{"id":2653961,"date":"2026-09-03T07:05:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T11:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/signs-of-a-blue-wave\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T07:07:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T11:07:34","slug":"signs-of-a-blue-wave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/signs-of-a-blue-wave\/","title":{"rendered":"Signs of a blue wave"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsigns-of-a-blue-wave%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2653961&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Teh upcoming 2026 midterm elections are viewed through two main perspectives: while the national surroundings currently favors Democrats,the congressional map provides Republicans wiht some hope of maintaining thier majorities or avoiding meaningful losses. House Speaker Mike Johnson emphasizes the importance of 21 swing seats, though skepticism exists about these prospects. President Donald Trump\u2019s low approval ratings and issues like economic concerns are believed to hurt Republicans, but Democrats lead in the generic congressional ballot by about 5.7 points, though some polls suggest closer margins. Unlike 2018, when Democrats gained over 40 House seats, the current GOP majority is narrower, with onyl 218 seats, making a large blue wave unnecessary for Republicans to hold the House.<\/p>\n<p>in the Senate, Democrats face a challenging path, needing to win multiple competitive races in Trump-leaning states to take control. Several key races, including in North Carolina and Georgia, show Democrats outperforming expectations, but Senate polling can be unreliable, and trends might shift before November. historically, Republicans have resisted setbacks in midterms; therefore, Democrats may need a significant wave to flip the Senate. the political landscape involves strategic redistricting, financial efforts, and mobilization efforts aimed at Trump voters, with much still to be resolute about which party will control Congress after the elections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There have always been two ways to look at the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\">midterm elections<\/a>: the national environment heavily favors Democrats, but the congressional map gives Republicans <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4585577\/gop-hopes-favorable-map-counter-terrible-conditions\/\">a glimmer of hope<\/a> to hold their majorities or at least avoid getting hammered by a historic blue wave.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">House Speaker <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-johnson\/\">Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-LA) often <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4707920\/21-seats-mike-johnson-decide-house-majority\/\">points to the 21 seats<\/a> in his chamber rated as toss-ups by the Cook Political Report when talking up Republican chances, but this week the proprietor of that newsletter sounded a distinctly skeptical note.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4711218\/is-a-midterm-election-blue-wave-building\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Is a blue wave building?<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4707563\/democrats-rnc-midterm-convention\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Democrats split on how to counter Trump\u2019s midterm convention<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4710364\/trump-drug-price-deals-savings-midterms\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >drug price deals deliver savings<\/a>, but voters may not reward Republicans<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt appears to me that the president has now reached a critical mass of problems that are threatening to take this election to a place that the 2026 map and the small number of competitive districts and Senate seats should not allow it to go,\u201d Charlie Cook wrote with a little more than 60 days to go before the elections. \u201cI confess this is a lot bigger than I expected, but here we are.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-holds-generic-congressional-ballot-lead-in-npr-marist-poll-for-the-first-time-in-eight-years\/\" title=\"GOP ...s ... Lead In NPR\/Marist Poll For The First Time In Eight Years\">job approval rating remains<\/a> below 40% in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/approval\/donald-trump\/approval-rating\"><em>RealClearPolitics<\/em> polling average<\/a>, with even worse numbers on specific issues such as the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/approval\/donald-trump\/issues\/economy\">economy<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/approval\/donald-trump\/issues\/military-action-iran\">Iran<\/a>, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/approval\/donald-trump\/issues\/inflation\">inflation<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats lead by 5.7 points in the same <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/state-of-the-union\/generic-congressional-vote\">average of polls<\/a> on the generic congressional ballot, which measures which party voters prefer to control <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\">Congress<\/a>. While the latest Harvard-Harris poll has Republicans up 2, every other poll included has Democrats leading by anywhere from 5 to 11 points.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is less than the final <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/state-of-the-union\/2018\/generic-congressional-vote\"><em>RealClearPolitics<\/em> average<\/a> before the 2018 midterm elections during Trump\u2019s first term (Democrats +7.3) or the actual House popular vote result that November (Democrats +8.4), which was good enough for a blue wave in which Democrats gained more than 40 House seats and the majority.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, Republicans were defending 25 House seats in districts won by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hillary-clinton\/\">Hillary Clinton<\/a> in 2016. Today they are trying to hold <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LACaldwellDC\/status\/2066914605058728106\">eight districts carried<\/a> by former Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\">Kamala Harris<\/a> in 2024, while Democrats hold 23 seats in districts won by Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the existing Republican majority is also smaller. After Rep. Aisha Wahab (D-CA) was sworn in on Wednesday, the House GOP controlled exactly 218 seats, though the sole independent also technically caucuses with Republicans. (He is <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/kiley.house.gov\/posts\/rep-kiley-proposes-change-to-house-rules-to-assure-committee-seats-for-independent-members\">currently seeking a rules change<\/a> so he doesn\u2019t have to.) No blue wave is necessary to flip the House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Senate is a different story. Assuming they hold their own seats, Democrats need to win at least four out of five races in states Trump carried in 2024, some by double digits, to capture the majority. That seems like a tall order, but they are competitive in all these contests.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats have been favored in the North Carolina Senate race since Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced his retirement and former Gov. Roy Cooper declared as the Democratic candidate. Georgia was once seen as the Republicans\u2019 pickup opportunity, but now Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is up by 7.5 points and taking 50.7% overall in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/senate\/general\/2026\/georgia\/ossoff-vs-collins\"><em>RealClearPolitics<\/em> average<\/a>. Democrats are leading by much smaller margins in Alaska, Ohio, and Texas while Republicans enjoy a slim lead in Iowa. That sounds like a blue wave in the making.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, Republican pollster Patrick Ruffini has documented how summer polls often <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patrickruffini.com\/p\/why-senate-polling-is-always-worse\">look better for Democrats<\/a> in key Senate races, so it is conceivable the redder states revert to their roots by November. Democrats also haven\u2019t nailed down their own seats in Michigan, New Hampshire, or Minnesota. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) remains competitive in her reelection bid after Democrats swapped out Senate nominees, and she <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/senate\/general\/2020\/maine\/collins-vs-gideon\">significantly outperformed her poll numbers<\/a> six years ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Senate resisted the last blue wave in 2018, with Republicans actually gaining two seats. Democrats had a net gain of one seat in 2022 as Republicans won the House. Democrats will need a wave rather than a ripple to seize the Senate this November.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4709424\/tv-networks-low-key-gop-midterm-convention-nfl-games\/\"><strong>TV NETWORKS PLAN LOW-KEY COVERAGE OF GOP MIDTERM CONVENTIONS AMID HIGH-PROFILE NFL GAMES <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if Democrats can win this many Senate races in unfavorable territory, it would raise questions about how many House seats are truly in play. Maybe the national climate is bad enough for Republicans that districts that would not normally be competitive suddenly are.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans are focused on mid-decade redistricting, cash spending, and turning out Trump voters in order to defy history as the party in power during the midterm elections.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Midterms: Dems favored nationally, GOP hopes in districts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2659,"featured_media":2653962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26008608050872.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32408,6571,38354,5894,35283],"class_list":["post-2653961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-blue-wave","tag-elections","tag-political-landscape","tag-politics","tag-voting-trends"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26008608050872.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2653961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2653961"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2653961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2653965,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2653961\/revisions\/2653965"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2653962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2653961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2653961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2653961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}