The GOP is putting up a bumper crop of subpar candidates this cycle. Here’s our countdown of the five worst.
2026 Midterms
Posted inPolitics
Meet the Democratic Senate Candidates Who Are Overperforming. And Underperforming
While Democrats are on track to win the House popular vote by eight points, that partisan tilt alone isn’t enough to carry the Senate.
Posted inPolitics
Is It True That If You’re Explaining, You’re Losing?
Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and James Talarico have taken opposite approaches to fending off Republican attacks.
Posted inPolitics
The 10 Worst Midterm Candidates Running for Congress
The field is crowded with racists, swindlers, maniacs, and sex abusers. Plenty have a decent shot at winning.
Posted inPolitics
Why Democrats Should Be Most Worried About Troy Jackson (And It’s Not the Consultants)
Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee has a weakness in today’s throw-the-bums-out environment—a long record in state government.
Posted inPolitics
The Red Undertow in the Midterms
Charlie Cook on how the toxicity of Trump may pull his party down.
Posted inLaw and Justice
The Supreme Court Still Works as the Founders Intended
Many Democrats are hot to remake the Supreme Court. But it’s the lifetime judicial appointment that just kept Donald Trump from meddling with the midterms.
Posted inPolitics
Will It Be a Blue Wave?
With limited data, exactly how many Republican incumbents are in trouble is hard to know. But Democrats have good reason to think big.
Posted inPolitics
The Scarlet Letter Midterms
Every Republican incumbent voted with Trump more than 95 percent of the time. Make them pay for giving him an “A.”
Posted inPolitics
Should We Ever Trust Polls Again?
After the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary and Michigan Senate primary, we need to remind ourselves that polls are snapshots of public opinion at best, not firm predictions.
