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Hi, y’all. Welcome back to The Opposition. Andrew Cuomo’s loss in yesterday’s New York City mayoral race was the end of a political dynasty. What a way to go. There were plenty of signs along the way that the former governor’s campaign was doomed, including when he made a very sad attempt to emulate Zohran Mamdani’s viral social media videos. But we here at The Bulwark had an inkling that things were really going south when his campaign reached out to us after Donald Trump’s 60 Minutes interview aired on Sunday. In the interview, Trump had said that he would vote for Cuomo over Mamdani. We noted that. But the Cuomo folks took issue with us mentioning it, saying Trump had never actually endorsed Cuomo . . . even though the president clearly said in the interview that he would like to see Cuomo defeat Mamdani. A few hours later, Trump posted an endorsement on TruthSocial: “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job.” Then Elon Musk endorsed Cuomo. Then Stephen Miller. Oof.
For today’s edition, however, I want to focus not just on the races that concluded last night but on the races to come. Democrats are feeling giddy about 2026. And they suddenly have visions of taking over not one but two chambers. I’ve got some fresh reporting on their plans. As always, it’s the support of our Bulwark+ members that allows me to do this type of work. So please consider becoming a member yourself—and get a head start on smart thinking about the 2026 and 2028 elections.
Let’s get into it.
–Lauren
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FOR THE PAST YEAR, Democratic party leaders have been privately resigned to the idea that the 2026 Senate map was too difficult to overcome. It was a take rooted more in math than cynicism. The party had lost touch with voters in many of the states it needed to win and had no clear or compelling argument for how to rebuild a winning coalition.
But Tuesday’s election results have changed that thinking. The party’s strong showing in races across the country—from the gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, to state legislative elections in Mississippi and even utility board seats in Georgia—has Democratic leaders believing that winning back the Senate is a distinct possibility in 2026. And it’s not just spin from party loyalists. In my conversations with Democratic leaders and operatives over the past twenty-four hours, it’s clear that ...
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