DrWebA ‘Blue Wave’ is building. It won’t look the same as the last one. – The Washington Post
Opinion
A ‘Blue Wave’ is building. It won’t look the same as the last one.
Donald Trump is president again, but the parties have changed since the 2018 midterm election.
Today at 6:15 a.m. EDT. 5 min
(Illustration by Olivier Heiligers / For The Washington Post)By Harrison Lavelle and Leon Sit
Harrison Lavelle and Leon Sit are partners at Split Ticket, an election data analysis firm.
Midterm elections usually give the party out of the White House a chance to make big gains. This was the case in 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term, when Democrats made significant gains in the House and flipped the chamber. With Democrats already picking up some momentum in early midterm polling, they could be poised for another strong performance in 2026.
But even with Trump back in the White House, the circumstances will be different this time, presenting new challenges for both parties. The Republican coalition has broadened to include new groups of voters, punctuated by Trump’s first popular vote victory in 2024. The districts are different after a redistricting cycle that factored in changes in the party coalitions caused by his 2016 win. And the party bases are increasingly distinct in their voting habits, with Democrats enjoying more support from voters who dependably show up in non-presidential elections, and Republicans from voters who are more disengaged.
Read more: A ‘Blue Wave’ is building. It won’t look the same as the last one. – The Washington PostSource Links: Opinion | A ‘Blue Wave’ is building. It won’t look the same as the last one. – The Washington Post
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