The 2026 Battle for Control of Congress

This year, the 2026 midterm elections will decide which party controls Congress, and whether Republicans can hold on to every lever of influence in Washington.

Annie Karni and Shane Goldmacher, who cover politics, discuss the opportunities and perils for both parties.

Guest:

• Annie Karni, a congressional correspondent at The New York Times.
• Shane Goldmacher, a national political correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Both President Trump and the Democrats are floating unusual midterm conventions.
• Here are six big political questions for the new year.
• And here are the latest polls for the 2026 elections.

Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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