This story is part of a series of monthly snapshots from the Washington Examiner, titled Midterm Countdown, gauging the state of the 2026 election cycle. Scroll down to the bottom of the story for the latest prediction market odds of who is going to win.

Republican optimism about winning the 2026 midterm elections has grown in recent weeks. Democrats need to net just three seats to retake the majority, and the party controlling the White House typically suffers major losses in midterm elections.