"You made me promises. Promises.
Knowing I'd believe.
Promises. Promises.
I knew you'd never keep."

— Promises, Promises by Naked Eyes

"I am a supporter of Medicare-for-all," declared Minnesota’s Democratic nominee for Senate, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, D. "I'm going to get there with my friend Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. And we are going to power map the s--t out of the U.S. Senate and figure out how to build power for the things that we know that we deserve and the things that we need."

Hard-left progressive House and Senate candidates like Flanagan are pitching Medicare-for-all. The abolition of ICE. The Green New Deal. An arms embargo for Israel. And a $25 an hour minimum wage.

Flanagan is in a race with Republican Senate nominee Michelle Tafoya to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn. The race favors Flanagan. However, it’s not a done deal that she wins. But Democratic Socialist candidates for the House like Donavan McKinney in Michigan, Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, Melat Kiros in Colorado, along with Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier in New York probably will. Come January, they will prospectively represent Democratic strongholds where progressive ideas are popular.

MEET THE FAR-LEFT INSURGENTS WAGING WAR ON THE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT IN 2026 MIDTERMS

But if Democrats win either the House or Senate, it won’t be because voters pulled the lever for Kiros in Denver or Avila Chevalier in Harlem. They’ll win because Democrat Cait Conley defeated Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., in Dutchess County, north of New York City. Maybe because voters cast their ballots for Democrat Brian Poindexter in Wooster, Ohio, rather than Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio. Democrats could flip the House if Democratic nominee Christina Bohannan appeals more to voters in Davenport, IA than Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa.

This brings us back to the progressive agenda.

Democrats might win the House and or the Senate. But Valdez and Kiros aren’t the "majority makers." Candidates like Poindexter and Conley are. And if they’re elected to the House, it’s doubtful that moderates from swing districts can support progressive ideas like the Green New Deal or Medicare-for-all. It’s about the math. And it’s more than likely that Democrats will need the voters of those moderate "majority makers" from battleground districts to enact those policies.

That’s to say nothing about needing 60 yeas in the Senate to crack a filibuster – even if Democrats do marshal a slim majority there. And, if something extreme did get through both bodies of a potentially Democratically-controlled Congress, President Trump would like veto it.

THE BLUE WAVE LOOKS REAL UNTIL YOU LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER

It is said that you campaign in poetry but you govern in prose.

The left has pushed a lot of progressive poetry with their agenda items of late. They’ll tout the opportunity to enact some of those policies if Democrats win the majority.

However, the reality of advancing any of that into a legislative reality is slim. The progressive ideas may energize the base. But the Democratic base is sure to feel let down if Democrats can’t make good on some of their campaign promises.

We’ve seen this before. A party promises voters the moon in the midterm elections. Then struggles to make good on those promises.

Republicans won the House in 1994 for the first time in four decades with the 10-point "Contract With America." The document promised to cut spending and reduce influence in Washington. But in the end, the House and Senate only approved a few of the items. President Clinton vetoed others.

In 2006, House Democrats campaigned on drawing down the war in Iraq. They captured the House. Congress began defunding the war effort. But it took several years, much to the dismay of party activists who demanded an immediate pullout.

In 2010, Republicans won back control of the House, gaining a record 63 seats. The goal was to reduce spending and repeal and replace ObamaCare. It never happened. In fact, some Republicans are still trying to unwind ObamaCare today.

CARVILLE SAYS HE'D RATHER REPUBLICANS KEEP THE HOUSE THAN DEMOCRATS WIN BY FIVE SEATS, HELD 'HOSTAGE' BY DSA

This is all about exciting the base. And then figuring out how to govern. What candidates promise on the campaign trail rarely morphs into a legislative reality.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is reportedly in discussions with DSA-backed candidates to secure legislative commitments before some of their candidates will back him in a potential race for Speaker. That said, political observers would find it hard to believe that Democrats would balk at promoting Jeffries, making him the first Black House Speaker in American history.

There’s a chance Democrats could face infighting if the party fractures between moderates and progressives.

Imagine for a moment that Democrats do have the House and intend to bring a Medicare-for-all bill to the floor. The House must first adopt a rule which governs how the House debates that measure on the floor. Would a moderate Democrat like Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., oppose the rule (provided she wins reelection)? After all, Gluesenkamp Perez voted for GOP procedural measures earlier this year, igniting an internal Democratic firestorm. However, those votes may have been good matches for her battleground district. But voting aye on a procedural plan for a controversial, progressive political initiative won’t work in Gluesenkamp Perez’s district. That’s why the progressive agenda may already be dead in the water.

If Democrats do win the House and Jeffries clasps the Speaker’s gavel, his role will be different. He needs to manage his entire caucus. So appealing to the hard left doesn’t work. He must also hear out the moderates. And certainly the majority makers.

For instance, Jeffries isn’t pushing the Medicare for all scheme.

HOUSE DEMS PLOT TRUMP INVESTIGATION BLITZ IF THEY SEIZE MAJORITY

"I haven't co-sponsored the Medicare for all legislation that has been introduced over the last several years. I do think we need to figure out how to fix our broken healthcare system and then build something better once we repair the damage that has been done," said Jeffries.

That’s a natural stance for a national political leader. Jumping feet first into such a nettlesome issue might not be sound politics. Especially since you must also address the concerns of the moderate majority makers.

But Jeffries may have an out that all Democrats can unify around: investigations of the Trump administration. Since President Trump began his term, Jeffries has promised to hold its officials to account. Jeffries has called out Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. Ridiculed Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blasted Vice President JD Vance. Spoken about alleged corruption by the Trump family.

Democrats are also campaigning as a foil to the Trump Administration. Their base will demand action via investigations, too. That certainly resonates with the progressive base. And, even moderates who may be the majority makers.

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But it isn’t a $25 an hour minimum wage. It’s not the abolition of ICE. It’s not the Green New Deal. Democrats probably won’t get what they want legislatively if they attain the majority. Those are just the political realities. But they may be able to rack some points with investigations. Those would reflect the political realities as well.

Republicans have had their share of good and bad election nights this century, but they’ve usually been able to count on the heartland.

Once evenly divided, rural voters have become substantially more Republican over the last two decades. Nearly two-thirds of these voters backed President Trump in the 2024 election.

REPUBLICANS FACE BRUTAL MIDTERM HEADWINDS. SIX FORCES COULD HELP THEM DEFY HISTORY.

Today, just under half of rural voters say they’ll support the GOP again in November.

Like other groups, rural Americans are concerned about paying the bills. Nineteen percent said the rising cost of living is their biggest economic problem in a recent survey, with gas and energy costs not far behind.

The Trump administration has, in part, tried to counter those anxieties by talking about job growth and the AI boom, but rural voters are frustrated about those issues too.

Less than a quarter of rural voters say the economy is in good shape, and unemployment is a focal point: 8% called a lack of jobs and unemployment their biggest economic issue, and only 28% thought there were good or excellent job opportunities in their communities.

DAVID MARCUS: ON THE GROUND IN MIDDLE AMERICA, FOUR ISSUES WILL DECIDE THE SENATE, AND NONE ARE AFFORDABILITY

Data centers are part of the story too. Only 2% called it their biggest economic problem, but that number is larger than it seems. For 1 in 50 rural voters, data centers are a bigger problem than housing, the cost of living, or getting a job.

These factors have put the Republicans in a tough spot all over the map.

They are a reason why heartland states like Ohio and Iowa have been competitive most of the year and why more rural districts, including some that Trump won by double digits, are becoming margin-of-error races.

Even setting the polls aside, there are signs that the rural vote is on shakier footing. TV viewers in Wyoming will see ads this week for Republican candidate Chuck Gray that don’t mention Trump or the GOP. Two years ago, Trump won 71.6% of the vote there — his best performance in any state, in any election.

Low rural turnout or party switching would make many races closer than the GOP would like, including in Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina.

Four states are worth singling out thanks to another complicating factor.

TRUMP-ALIGNED CONSERVATIVE EMERGES FROM CROWDED PRIMARY TO DECIDE WHO FILLS WYOMING’S LONE HOUSE SEAT

This year, prominent independent candidates are running for Senate against a Republican in four rural-heavy states: Idaho, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota.

They are pushing anti-establishment policies like congressional term limits and lobbying bans and have a heavy focus on corruption, the top voter concern in last week’s Fox News poll.

And all four say they won’t caucus with either party or would form their own independent caucus if they were elected.

With the Democratic brand still relatively weak around the country and abysmal in these states, the party has stepped out of the race entirely in three of the four (in Montana, a Democrat is staying on the ballot, though support for her has declined).

Normally, frustrated partisans stay home in scenarios like these, leaving the incumbent party to win by a more modest margin. This year, those voters have the ability to turn out for a different candidate, so the margin may get narrower.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: AS THE HOUSE FALLS, THE SENATE STAYS IN PLAY

All these states have been competitive over the last decade or so. Former Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, held on to his seat in Montana in 2018; Republicans have scored single-digit victories in South Dakota and Nebraska (where the same independent is running again this year), and even Idaho had a gubernatorial race that came within 15 points back in 2014.

These states could be close again.

In this week’s Power Rankings, two gubernatorial races get more competitive as the final two weeks of campaigning begin.

Florida

The Sunshine State is the beating heart of the "MAGA" movement. Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis have posted stronger results each time they’ve run, with the latter winning his last re-election bid by nearly 20 points.

Thanks in part to those performances, Republicans have carved out structural advantages, including a 1.5 million registered voter gap and a resilient get-out-the-vote operation.

But DeSantis’ first win came within around 30,000 votes (or 0.4 points) and in a similar environment to the one we’re in now.

Here, Hispanic voters will play an outsized role, and polls suggest that a large chunk of them have shifted away from the GOP. In last week’s national Fox survey, 31% of Hispanic voters said they preferred the Republican candidate over the Democrat. That’s down 12 points from their support for Trump in 2024.

The Republican candidate, Rep. Byron Donalds, will be pleased to have the endorsement of DeSantis. He remains popular in the state. Donalds still has the edge against Democrat and former Rep. David Jolly, who is hoping former President Bill Clinton can shore up his support when they appear together for the first time today.

Still, this race is no sure thing for the GOP. Florida moves from Likely R to Lean R.

Nebraska

In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen is looking for a second term in office. He cruised to victory the first time with a 23-point win, but with both suburban and rural voters wavering on Trump this cycle, this could be a tougher battle.

Three other factors are playing a role.

First, the presence of Dan Osborn, one of the four notable independents on the ballot in Senate races this year, could boost Democratic turnout for challenger Lynne Walz in a governor’s race that would otherwise attract less attention.

There’s Pillen himself, who has faced some local pushback over a 5% budget cut and hiring freeze within state government.

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Finally, the ballot, which will feature third-party challenger Brett Lindstrom, a former state lawmaker who lost to Pillen in a Republican primary four years prior. He’ll appear on the ballot as an "America First" candidate. The party was founded in July.

Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico skipped a Monday night rally headlined by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in El Paso, instead holding campaign events hundreds of miles away in North Texas as his closely watched race against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton enters its final weeks.

Sanders appeared at the Abraham Chavez Theatre alongside former Rep. Beto O'Rourke and Democratic Reps. Greg Casar and Veronica Escobar as early voting began ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Talarico, meanwhile, held a rally at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth as part of his "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts" campaign tour, following an earlier campaign stop in Denton.

JAMES TALARICO RESURFACES AFTER EXTENDED ABSENCE AS HIS CAMPAIGN PUSHES BACK

Fox News Digital reached out to Talarico's campaign for comment on why the candidate held a separate event instead of campaigning with the other Democrats, who used the El Paso event to promote his Senate bid and criticize Republican campaign spending.

"They have spent, so far, $368 million just against one man, the next senator from the state of Texas, James Talarico. That's how desperate, how scared and how panicked they are right now," O'Rourke told supporters.

DEMOCRATS SEE NEW CHANCES TO FLIP RED STATES — BUT A $400M GOP SPENDING ADVANTAGE COULD DERAIL THEIR PLANS

Casar also expressed support for Talarico, telling the crowd that electing him would help advance Democrats' legislative priorities.

Sanders, who did not mention Talarico by name during his remarks, instead directed his criticism toward wealthy political donors and their influence on American elections.

"What you are seeing in this campaign, what you are seeing right here in Texas, all over America, is multibillionaires are pouring hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars," Sanders said.

The Vermont Independent urged supporters to vote early, casting the midterms as a battle over the political influence of wealthy Americans.

At his separate Fort Worth rally, Talarico delivered a similar message about money in politics, targeting Paxton and billionaire Elon Musk over the influence of wealthy donors in the Texas Senate race.

TALARICO SAYS THE DIVIDE IS 'TOP VS. BOTTOM' — THEN HEADS TO ONE OF AMERICA'S RICHEST DONOR ENCLAVES

"We have an affordability crisis because we have a corruption crisis," Talarico told supporters.

He also sought to frame his candidacy as an appeal beyond traditional party divisions.

"This election shouldn't be about the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. It's bigger than that," he said.

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Talarico and Paxton are competing for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. John Cornyn. The race has drawn national attention as Democrats seek their first Texas U.S. Senate victory since 1988.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DES MOINES, Iowa — House Republicans are pinning hopes of keeping their majority on a state that President Donald Trump won by roughly 13 points in November 2024.

And while Iowa has leaned red in recent years, Republicans are now finding themselves defending three of its four congressional districts as polls give Democrats more hope by the day that the key to a blue wave runs through the Midwest.

But Republicans are dismissing public perception surveys as a political cudgel used by the media and the left to discourage GOP voters, while insisting the results will come down to one thing.

"Nobody knows what's going to happen on November 3. But I'm here to tell you, if our people show up, we win. If our people don't show up … then we're going to be scratching and clawing to hang on to every inch that we've got," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told a room of GOP supporters in Dubuque, Iowa, on Thursday.

MEDIA NARRATIVE PREDICTING BLUE WAVE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE NOT MESHING WITH LOCAL REPUBLICANS: 'FIRED UP'

Fox News Digital joined Emmer and several other House Republicans on a two-district swing in Iowa late last week. The No. 3 House GOP leader spent his afternoon at an event for congressional candidate Joe Mitchell in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, followed by a fundraiser for Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, in Des Moines in the evening.

At both events, he argued that polling showing Democrats with a growing advantage was incorrect, but he and others are still warning that getting Republicans out to vote will be key to the party’s success.

"Republicans do not like to participate in surveys," Emmer told people Thursday evening in Des Moines. "We are very suspicious of the people who are giving the information to and the databases they’re putting us in. By the way, there are Republicans who answer these surveys who may tell exactly the opposite of what they actually stand on, because again, we don’t trust them."

CRITICAL HOUSE RACE THAT COULD DECIDE CONTROL OF CONGRESS HITS HOME STRETCH AS GOP REP WARNS WHAT'S AT STAKE

Fox News Power Rankings show all but one of Iowa’s four congressional districts are in play. Nunn’s district and the one represented by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, both "lean Democrat." The seat Mitchell is vying to take over from retiring Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, is ranked a "toss-up."

Republicans across the country are privately worrying that Trump’s low approval numbers coupled with some of his more unpopular policies could drag down the GOP. Add in the overall high cost of living and gas prices, some on the right are bracing for a 2018-style blue wave.

TRUMP’S BEEF IMPORT SCHEME WREAKS HAVOC ON FED-UP RED STATE CATTLE RANCHERS

Two of the policies that could sandbag Republican candidates in Iowa in particular are Trump’s tariffs and his decision to import foreign beef. The agriculture-heavy state has been hit particularly hard so far, with tariffs making farm equipment and other materials more expensive, while Trump's trade war with China has hit American farmers hard with Beijing's retaliation.

Trump has sought to mitigate the impact of his steel tariffs in particular, announcing plans last month for a $15 billion steel plant in Lee County, Iowa.

But both Nunn and Mitchell are confident in the races they are running.

TRUMP-LINKED SUPER PAC PULLS FUNDING FROM 2 HOUSE REPUBLICANS AS GOP FIGHTS TO KEEP MAJORITY

"We feel very confident about the race. And that's because we've talked to every voter we can, asked for their vote on November 3, and we've been traveling the district for the last 13 months — all 22 counties, rural and suburban and urban, telling people, this is an election of common sense versus crazy," Mitchell told Fox News Digital. "We have the hardest workers on the ballot."

Nunn told attendees at his event, "Not only is Iowa at the front line of the entire country when it comes to making sure we've got three competitive House seats, Des Moines, Iowa, the third district, our proud district, is now one of the most competitive in the country."

"So not only are we on the front line, we get to be at the tip of the spear," Nunn said, weeks after he led a bipartisan bill aimed at curbing Trump's imports of foreign beef.

And despite the national-level outlook on Trump, turning out the president’s supporters could be the difference between narrowly keeping the GOP majority and losing control of the House.

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Trump, for his part, is doing what he can to motivate the base.

Nunn kicked off his Thursday evening event shortly after a phone call with Trump, during which the president said he "is committed to making sure we remain here in Iowa," the congressman said.

Trump is also set to descend on the state later this week for a rally in Sioux City, though it’s taking place in the only safe district for Republicans in the state.

"I'm always competing. I don't care if it's Iowa, I don't care if it's Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nevada, Texas, Florida, they're all important to this midterm," Emmer told Fox News Digital. "This midterm, to me, will come down to about 10 seats. Everybody talks about 20-plus. No. It's going to be a very narrow end, and for Republicans, Iowa is a great example. If the Republicans come out to vote, we're going to be just fine."

If the fate of the House majority did come down to the results of just 10 seats, that would mean Iowa would be responsible for roughly one-third of that success.

And while not all Republicans are as confident in the GOP’s chances in Iowa, they do agree that the final results will come down to turnout.

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"This goes one of two ways — and both aren’t great for Republicans. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Joe Mitchell, and Zach Nunn either win by the skin of their teeth or it’s complete and total obliteration on November 3," a GOP operative familiar with campaigns in Iowa told Fox News Digital. "There is no in-between. If Republican voters turn out to the polls, there’s hope. If not, it’s going to be bad."

While Americans prepare to cast their ballots for who should control Congress and their local governments, the cost of filling a gas tank, paying rent and buying a home is becoming a defining test of the economy leading up to the 2026 midterms.

The latest inflation report underscores the challenge facing President Donald Trump and Republicans as they campaign on the economy and vow to improve conditions for American consumers. Trump returned to the White House promising to lower costs and is now campaigning for GOP candidates in key races, but the reality is something quite different.

With Election Day less than two weeks away, rising prices are testing whether voters feel like Republicans have done enough to improve the economy and their financial well-being.

ONE STATE IS GROUND ZERO AS TRUMP'S MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR TECH AMBITIONS FACE A MIDTERM TEST

And that pressure showed up in the latest inflation report, which found consumer prices rose 3.7% over the past year and 0.6% in September alone. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) tracks the prices households pay for a broad range of goods and services, from food and gasoline to housing and medical care.

Gasoline was a major driver, with its index jumping 9.1% for the month. But the gas to fill up the tank is not the only fuel cost putting pressure on households.

The diesel used to power trucks, farm equipment and freight trains is also surging, which has raised the cost of moving groceries, packages and building materials — another charge that has trickled down to how much Americans pay for those goods.

Additionally, the Iran war has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, further tightening global fuel supplies, while disruptions to Russian energy infrastructure have added pressure.

Utility costs are adding to the squeeze as colder weather approaches. Electricity prices were up 4.4% from a year earlier in September, while piped natural gas service rose 5%, according to the CPI.

Those figures track prices, not what any one household paid, so a local customer's bill can show how the increase is landing in real life.

REPUBLICANS JUST GOT A POWERFUL NEW PLAYBOOK FOR THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS. HERE'S WHAT'S INSIDE.

Housing costs also continued to climb. The shelter index, which tracks rents and a measure of what homeowners would pay to rent their homes, rose 3.2% over the past year. Grocery prices offered some relief, dipping 0.1% in September, though they remained 1.8% higher than a year earlier.

Additionally, Trump's trade agenda is another part of the affordability debate.

A New York Fed study found that tariffs in place through February added 2.9 percentage points to consumer-goods inflation. Tariffs are taxes on imported goods, and U.S. companies that pay them can pass some of the added cost along to shoppers.

The study found that higher prices also affected some goods made in the United States, as domestic producers faced less competition from imports. The White House has argued that its trade policies will strengthen U.S. manufacturing and that foreign exporters bear the costs.

Housing presents a different affordability challenge. The median price of an existing home reached $417,500 in September, up 1.3% from a year earlier, while the average 30-year mortgage rate was 7.4%.

AMERICAN-MADE GOODS ALSO GOT MORE EXPENSIVE UNDER TRUMP TARIFFS, NEW RESEARCH FINDS

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The latest figures give voters a snapshot of what they are paying, but not a verdict on who is to blame.

With Election Day approaching, Trump and Republican candidates will have to convince voters that their policies can make everyday costs more manageable.

• There are no term limits for Senate members, and some have served for decades.
• Sen. Susan Collins, 73, is running for her sixth Senate term in a high-profile race in the midterms.
• Sen. Chuck Grassley, 93, is the longest-serving current senator with 45 years in the Senate.

Unlike the White House, where US presidents can serve only two terms, members of Congress have no term limits.

In the US Senate, some members have served for decades.

Senators are also getting older, on average. In the 119th Congress, which began in 2025, the median age of US senators was 64.

That marks an increase from the 113th Congress in 2013, when the median age in the Senate was 61, per Ballotpedia.

Of the 10 longest-serving senators, two are running for reelection in the 2026 midterm elections.

Here are the current senators who have held office the longest — and how many years they've served.

Sen. Maria Cantwell — 25 years

Cantwell, a 68-year-old Democrat from Washington, has served as a US senator since January 3, 2001. She won her fifth term in 2024 and will be up for reelection in 2030.

Sen. Chuck Schumer — 27 years

Schumer, a Democrat from New York, was sworn in on January 3, 1999.

Schumer, 75, will be up for reelection in 2028.

Sen. Mike Crapo — 27 years

Crapo, 75, is a Republican who has represented Idaho in the Senate since January 3, 1999. He will be up for reelection in 2028.

Sen. Dick Durbin — 29 years

A Democrat from Illinois, Durbin was sworn in as a US senator on January 3, 1997. At 81, he is not seeking reelection and will retire at the end of his term.

Sen. Jack Reed — 29 years

Reed's time in the Senate began on January 3, 1997. The 76-year-old Democrat from Rhode Island is running for reelection in the 2026 midterms.

Sen. Susan Collins — 29 years

Collins, 73, is running for reelection in a high-profile race against Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in the 2026 midterms.

A Republican from Maine, she has served in the Senate since January 3, 1997.

Sen. Ron Wyden — 30 years

Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, was sworn in on February 5, 1996, following the resignation of former Oregon Sen. Bob Packwood.

He is 77 years old and plans to run for reelection in 2028.

Sen. Patty Murray — 33 years

Murray, a Democrat from Washington, is 76 years old and has been a member of the Senate since January 3, 1993.

She plans to run for reelection in 2028.

Sen. Mitch McConnell — 41 years

McConnell, a Republican representing Kentucky, took office on January 3, 1985. At 84, he has experienced a number of health challenges in recent years, including a nearly four-week-long hospitalization that began in June after emergency responders were dispatched to his home.

McConnell is not seeking reelection in 2026 and will retire when his term ends.

Sen. Chuck Grassley — 45 years

Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, is also the oldest sitting member of the Senate at 93. He has served as a senator since January 3, 1981.

Grassley will be up for reelection in 2028, but he told reporters in October that he has not decided if he will run again.

Have Americans got such short memories that they’ve forgotten the damage done by Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats just two-plus years ago? Do they really want to go down the path of open borders, high crime and suffocating cancel culture all over again?

That’s what’s in store if Republicans stay home on Election Day. Democrats are campaigning on mythical "affordability" measures, but mainly they talk about opposing Donald Trump. Why? Because their policies are unpopular or unworkable and they know it.

If they recover the majority in Congress, Democrats will spend time reversing the gains Trump has made on securing the border, growing our domestic energy output and suppressing the injurious DEI programs that Biden introduced.

HOUSE DEMS PLOT TRUMP INVESTIGATION BLITZ IF THEY SEIZE MAJORITY

Moreover, they will immediately start "investigating" President Trump. They’ll hire Hollywood producers to film their outrage, just as they did after the January 6 riots. As in 2021, if the GOP retains control of the Senate, impeachment efforts will be stymied, but Democrats won’t care.

The only mystery is which Republican in the sequel will play Liz Cheney, the anti-Trumper who sanctimoniously betrayed her party in trying to impeach the president.

DEMOCRATS SAY THEY'LL MAKE LIFE AFFORDABLE. YOUR WALLET MAY DISAGREE

Democrats will waste time and money attacking Donald Trump because hating the president is literally the only thing gluing the party together. Voters will wait in vain for their newly-minted representatives to "fix" affordability, their principal campaign promise, because the far Left and more moderate Democrats cannot possibly agree on how to proceed.

Medicare for All? Good luck getting that perennial fantasy by union-loving Democrats. Members of the UAW or the AFL-CIO know how great their healthcare benefits are and will fight tooth and nail any attempt to take them away. An organizing memo from last year puts it best: "UAW members like those at General Motors’ Spring Hill Manufacturing plant pay no premiums for the family plan, have no deductible, and have limited co-pays with a maximum of $25." You think Uncle Sam is going to do better?

Make housing more affordable? The New Democrat Coalition, a centrist group of legislators, wants to: "Cut red tape and update permitting and zoning to build four million homes in the next decade", sounding a lot like Trump, who has prioritized permitting reform for years. They also back "innovative construction technologies to accelerate home production."

The first proposal will run smack into the environmentalists who have pushed housing costs through the roof in Democrat-run states like California and New York. According to a study by Realtor.com, there are only 11 states in which, using the 30% housing-cost threshold, a median-income household can afford the median-priced home. All but two voted for Trump in 2024. The most affordable housing in the country is in Iowa; the least affordable is in New York.

The second idea, which is smart, will alienate union voters who hate any innovation that might eliminate jobs (see longshoreman settlement 2025.)

Another big expense on the ballot in November is energy costs, which Democrats have promised to bring down. Returning to the New Democrat Coalition, accelerated permitting is again on the menu to facilitate building "energy transmission and generation infrastructure." Also touted is ensuring energy is "abundant and available" through "establishing a level playing field for all forms of energy." That’s code for eliminating what the Left considers unnecessary tax breaks for oil and gas companies and ramping up taxpayer-funded subsidies for renewables like wind and solar. Democrats also promise to protect consumers from price hikes driven by data centers, an issue which should be solved at the local level and not by Washington bureaucrats.

The coalition fails to prioritize exploiting America’s enormous reserves of fossil fuels, which over time will guarantee affordable energy. Joe Biden did his best to squash climbing oil and gas production, by canceling or delaying lease sales, drilling permits and the XL Pipeline, raising fees on production and taking promising acreage off the table. The anti-oil war waged by the Biden White House, beholden to the green lobby, was a costly hit to U.S. national security and our economy. Blocking new production, like in Alaska, will inevitably lead to higher oil prices. We cannot let that happen.

Yes, we need faster permitting of the build-out of the electric grid, and, yes, we should embrace an "all of the above" energy program. That is not what the Left will allow.

Progressives like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani aim to make life more affordable by having the government provide "free" housing, childcare and other services. He and his young followers do not understand that greater government involvement all but guarantees inefficiency and higher costs. Look at higher education. Billions of taxpayer dollars have funded kids wanting to go to college; tuition costs have soared way above the rate of inflation, and the value of the diploma has cratered.

Also, of course, nothing is free. The Left wants to tax the rich and businesses, but corporations will pass the higher levies along via price increases, and higher-income Americans will decamp to lower-tax locales, as is happening in New York.

Meanwhile, government spending on entitlements and benefits has driven our national debt to $40 trillion, pushing interest rates and mortgage costs higher. Under President Joe Biden, spending exploded to levels commensurate with World War II; it remains at unsustainable levels. The Trump White House has put some limits on Medicaid and other expensive programs — limits Democrats will surely race to eliminate — and is trying to root out hundreds of billions in fraudulent payments. Much more needs to be done, but Democrats have zero appetite for cutting spending.

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Instead, Democrats will offer up programs that will inflate our national debt even more. Consider the price tag for Medicare-for-all, estimated to cost a staggering $25 to $35 trillion over the next ten years. And that’s just one item on their to-do list.

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Voters should not be fooled: Democrats will not lower prices. They cannot.

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A top Senate Republican warned that the same voting bloc that has propelled the GOP to power over the last decade is at risk of turning its back on the party during this election cycle.

For decades, White, working-class voters often aligned themselves with the Democratic Party, giving Democrats a stranglehold on Congress until the 1990s and often favoring the Democratic candidate atop the presidential ticket.

President Donald Trump’s entrance onto the political scene and victory in 2016 solidified a shift that was years in the making, giving Republicans a strong base of working-class support. But with the state of the economy, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, a top ally of Trump’s on Capitol Hill, warned that the GOP’s steady base could head for the exits.

FOX NEWS POLL: SQUEEZED BY COSTS, FRUSTRATED VOTERS TURN TO THE DEMOCRATS

"This is the whole deal," Moreno told Fox News Digital. "It's the whole deal. If we don't hang on to those working-class voters, we're dead as a party. That's why I say with no hyperbole, if President Trump hadn’t won in 2016, the Republican Party would be dead. Because the Republican Party had abandoned working-class Americans."

"Ironically, the Democrats abandoned working Americans, and there was a void — President Trump filled it," he continued. "That's why he won."

Trump has consistently performed highly with White, working-class voters each time he has run for office, scoring between 66% and 67% of their vote between 2016 and 2024, according to a variety of exit polls.

REDISTRICTING GIVES REPUBLICANS AN EDGE, BUT AFFORDABILITY WILL DECIDE THE MIDTERMS

Some Democrats acknowledged that after the 2024 election, their party had a problem with engaging the working class. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., circulated a memo that urged Democrats to embrace economic populism following stunning losses across the gamut of power in Washington.

"No one, including me, has all the answers right now, but what we know for certain is that Democrats must reclaim our identity as the party of the working class," Murphy wrote.

Still, Republicans are facing political headwinds heading into this midterm election cycle, in which affordability issues are dominating headlines and voters’ concerns.

FOX NEWS POLL: MOST RATE THE ECONOMY NEGATIVELY, INCLUDING HALF OF REPUBLICANS

Trump and the GOP again rose to be the dominant party in Washington, D.C., after the 2024 election by pitching a message to rectify the economy that the president charged was "destroyed" by former President Joe Biden.

But a Fox News poll published earlier this month found that nearly 60% of voters said that their top concern was the economy. A separate Fox News poll published in May found that 67% of White voters without a college degree disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy.

Republicans have hit the trail this fall pitching their economic successes, particularly from the colossal "big, beautiful bill" and trying to instill in voters that the cost of fuel, for example, is only temporary as the war with Iran continues.

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Moreno, however, argued that working-class voters "hate" the war.

"They obviously hate gas prices because, look, they're already struggling. I mean, you talk to some of these working Americans, they're an engine failure in their vehicle away from bankruptcy, and that's a disaster."

"So, I think what we have to do is explain, this is a very, very necessary thing that had to happen," he continued. "Iran was attacking us for 47 years, and we didn't take him out. They would have used a nuclear weapon. I don't know that that case is penetrated enough, and this gas price situation will be very temporary."

With everyone and his brother predicting that a blue tsunami will wash over the Senate as well as the House, I want to write something contrarian. 

This way, if the Republicans do hang on to the Senate, I’ll get credit for defying the conventional wisdom. And if they don’t, I won’t get kicked out of the punditocracy – folks will just say well, he put a lot of caveats in there.

THE NINE KEY RACES THAT WILL DECIDE WHO CONTROLS THE SENATE, AND WHERE THEY STAND

The truth is, I don’t know who is going to capture the upper chamber, and neither do you. 

And neither do all the pontificators and speculators online or on the air. 

I do know the GOP is pouring tens of millions into contests they might otherwise lose, giving their people – even scandal-scarred Ken Paxton – a huge advantage on the airwaves in the final two weeks. But money doesn’t always move voters once they’ve made up their minds in this era of early voting. 

Is Maine’s Susan Collins liked enough to hang one more time against aggressive Troy Jackson (and thankfully not weirdo Graham Platner), when Donald Trump shouts every day ‘Pretend I’m on the ballot’?" We got it, Mr. President. 

Josh Turek is an Iowa legislator and also a wheelchair basketball player who suffers from spina bifida. His GOP opponent, Rep. Ashley Hinton, says she doesn’t want "endless wars" but welcomes a Trump visit. 

She’s talked about such issues as open borders and transgender surgery. Turek has focused on the Iran war and soaring health premiums because Congress failed to amend the Affordable Care Act.

In nearby Kansas, where Trump campaigned yesterday, Democrat Adam Hamilton is the founder of a Methodist mega-church, which would seem like a big plus in that conservative state, but some Dems are turned off by the religious aspect. Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, an obstetrician who served in the Army Reserves, was hurt by a New York Times report on him suing patients who were behind on their bills.

By the way, did you ever think you’d see the day when the Republicans just gave up on North Carolina and steered their money elsewhere (conceding the win to former Gov. Roy Cooper)?

PRESIDENT TRUMP HEADS TO KANSAS TO CAMPAIGN FOR SEN ROGER MARSHALL

So I can conclude three things: 

Many of these races have 1-or-2 point "leads," which is within the margin of error, and polling is often inaccurate in an off-year election.

The GOP is playing defense in ruby-red states–Trump in Kansas?—which is why Democrats are increasingly confident this is their big year.

And, in the famous Tip O’Neill saying, all politics is local.

There may be a mega-church guy or a man in a wheelchair or ex-Alaska congresswoman Mary Peltola, a former tribal judge who’s for "Fish, Family, Freedom," but who former staffers say they heard using awful slurs.

How on earth do you handicap races with so many toss-ups?

Of course, Republicans want to make the country believe that all Dems are like Michigan socialist Abdul el-Sayed, who, when asked whether he’d provide military aid if Israel was under attack, says he would rather spend the money at home.    

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I still think the Democrats will need to have Vegas luck to win enough Senate races to take control. They also have to defend their own turf. But (escape hatch here) I’m not saying it couldn’t happen.

Republican Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers took aim at Democratic opponent Abdul El-Sayed during a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday, warning voters that his rival's policies would hurt the state.

Rogers accused El-Sayed of having a "pattern of deception" and called him a "manufactured candidate," claiming the Democrat has misrepresented his political positions.

"He is the most extreme candidate. He has called for defunding the police. He has called for letting criminals out of prison," Rogers said. 

TRUMP TAKES BORDER CRACKDOWN TO DEEP-RED STATE AS SHOCK SENATE BATTLE THREATENS GOP STRONGHOLD

"He has called for the Green New Deal, which for Michigan is a killer."

Rogers also touted his campaign's ground operation, saying volunteers are approaching 6 million doors knocked across Michigan.

"That's the energy, and what we're getting off of those doors is, 'Yes, we're voting,' 'No, we're not going to be a DSA state,' 'No, we're not going to let this happen on our watch.'"

The Republican also said his campaign is seeing support from voters who traditionally back Democrats.

MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT CONFIRMS SISTER-IN-LAW'S TERROR WATCHLIST LAWSUIT DAYS BEFORE OBAMA CAMPAIGN APPEARANCE

Rogers later took questions from voters, including a Jewish woman who said she sometimes feels afraid to show her Jewish identity in public.

Rogers said he had heard similar stories from Jewish students at the University of Michigan who said they concealed religious symbols because they were being harassed.

Rogers also pointed to housing, education and skilled trades, saying he wants to make it easier for young adults to buy homes and bring more defense industry work to the state.

'THE VIEW' CO-HOSTS DEFEND EL-SAYED COMPARING HIMSELF TO JFK OVER MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SCRUTINY

He also called for putting shop classes back in Michigan high schools, arguing that expanding skilled-trade education would give students more paths to well-paying careers.

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Rogers closed by again targeting El-Sayed's policies, arguing Michigan "cannot afford" them.

"We certainly can't risk his ideology," he said.

El-Sayed's campaign could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.