cross-posted from: https://quokk.au/c/mop/p/828160/that-s-goofy
I mean when talking about presidential candidates running for a presidential election, it does kinda make sense to use "next" even though there is technically another one before then, because the "true next" one doesn't involve presidential elections. It's called context. That doesn't mean that they're not voting at midterm elections, it just means that they understand that presidents aren't elected until presidential elections and we can disregard midterms when talking about presidential candidates.
It's like saying "I'll see you at the next baseball game" to your friend when leaving the stadium, and him understanding that you mean the next home game not flying to Chicago to see them play at Wrigley on Tuesday.