One week before the 2026 midterm elections, campaigns and forecasters assess the state of key races.
With seven days until Election Day, President Trump is campaigning in Texas, where the Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico is close. Sabato's Crystal Ball shifted 21 races toward Democrats, and early voting turnout in Texas is strong. House Speaker Mike Johnson disputed polling that favors Democrats.
37
Divergence score
This event sits in the top 14% of divergence this week. 5 outlets covered it, splitting into 5 framing camps across 3 bias groups.
5 camps
3 bias groups
The spectrum · how 5 outlets placed this story
LeftCenterRight
CNN
Breitbart
ABC News
The Hill
NBC News
Supportive of action
Neutral
Dismissive
Critical
Alarmist
International angle
Widest split · the two outlets furthest apart, and who published first
Furthest apart on this story
Breitbart
Speaker Johnson: 'The Polls Are Grossly Underestimating Republican Enthusiasm Around the Country'
GOP confidence, polls doubted · positive
ABC News
Midterm elections live updates: 1 week until high-stakes elections
Live tick-tock of campaign stops · neutral
First to report
- CNNfirst
- ABC News+2.0 h
- Breitbart+3.0 h
- The Hill+6.4 h
- NBC News+8.2 h
By each outlet's earliest publish time in this story. Feeds that index slowly can appear later than they printed.
The split, in one line
One camp says the polls are grossly underestimating Republican enthusiasm; another sees 21 races shifting toward Democrats and Republicans playing defense in reliably red states. The wires just note one week to go.
How each outlet covered it
The split runs within one side
The sharpest contrast here isn't left vs right: it's between outlets that usually agree.
FRAMED AS A PROBLEM
“Republicans ‘playing defense’ in reliably red states one week out from Election Day”NBC NBC News LEFT-CENTER
37DIVERGENCE
DOWN THE MIDDLE
“2026 midterm elections: When polls close; when results are expected” · The Hill
+Hide the full sourcingSee how all 5 outlets put it
6 tracked claims across 5 outlets
Fact ledger
All6Claimed4Corroborated2
1/5
Claimed
Sabato's Crystal Ball shifted 21 races toward Democrats
Corroborated
Disputed
5 more tracked claimsSign up free to see the full ledger