from fiction. PolitiFact was awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting.