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A question for Maine Democrats: Do you feel lucky?
Senate contender Graham Platner is about as untested as a candidate can be in such a key race.
Mar 12
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Charlie Cook
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Can the parties crack their bases' code during the primaries?
After a month or so, we will have a better idea of just how self-indulgent each party’s primary voters are this year.
Mar 6
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Charlie Cook
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February 2026
Quantifying voter enthusiasm with eight months to go
The electorate looks to skew Democratic this year, and not much—especially not the State of the Union—will change that.
Feb 26
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Charlie Cook
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Heads or hearts this year? Voters will begin to tell us next month
It's not just Republicans versus Democrats. It's pragmatism versus principle.
Feb 13
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Charlie Cook
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Statewide officeholders find themselves in primary peril this year
Two senators and two governors could lose renomination.
Feb 6
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Charlie Cook
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January 2026
Democrats' list of priorities for the fall
Winning the House comes first, followed by Senate races in swing states. But the party could be better served by targeting state legislatures than…
Jan 29
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Charlie Cook
19
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The three kinds of midterm campaigns
Parties are either trying to consolidate control in a friendly state, engaging in a fair fight on neutral ground, or trying to pick off a seat in enemy…
Jan 22
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Charlie Cook
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Why Peltola's entry may not change the Senate math
Like Sherrod Brown in Ohio, Mary Peltola is the Democrats' best possible recruit in Alaska. It may not get them over the hump.
Jan 15
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Charlie Cook
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Don't overestimate Venezuela's impact on the midterms
Yes, the mission was impressive. The aftermath is fraught with challenges. And neither will matter much nine months from now.
Jan 8
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Charlie Cook
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December 2025
What the Democrats' autopsy should have focused on
The seeds of defeat weren't sown in 2024, but rather in 2021, when Biden and his party grossly overread their mandate.
Dec 23, 2025
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Charlie Cook
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12
The separate political realities of red, blue, and purple America
Up and down the ballots, the numbers don't lie. But keep an eye out for New Hampshire to join the purple ranks.
Dec 18, 2025
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Charlie Cook
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These numbers from Tennessee reveal Republicans' predicament
It was always unrealistic that Democrat Aftyn Behn could pull off the upset in the Tennessee-07 race. But looking under the hood, the GOP's enthusiasm…
Dec 11, 2025
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Charlie Cook
40
7
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