What do these events signal for the 2026 midterms and Democratic strategy?

In the first general election since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term, Democrats won big. But they might also be set to kill a lot of that momentum.

Exit polls have found that in major races across the country — in states like Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and California — the economy and affordability were the biggest issues that drove voters to the polls.

An NPB News poll from October suggests that 63 percent of registered voters believe the Trump administration has fallen short when it comes to the economy.

As part of our weekly series on the state of democracy, If You Can Keep It, we dive into some of the biggest local races and what they tell us about the issues that matter most to you – and what Democrats and Republicans can take away from this year’s results. 

But first, we dive into a potential deal to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history that has some critics claiming Senate Democrats are caving to President Trump.

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