Axelrod and Rove: What the 2026 Midterms Could Mean for Markets and Policy – SSIM – 10.6.26

Summary:

Join political strategists David Axelrod and Karl Rove along with Michael Arone, CFA, our Chief Investment Strategist, for a wide-ranging discussion on the current political landscape and what divided government could mean for policy, markets, and portfolios.

This exclusive live webinar will cover:

• Issues shaping voter sentiment
• Economic forces and geopolitical tensions influencing policy
• Fiscal challenges, including the growing federal deficit
• How regulation could affect markets and sectors

Accepted for 1 CFP / IWI / CFA CE Credit

Speakers:

David Axelrod is a preeminent American political strategist and commentator, and the former chief strategist and senior advisor to President Barack Obama. Axelrod was the founding director of the University of Chicago’s non-partisan Institute of Politics. He currently serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Chicago, as Chief Political Analyst for CNN, and as a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University. For ten years, he was the host of "The Axe Files," an award-winning podcast featuring in-depth conversations with public figures across the political spectrum. A former political writer for the Chicago Tribune, Axelrod produced media strategy and advertising for 150 campaigns across the U.S., culminating in President Obama’s historic elections. Axelrod is also the author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, Believer: My Forty Years in Politics.

Karl Rove, an iconic political strategist and one of the most sought-after political pundits of our time, is best known for his provocative and robust knowledge of major political issues.

Rove served as Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush from 2000–2007 and Deputy Chief of Staff from 2004–2007. At the White House, he oversaw the Offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison, and Intergovernmental Affairs and was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, coordinating the White House policy-making process. He was the architect of President Bush’s 2008 and 2004 White House victories.

Before the White House, he ran Rove + Co. a Texas based public affairs firm that consulted on over 75 GOP campaigns for Senator, Governor, Congress and statewide offices in 24 states.

Rove was described by author and columnist Michael Barone as “…unique…no Presidential appointee has ever had such a strong influence on politics and policy, and none is likely to do so again anytime soon.” Washington Post Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Broder wrote that Rove was a master political strategist whose “game has always been long term…and he plays it with an intensity and attention to detail that few can match.” Conservative editor and columnist Fred Barnes, called him “the greatest political mind of his generation and probably of any generation… He knows history, understands the moods of the public and is a visionary on matters of public policy.”

Mr. Rove writes a weekly op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, appears frequently on the Fox News Channel, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Courage and Consequence. His latest book is The Triumph of William McKinley. A Colorado native, Rove lives in Austin, Texas where he teaches at the University of Texas and serves on the Texas State History Museum and McDonald Observatory boards.

Michael is the Chief Investment Strategist for State Street Investment’s US Intermediary business. He is responsible for expanding State Street Investment Management’s footprint and thought leadership effort through frequent contributions to the financial news media, speaking engagements and client interactions. Michael is a highly regarded speaker at industry conferences and is the author of several articles related to investment management practices. He is a member of the firm’s Senior Leadership Team.

During his 30-year career in the investment management industry, Michael has served as State Street Investment Management’s Global and EMEA Head of Portfolio Strategy as well as a senior portfolio manager in the Global Active Quantitative Equity Group. He has substantial experience developing long-only and long-short quantitative strategies and managing investment portfolios using quantitative disciplines. Michael has worked extensively with the firm’s global institutional and intermediary clients to help them identify investment solutions that enable them to meet their long-term financial goals.

Michael holds a BS in Finance from Bentley College. He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society and CFA Institute.