Democratic lawmakers warn of Russian influence campaign targeting Party ahead of midterms

Democratic lawmakers warned that Russia is actively seeking to undermine the Democratic Party and erode voter confidence ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, while U.S. intelligence agencies reported no evidence of foreign attempts to directly hack election infrastructure or tamper with votes. The classified U.S. intelligence assessment shared with Congress in recent days found China, Iran and North Korea conducting influence operations.

Jim Himes said no evidence indicates capability or intent to interfere with elections, though a robust influence environment exists. Warner said Russia has spread disinformation in every election cycle since 2016 to undermine Democrats. “Russia has continued to develop its election interference strategy by combining traditional influence operations with coordinated online disinformation campaigns and targeted usage of artificial intelligence,” the lawmakers stated in a July 20 letter to administration officials.

The July letter, led by Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) and co-signed by eight colleagues: Brad Schneider (IL-10), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), and Don Davis (NC-01), specifically cited Russian interference in Moldova and Armenia as case studies. The tactics documented there included disinformation campaigns, AI-generated content, cyber attacks and deepfakes—a synthetic media technique using artificial intelligence to create convincing but fabricated images, audio or video of real people. Ross, who co-chairs the Congressional Moldova Caucus, warned about Russian interference ahead of Moldova’s parliamentary elections.

The lawmakers’ concerns extend beyond traditional foreign interference. Himes and Warner described how U.S. support for Ukraine has become a political wedge issue, mirroring the dynamics observed during the 2022 midterms. They also expressed uncertainty about the Kremlin’s level of direct involvement, noting that while influence operations are underway, the explicitness of Russian actions remains unclear.

Democrats at both state and federal levels have voiced concerns about President Donald Trump‘s potential role in undermining election credibility. Since refusing to accept his 2020 defeat, Trump has repeatedly warned about election system vulnerabilities to foreign interference, deployed federal agents to examine state voter rolls and installed election deniers in key Cabinet positions. Lawmakers now anticipate that Trump will again challenge the election’s validity if results do not favor him, potentially using fabricated intelligence claims to disrupt the seating of the new Congress in January.

In response to these concerns, Himes and Warner have taken proactive steps to address potential election security threats. Both have requested closed-door briefings with intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, to prepare for possible Trump-led challenges on Election Day. Himes noted that his committee will receive another briefing next week, while Warner indicated his Senate Intelligence Committee would pursue a similar session. These measures reflect a broader assumption among officials that every available tactic will be deployed to influence the election outcome.

The lawmakers’ July letter to the Department of Justice and CISA further underscored the need for a comprehensive review of Russian tactics observed in European elections. The request called for an assessment of U.S. exposure to similar interference methods and whether protections are required to safeguard voters.