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2026 Election Overview

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Just for members: The latest edition of Inside Elections.

This issue includes the latest on the fight for Congress as Democrats maintain their advantage to winning a House majority and creep closer to control of the Senate.

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Members get Inside Elections and Ballot Access News — a $267 value — along with everything else on Political Wire.

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Republicans Aren’t Buying Their Own Spin

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Speaker Mike Johnson has a message for Republicans worried about the midterm elections: Don’t believe the polls.

Said Johnson, while campaigning in Texas: “Do not believe the polls right now. I’m telling you they are wrong. They’re wrong. They are over sampling Democrats, and they are underestimating Republicans, as they always do.”

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Jon Ossoff Makes a Promise Clinton and Obama Also Made

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Just minutes into last night’s debate, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) faced a question that was almost certainly inevitable: Would he promise to serve his full six-year Senate term if re-elected?

Ossoff didn’t flinch: “Yes, I will. I have zero interest in running for president. I’m not running for president. I’m running for re-election to the Senate.”

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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The GOP’s Closing Argument Is About Democrats

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The final three weeks of the midterm campaign are shaping up as a test of whether money can overcome an unfavorable political environment.

Republicans have a substantial financial advantage, but Democrats are running strong in the polls, leading or tied in many of the races that will determine control of Congress.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Weekly News Quiz

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How well did you pay attention to the political news this week?

Take the quiz and find out.

Keep reading with a Political Wire membership

Members get Taegan Goddard’s analysis, every feature on the site and no ads.

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The Senate Map Has Turned Upside Down

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Just two years ago, the idea that Democrats could win back the Senate in 2026 seemed almost fanciful.

The electoral map was simply too difficult. Republicans held a 53 to 47 majority and Democrats needed to flip four seats without losing any of their own.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Another Trouble Sign for Republicans

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We’ve seen poll after poll pointing to an enthusiasm gap heading into the midterms.

And it works in both directions: Democrats appear more motivated to turn out, while a meaningful share of Republican voters seem more inclined to stay home.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Another Brutal Warning Sign for Republicans

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Republicans already had plenty of reasons to worry about the midterms.

Here’s another one.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Who’s Running Ken Paxton’s Campaign?

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The latest leaked audio from Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign raises an unusually basic question: Who exactly is running it?

At a private fundraiser last month, Paxton reportedly complained that he has little control over either his campaign’s message or the issues driving the race.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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The Battleground Is Getting Much Bigger

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The Senate map is getting bigger.

The latest New York Times/Siena polls show Democratic candidates tied or ahead in five states that should be comfortably Republican territory.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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One Chart That Explains the Midterm Elections

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If you want to understand what’s driving the midterm elections, start with this chart.

It shows just how badly the political conversation in Washington has diverged from what voters are actually worried about.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Member feature

Weekly News Quiz

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How well did you pay attention to the political news this week?

Take the quiz and find out.

Keep reading with a Political Wire membership

Members get Taegan Goddard’s analysis, every feature on the site and no ads.

  • Talking Points analysis
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  • Inside Elections and Ballot Access News
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Majorities or Mirage?

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Just for members: The latest edition of Inside Elections.

This issue includes the latest on the fight for Congress including rating changes in a couple dozen House and Senate races, recent polling and fresh analysis.

This newsletter comes with membership

Members get Inside Elections and Ballot Access News — a $267 value — along with everything else on Political Wire.

  • Talking Points analysis
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  • Trending News, the Polling Dashboard and the Political Calendar
  • Inside Elections and Ballot Access News
  • The Trial Balloon podcast

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What Does It Take for a Political Party to Implode?

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A Political Wire reader asks:

I see that a lot of people dislike both parties. I also see the DNC has a debt. It’s also clear that there’s a growing discontent with these two parties specifically. What does it take for a political party to implode?

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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  • Inside Elections and Ballot Access News
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Is Ticket Splitting Making a Comeback?

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Democrats appear to have the advantage heading into the midterm elections.

But there’s an interesting wrinkle buried in some of the state polling: Democratic Senate candidates are often running noticeably better than Democratic candidates for governor in the very same states.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Democrats Put the Family Feud on Hold

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Earlier this year, Democrats looked like a party at war with itself.

Primary after primary exposed a widening divide between the party’s insurgent left and its more traditional establishment wing, with several centrist candidates getting steamrolled along the way.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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The Hidden Battles Shaping the Ballot

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Just for members: The latest issue of Ballot Access News.

The latest issue highlights a series of fights over who gets on the ballot, including an Illinois ruling upholding a steep 5% signature requirement for independent House candidates and the Forward Party’s unsuccessful effort to get its statewide nominees on the New Mexico ballot.

This newsletter comes with membership

Members get Inside Elections and Ballot Access News — a $267 value — along with everything else on Political Wire.

  • Talking Points analysis
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  • Inside Elections and Ballot Access News
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Republicans Face a Turnout Problem

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There’s no question Democrats are more enthusiastic about this election than Republicans.

Poll after poll has found an enthusiasm gap, sometimes a substantial one. In the latest Marquette Law School survey, for instance, 47% of Democrats said they were very enthusiastic about voting, compared with just 32% of Republicans.

Read the rest of this column

Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

  • Talking Points analysis
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  • Trending News, the Polling Dashboard and the Political Calendar
  • Inside Elections and Ballot Access News
  • The Trial Balloon podcast

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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