Decision Desk HQ Podcast

On Wednesday evening, Graham Platner announced that he was suspending his campaign for U.S. Senate in Maine ahead of a July 13 deadline to withdraw as the Democratic nominee against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Platner’s move followed allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman he once dated, a revelation that became a final dagger for his already-damaged candidacy. To react to this major dev...

With the May-June onslaught of primaries tailing off, Decision Desk HQ thought it would be fun to do a mailbag episode addressing questions from our listeners! For this episode, DDHQ Chief Elections Analyst Geoffrey Skelley dug deep with data and background information to answer three questions. DDHQ will definitely do more mailbag episodes in the future, so please email questions to media@decisio...

Among the most-watched races on June 23 will be a group of four Democratic primaries in solidly blue New York City-based U.S. House districts. These contests feature ideological splits and/or highly salient issues that could say as much about where Democrats will be in 2028 as they do about the party in 2026. To explore these primaries and the larger political picture, Decision Desk HQ Chief Elect...

With the midterms fewer than five months out, we took stock of where things stand in the 2026 race for Congress. In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, meaning Democrats need a net gain of four seats for power to change hands. In the House, the GOP holds a 220-215 majority that is imperiled by an electoral environment in which Democrats lead the generic ballot by around 6 percentage poi...

On June 9, four states held their regular primary elections . The top race was Maine’s U.S. Senate contest , where controversy-laden Graham Platner won the Democratic primary to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins. But there were also crowded gubernatorial primaries in South Carolina (GOP) and Maine (Democrats), plus much more in Nevada and North Dakota. At 7:30 p.m. Eastern, we kicked off our cove...

One 2026 election seems to keep grabbing all the headlines: Maine’s U.S. Senate race . There, Democrat Graham Platner keeps making news, and usually for the wrong reasons. Reports recently surfaced that reported that Platner had sent sexually explicit texts to women who were not his wife. This is just the latest in a drip, drip, drip of controversial stories about Platner, the likely Democratic no...

June is here and so are more primaries! On June 2, six states held their regular primary elections: California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota. Our election night program was Decision Desk 2026: California & More Primary Livestream, presente by Decision Desk HQ, The Chuck ToddCast, and Chris Cillizza! We started at 9 p.m. Eastern and were joined by guest experts throughout...

In the past eight years, Georgia has become a critical battleground state. That’s the case once again this year as the Peach State hosts highly competitive contests for U.S. Senate and governor. To talk about all things Georgia ahead of the state’s May 19 primary election, Chief Elections Analyst Geoffrey Skelley was joined by Greg Bluestein , the chief political reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Co...

In the past eight years, Georgia has become a critical battleground state. That’s the case once again this year as the Peach State hosts highly competitive contests for U.S. Senate and governor. To talk about all things Georgia ahead of the state’s May 19 primary election, Chief Elections Analyst Geoffrey Skelley was joined by Greg Bluestein , the chief political reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Co...

Last week, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which weakened the power of the Voting Rights Act to adjudicate claims of racially discriminatory redistricting. In the wake of this ruling, Republican-controlled states in the South have quickly moved to redistrict their congressional maps. Chief Elections Analyst Geoffrey Skelley discussed these developments with Nathaniel R...

On Tuesday, Indiana and Ohio voters went to the polls for their regular primary elections. This included contests for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, and a whole lot more. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern that evening, we covered the results as part of Decision Desk 2026: Virginia Redistricting Livestream from Decision Desk HQ, The Chuck ToddCast, and Chris Cillizza! We were joined by guest exper...

Ohio may not be the swing state it once was in presidential elections. But it will still pack a punch in the 2026 midterms. The state has a pivotal U.S. Senate race that will help decide the majority , a number of competitive U.S. House contests, and a gubernatorial contest that could also be very close. Ahead of the Buckeye State’s May 5 primary , Chief Elections Analyst Geoffrey Skelley spoke wi...

We are about six months out from the 2026 midterm elections. That means some of the larger environmental factors that will impact the electoral playing field are getting clearer. But plenty of things are not fully settled, including public attitudes toward President Donald Trump and the economy, or the candidates that each party will nominate for key races in 2026. And as Virginia’s redistricting...

The 2026 election cycle’s national redistricting conflict shifted to Virginia on April 21. There, voters backed a constitutional amendment that, depending on some future court rulings, could result in a Democratic gerrymander of the state’s congressional lines. The Decision Desk 2026: Virginia Redistricting Livestream covered all the ins and outs of the vote until Decision Desk HQ projected the re...

This coming Tuesday, April 21, will offer the latest conflict in the 2026 redistricting wars. Virginia will hold a special election on a constitutional amendment that, if successful, would set the stage for a Democratic gerrymander of the state’s congressional map. Namely, the amendment would allow the state legislature to bypass Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission until after the 2030...

Gubernatorial elections are a major feature of the 2026 electoral landscape. All told, 36 states choose governors in midterms, making it the main decision point for state executives around the country. To go through some of the most competitive gubernatorial contests, Chief Elections Analyst Geoffrey Skelley welcomed Lou Jacobson to the podcast. Lou is the chief correspondent for PolitiFact and is...

The 2026 contest for the U.S. House of Representatives looks favorable for Democrats. President Donald Trump’s job approval rating is in the low 40s, and Democrats have led in the generic ballot by roughly 5 points since November. Although the midterms are about seven months away, we also have a pretty good idea about which seats are most vulnerable for each party — especially Republicans, who are...

The 2026 contest for the U.S. House of Representatives looks favorable for Democrats. President Donald Trump’s job approval rating is in the low 40s, and Democrats have led in the generic ballot by roughly 5 points since November. Although the midterms are about seven months away, we also have a pretty good idea about which seats are most vulnerable for each party — especially Republicans, who are...

Public opinion surveys are important for understanding what’s happening in elections and politics more broadly. Whether it’s a party gaining in the generic ballot , a president’s approval rating falling, or Americans becoming more concerned about a particular issue, surveys help us track the state of things. A new entrant in the polling realm is The Argument . The outlet has partnered with the pol...

Last week, Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley announced he would seek reelection as an independent in California’s blue-leaning 6th District. Kiley, a two-term congressman, had been targeted by Golden State Democrats’ redistricting plan , which chopped up his red-leaning district into six pieces. But is Kiley really an IINO — independent in name only? He will continue to caucus with the GOP , and his dec...

We’ve talked a great deal about redistricting in the 2026 midterm election cycle — and with good reason. Six states have drawn new maps, and more could join in soon. But looking beyond 2026, major events could shake up redistricting and reapportionment. This includes the potential end of the Voting Rights Act as we know it and major shifts in population that will affect how many U.S. House seats e...

It’s almost primary time! This coming Tuesday, three states — Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas — will hold their regular primaries to nominate candidates for various federal and state offices. This will begin six months of primaries across 50 states and the District of Columbia, with the final races occurring in September. Of those states, Texas will host most of the high-profile races happenin...

Mid-decade redistricting could be a wildfire that keeps burning and just won’t go out. Six states have already implemented new maps, either via newly-passed laws or court action. But seven other states — and perhaps more — have at least some chance of drawing new lines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Much depends on various contingencies, including the passage of a constitutional amendment by...

In recent months, one growing political narrative is the extent to which President Donald Trump has lost ground with young men. In the 2024 election, Trump lost among 18-29 year olds as a whole, but he did better than in his past elections. His improvement among young men especially stood out because he actually carried the group as a whole, according to some studies . The explanations for Trump’s...

It’s easy to focus on the high-profile elections happening this November. But many voters will have myriad downballot races to consider, too, including two important local offices: prosecutor and sheriff. These officials play a pivotal role in implementing policing and criminal justice policies. But they also matter to immigration, as shown by recent disagreements over collaboration between local...