Progressive Democrats are stepping up their 2026 mid-term campaigning with a series of large-scale town halls across the Midwest. Senator Bernie Sanders drew an estimated 1,000 people to the University of Illinois at Chicago on 24 August for the latest stop on his “Fighting Oligarchy Tour,” where he appeared alongside Representative Delia Ramirez and Illinois State Senator Robert Peters. Earlier in the day, Sanders thanked more than 2,000 supporters who gathered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to back congressional hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, highlighting a push to install lawmakers prepared to "stand up for the working class." Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered a similar message at a town hall in Omaha, Nebraska, telling attendees that Democrats "are not backing down" as they fan out to take voters’ questions in Republican-leaning areas. Together, the events underscore progressive leaders’ efforts to build grassroots momentum and elevate like-minded candidates as the party prepares for next year’s congressional races.