338 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY
338 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY
Updated Nov. 30, 2025
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 Arizona, 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?