HOPING WE'LL STILL HAVE ELECTIONS!
HOPING WE'LL STILL HAVE ELECTIONS!
Updated Aug. 10, 2025
Fresh intel from the front lines.
August 10, 2025
Gavin Newsom promised to fight fire with fire. Texas Republicans are carving up their state to crush Democrats, and Newsom made it sound like California would punch back just as hard. But when the moment came, he folded like Chuck Schumer in a budget standoff.
The 2026 midterms are still 15 months away, but the latest CNBC poll just gave Democrats a reason to feel bullish: a +5 lead on the generic congressional ballot. In a political environment where Republicans control the House by a razor-thin margin, that’s not just encouraging — it’s a flashing red warning for the GOP across every battleground in 2026.
For months, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been conspicuously quiet, no major speeches, no viral committee takedowns, no national TV barnburners. Meanwhile, Gavin Newsom and Pete Buttigieg are working overtime on the national stage, hopping battleground states, feeding cable hits, and subtly road-testing stump lines.
After months off the grid, Vice President Kamala Harris has reemerged with a full-throttle media blitz built around her new memoir, a behind-the-scenes look at the 2024 presidential election. The rollout isn’t just about book sales; it’s an image reset, offering her version of campaign history while reminding Democrats she’s still a national player.
Tracking the matchups that will shape the balance of power.
The battle for the House is shaping up as a fight decided long before voters head to the polls. A handful of districts could determine which party controls the lower chamber, and the agenda in Washington, for years to come. The fight for the gavel is already underway, and every race carries outsized stakes for the next two years of American politics.
The 2026 Senate map is tighter than a drum; each race carries outsized influence. From Roy Cooper’s entry in North Carolina to looming GOP primary drama in Texas, both parties are testing their ground in key states. Fulton County insiders say the 120th Congress could be decided before most Americans have heard of their candidates.
Democrats currently hold 23 governorships while Republicans control 27, but look under the surface and these races are another strategic front. Governors in key states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania are not just potential swing picks, they’re the architects of future district lines and can shape turnout laws before the midterms start.
No front-runner has stepped into the ring yet, but the map’s already in motion. Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are quietly doing the retail politics tour, laying infrastructure in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina before anyone’s even entered the race.
The 2028 Republican primary isn’t a replay; it’s a total reconstruction. With Donald Trump’s appeal waning in the party’s core, emerging figures are testing their ground. Can someone else forge that rare combination of populist fire, emotional resonance, and operational muscle? Right now, the GOP is quietly asking: who’s next?