Four midterms takeaways for 2028 White House race

Democrats head into the next presidential cycle with momentum after sweeping gains in Congress in this week's midterms, though the BBC notes that a strong midterm showing does not ensure a White House victory; Barack Obama won re-election in 2012 despite large Republican gains two years earlier. No one has formally entered the 2028 race, but the results are already reshaping who looks strong.

Among Democrats, Senator Jon Ossoff won comfortably in Georgia, Governor Josh Shapiro easily beat his Republican opponent in Pennsylvania, and Governor JB Pritzker also won in Illinois. Governor Gavin Newsom did not have a race this year. In Arkansas, Senator Tom Cotton and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders held their seats with just over half the vote. Exit polls suggest voter anger at the Trump administration drove the swing, which complicates things for Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Vance blamed the war on X, while Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Ron DeSantis offered their own critiques.

Progressives credited a Michigan victory by El-Sayed in a swing state as proof that left-wing candidates can win, while moderates pointed to the Blue Dog Caucus gaining at least 14 seats.

Summarized by PolitiKool from BBC’s reporting. Read the full story at BBC →