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You are here: Home / 2026 Campaign / How Big Will the Blue Wave Be?

How Big Will the Blue Wave Be?

August 15, 2026 at 11:34 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Dan Pfeiffer: “The bigger the wave, the more Democrats elected, the greater the chance of taking the Senate, and the bigger the rebuke of Trump, his broken promises, his idiotic war, and his rampant corruption.”

“When people talk about a wave (red or blue), they are really referring to the political environment — how much more Democratic or Republican a year will be than a normal one. This is measured by the popular vote margin in House races. For example, in 2018, when Democrats picked up 41 seats, they won the House popular vote by 8.6%. But of course, we only know the margin after the election, so it doesn’t do us a lot of good in forecasting what may happen. Prior to the election, the political environment is measured by the generic ballot. As of today, according to Nate Silver, Democrats lead the generic ballot by 6.7%.”

“This is about the same as it was at this point in 2018. It could certainly go up as we get closer to the election, as more voters who disapprove of Trump decide to vote for Democrats this fall.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign, Polling

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About Political Wire

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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