How big midterm wins could vault Jon Ossoff and Josh Shapiro into 2028

On Oct. 29, 2026, NBC News's Sahil Kapur appeared on Meet the Press to explain what Tuesday's midterm elections could mean for both parties' futures. Working from the Big Board, Kapur laid out how lopsided victories for Jon Ossoff and Josh Shapiro might push each of them toward the 2028 conversation.

Coverage around that segment showed a campaign in its final stretch. With a week to go, Republicans were described as defending territory in states that normally favor them. In Ohio, a forecaster moved the race away from Republicans, and Trump stood by an ad from Ramaswamy that featured the mother of Amy Acton. A former White House attorney also accused the Trump administration of doing all it could to interfere with the midterms.

Democrats in tougher terrain were tailoring their pitches. A Kentucky candidate in a conservative district broke with his party over immigration policy from the Biden years, while a Democrat in a toss-up border-state contest said both parties had postponed real action on border security. An Arkansas House Democrat called the contest tight and winnable.

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