Senate Majority Leader John Thune pushes his glasses up as he speaks to reporters outside his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., October 14, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
The Republican Party has been bracing for harsh losses in the upcoming midterm elections, but according to a leading political report, the party's worst electoral nightmare, which could spell the real end of the Trump administration, is now a few steps closer to reality.
Ever since Trump's mounting unpopularity became unavoidable last year, the GOP has been predicted to lose its House majority in the 2026 midterms, especially since the margin was already razor-thin. The odds have been much less dire for the Senate, with the set of races this year considered unfavorable for Democrats. It will be especially difficult for the party to achieve a functional Senate majority, given that they will need to reach 51 seats to overcome Vice President JD Vance's tie-breaking vote.
However, that perception has gradually shifted over the months, as Trump continues to drive away voters with widely disliked moves, and the Senate majority is now considered a toss-up. Losing both chambers of Congress to the Democrats would heavily stall out Trump's ability to carry out any part of his agenda and greatly raise his odds of impeachment.
The Cook Political Report is a major source for election predictions, offering odds for how races at the federal, state and local levels will go based on the latest information, typically between either the Democratic or Republican candidates. On Monday, the group released its latest findings, and moved the odds for four Senate races closer to Democratic wins, though it noted that taking the majority overall is still a "tall order."
"With an increasingly sour national environment for Republicans, the Senate battlefield is shifting in Democrats’ favor,” Jessica Taylor, the Senate and governors editor for the report, explained. “But due to the difficulty of the map, winning back a majority still remains a tall order. The GOP remain the narrowing favorites to retain the upper chamber. However, that outlook could change in the coming months.”
Two races in North Carolina and Georgia were moved from "toss up" to "lean Democrat" in the latest report, much-needed good news in swing states that have mostly gone Republican in recent election cycles. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a popular figure in the state, is now tipped to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Thom Tillis. Sen. Jon Ossoff, meanwhile, now has the edge to retain his seat in Georgia.
Elsewhere, the reelection races for GOP Sens. John Husted of Ohio and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska. Husted has never been elected to the Senate, having been handpicked by GOP Gov. Mike DeWine to replace Vance after the 2024 election. Ricketts is facing a major challenge from independent Dan Osborn, who would caucus with Democrats.