Senate Republicans reelected John Thune as GOP leader for the 120th Congress, Punchbowl News reports.

After a failed push from conservatives to delay the leadership elections — and despite last week’s massive midterm losses — Thune ran unopposed.

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) was elected to serve as NRSC chair for the 2028 cycle. The rest of the leadership team remains the same.

A new Fox News poll finds 57% of voters don’t think President Trump has the “mental acuity” to serve effectively as president.

“Calling it a dummymander is generous. This was more like moron-mandering.”

— A Texas Republican strategist, quoted by Politico.

President Trump on Truth Social: 

“I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said he would be watching the early returns from Kentucky’s 6th District and Indiana’s 5th District to gauge how well the Democratic party performs, Punchbowl News reports.

Rep. Haley Stevens’ (D-MI) staff, including her longtime chief of staff, have resigned from her office after she endorsed Mike Rogers in the U.S. Senate race in Michigan, the Detroit News reports.

A new feature for Political Wire members: Predict the outcome of the midterm elections.

You can enter your predictions beginning today. The ballot closes at 5 p.m. ET on Election Day.

Make your predictions.

President Trump’s political organization is readying a late-stage infusion of more than $25 million into the battle for control of the House, Punchbowl News report.

Trump’s super PACs are spreading the cash on television across the map, including into districts that the Congressional Leadership Fund abandoned.

With political news moving at a relentless pace, it’s easy to miss an important story — even if you check Political Wire several times a day.

That’s why I’ve added a new feature for members in the right hand column of the site called “In Case You Missed It.”

Using multiple signals to identify stories that deserve your time, it highlights recent posts you might have overlooked.

Think of it as a quick way to catch up on stories that matter without having to scroll through everything published over the last 24 hours.

It’s one more way I’m trying to make Political Wire more useful — and make sure you don’t miss something worth your attention.

Thanks for your support — and for reading! 

And if you’re not yet a member, you can join here.

The gusher of polling this time of year can be overwhelming — so don’t forget to check the Polling Dashboard for the latest in all the key races.

Punchbowl News: “With just two weeks until Election Day, Trump is hardly sniffing any House district that’s in play for Republicans, even though he’s headed to some reliably red states with toss-up Senate races (hello Iowa and Kansas and closer-than-usual South Carolina!) This is a far cry from how Trump said he’d be spending the final days before Election Day.”

The Congressional Leadership Fund and a super PAC aligned with President Trump are canceling planned advertising to help two House GOP incumbents — Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) — in a sign they no longer believe they can win reelection, the New York Times reports.

It’s always fun talking to Julie Mason about politics and the next election.

You can listen here.

“Texas PAC, the Senate Republican super PAC, is placing another $30 million in TV reservations on behalf of Ken Paxton,” Punchbowl News reports.

“This will bring the Senate Republican leadership-backed PAC’s television spending in the Lone Star State to about $155 million. With streaming ads and mail, the group is closing in on $200 million of spending.”

Nate Silver gives Democrats a 93% chance to win the House and a 71% chance to win the Senate.

FiftyPlusOne gives Democrats a 99% chance to win the House and a 72% chance to win the Senate.

DDHQ gives Democrats a 75% chance to win the House and a 54% chance to win the Senate.

“President Donald Trump hits the campaign later this week on defense, with the tall task of convincing voters that their economic plight is better than they feel and pleading with them to extend the current congressional majority through the next two years as his White House tenure sunsets,” Bloomberg reports.

“His salesmanship received the latest challenge today. Consumer confidence in September fell to the lowest level since 2014 as views about the economy and the labor market deteriorated.”

New York Magazine: “The timeline for early voting varies by state and, in some places, by locality. Six states (Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, South Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia) have already entered the window where in-person early voting is authorized. The length of these windows varies, as the Center for Election Research and Innovation explains: Early in-person voting locations are open in 2 states until October 27; until the day before Election Day in 14 states; and up to and including Election Day in as many as 8 states.”

Gloria Steinem, in her last essay for the New Yorker:

“For me, saying that I am a feminist has always meant that I believe in the social, economic, and political equality of all males and females of all races and groups. I know this sounds too simple to need a word, but equality is still the exception, not the rule.”

“Maybe we should call it egalitarianism, or even humanism. The problem with humanism is that it is often interpreted as being anti-religion, so I don’t think it’s inclusive enough. Regardless of what we call it, it just means treating each of us as uniquely human. The experiences of race and gender and class are very real and important, but they are also constructed and changeable. Our humanity is consistent and sacred.”

“Still, for some, it remains a mystery why women need a movement to distinguish our efforts toward equality. For me, it seems quite obvious.”