In addition to Gary Peters of Michigan who already announced his retirement, Tina Peters of Minnesota is also retiring.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/02/13/tina-smith-will-not-run-for-reelection-in-senate-in-2026

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems 13 seats - 3 tilt Dems all others likely or safe.
Republicans 22 seats- 1 tilt dem, 2 tossups, 1 tilt R, 1 lean R, 5 likely R.

Once the impact of destroying the Federal Government and fired 75% of federal employees and contractors start to bite republicans could lose 10-14 seats in the senate.

Don't count on it. People have short term memory and it all depends on they spin it by that time.

The economy is going to be in poor shape in 2026, and prices quite a bit higher. People always vote for change. 2024 was about change as it was about Trump.

2024 was about having a very weak and unpopular incumbent back out of the race a month before the party primary allowing for a just as weak and unpopular former president to have a chance at victory. Weakness breeding weakness is all that was but yes, generally speaking, most swing voters are voting on the promise of "change" that could benefit them.

The problem at this point is that top position. If not Trump, it's Vance and if not Vance, it's still GOP. You also have to get a majority of Dems and the "right" Dems at that. Manchin was a Dem, look how well that worked out.

On the economic front, prices have been rising awhile now. Whenever I hear those reports about how we're all holding steady, I want to bop someone. We are upper middle class and taking my family of 5 out for $95 non fancy dinners without drinks for anyone - just entree + tax/tip + water is really not something I call doing well. So if the prices go up, it's about how much more and where you see those prices rise v. just rising. I think everyone has that expectation of rising these days.

At $95 a dinner- I'm not going to flip out if it rises to $100/110 - I kinda expect things will continue to rise with time and I'm not exactly doing math at every meal - at a certain price point, I'm just annoyed. I'm not suggesting I approve of what Trump's doing or want/like thing to go up but I'm suggesting that you have to look at the big picture of where we are in 2026. It's the economy but it's also psychological.

I tend to agree that he will have destroyed any good thing we've got going by then but 1, I'm not sure who can take his place who will do better and 2, I'm unsure what the big pic looks like that he will lose enough political power that even if the the Dems gain seats, it works to limit his overall abilities.

I sincerely believe however that he will not be able to create the intense drama of the past 3 weeks moving forward to 2026 if simply he will have run out of things to impact on this level! He has only 4 years, let's face it. Even if he stays (which I'm 95% sure he won't get to) in office past that, his age and energy level will be that he can't do too much more.

Musk will tire of running the govt. I am 100000% of this. It's a matter of time. I think by 2026 he's def done It's fun plotting right now and starting a checklist, to actually get things done, he will hate the red tape of having to deal with the courts and what's left of Congress.

Vance is who I'm much more worried about from a cultural perspective.

Anonymous wrote:Dems 13 seats - 3 tilt Dems all others likely or safe.
Republicans 22 seats- 1 tilt dem, 2 tossups, 1 tilt R, 1 lean R, 5 likely R.

Once the impact of destroying the Federal Government and fired 75% of federal employees and contractors start to bite republicans could lose 10-14 seats in the senate.

Or gain 14 to 16.

Anonymous wrote:Thankfully, Virginians are infinitely so much smarter than you and we do not throw out Senators with seniority. Only stupid people do that.

It doesn't really have anything to do with seniority, I just find him to be a slimy human being. It doesn't sound smart to keep reelecting the same sorry politicians every cycle. It sounds more like insanity to me. What has he done for your state that you find so satisfactory, or do you just keep voting for the name you recognize to help streamline the process?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If 75% of federal employees and contractors are fired, then maybe we can flip Mark Warner out of his seat.

What? For Youngkin?

I'm not in Virginia, so it's not really my battle. But I do think the people there could do much better than Warner. You can replace him with another Democrat for all I care. Just seeing Warner lose his seat would be satisfying by itself.

Thankfully, Virginians are infinitely so much smarter than you and we do not throw out Senators with seniority. Only stupid people do that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems 13 seats - 3 tilt Dems all others likely or safe.
Republicans 22 seats- 1 tilt dem, 2 tossups, 1 tilt R, 1 lean R, 5 likely R.

Once the impact of destroying the Federal Government and fired 75% of federal employees and contractors start to bite republicans could lose 10-14 seats in the senate.

Don't count on it. People have short term memory and it all depends on they spin it by that time.

The economy is going to be in poor shape in 2026, and prices quite a bit higher. People always vote for change. 2024 was about change as it was about Trump.

Yes but I don’t see any of those red states flipping. Maybe Susan Collins in Maine, and who knows with Florida with the right candidate. I doubt grass key loses his Iowa seat; although at 93 he should be done.

Ernst is up next year, Grassley is up in 2028.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems 13 seats - 3 tilt Dems all others likely or safe.
Republicans 22 seats- 1 tilt dem, 2 tossups, 1 tilt R, 1 lean R, 5 likely R.

Once the impact of destroying the Federal Government and fired 75% of federal employees and contractors start to bite republicans could lose 10-14 seats in the senate.

Don't count on it. People have short term memory and it all depends on they spin it by that time.

The economy is going to be in poor shape in 2026, and prices quite a bit higher. People always vote for change. 2024 was about change as it was about Trump.

Yes but I don’t see any of those red states flipping. Maybe Susan Collins in Maine, and who knows with Florida with the right candidate. I doubt grass key loses his Iowa seat; although at 93 he should be done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems 13 seats - 3 tilt Dems all others likely or safe.
Republicans 22 seats- 1 tilt dem, 2 tossups, 1 tilt R, 1 lean R, 5 likely R.

Once the impact of destroying the Federal Government and fired 75% of federal employees and contractors start to bite republicans could lose 10-14 seats in the senate.

Perfect if Dems have 3/3 of Senate and a majority in the House then impeaching Trump, Be able. And Johnson will be a slam dunk.

As much as I'd love to see Trump impeached and removed from office, do things really get any better under a President Vance?

Doubtful

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems 13 seats - 3 tilt Dems all others likely or safe.
Republicans 22 seats- 1 tilt dem, 2 tossups, 1 tilt R, 1 lean R, 5 likely R.

Once the impact of destroying the Federal Government and fired 75% of federal employees and contractors start to bite republicans could lose 10-14 seats in the senate.

Don't count on it. People have short term memory and it all depends on they spin it by that time.

The economy is going to be in poor shape in 2026, and prices quite a bit higher. People always vote for change. 2024 was about change as it was about Trump.

That's prices will have gone down by 2026, after being high these last few years. That's the change we voted for in 2024. By jove, I think you've almost got it.

Prices never go down, and all of Trump’s policies are inflationary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems 13 seats - 3 tilt Dems all others likely or safe.
Republicans 22 seats- 1 tilt dem, 2 tossups, 1 tilt R, 1 lean R, 5 likely R.

Once the impact of destroying the Federal Government and fired 75% of federal employees and contractors start to bite republicans could lose 10-14 seats in the senate.

Perfect if Dems have 3/3 of Senate and a majority in the House then impeaching Trump, Be able. And Johnson will be a slam dunk.

As much as I'd love to see Trump impeached and removed from office, do things really get any better under a President Vance?

Trump has handed the keys over to Musk and not following the constitution. So, no, I don't think Vance will be better, I think he's right in the pocket of Musk and Thiel but we can't keep Trump because we're afraid that Vance *might* be worse. If he can't follow the constitution, we impeach him as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems 13 seats - 3 tilt Dems all others likely or safe.
Republicans 22 seats- 1 tilt dem, 2 tossups, 1 tilt R, 1 lean R, 5 likely R.

Once the impact of destroying the Federal Government and fired 75% of federal employees and contractors start to bite republicans could lose 10-14 seats in the senate.

Don't count on it. People have short term memory and it all depends on they spin it by that time.

The economy is going to be in poor shape in 2026, and prices quite a bit higher. People always vote for change. 2024 was about change as it was about Trump.

That's prices will have gone down by 2026, after being high these last few years. That's the change we voted for in 2024. By jove, I think you've almost got it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems 13 seats - 3 tilt Dems all others likely or safe.
Republicans 22 seats- 1 tilt dem, 2 tossups, 1 tilt R, 1 lean R, 5 likely R.

Once the impact of destroying the Federal Government and fired 75% of federal employees and contractors start to bite republicans could lose 10-14 seats in the senate.

Don't count on it. People have short term memory and it all depends on they spin it by that time.

The economy is going to be in poor shape in 2026, and prices quite a bit higher. People always vote for change. 2024 was about change as it was about Trump.

By 2026 we won’t be having real elections lol