Washington —
This year’s midterms will not only shape the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency; they’ll determine what politics after Trump might start to look like.
A series of races that starts with primaries on March 3 will either preserve Republican majorities in Congress, helping Trump to push through his agenda, or give Democrats control of either the US House or Senate and the ability to stop his legislative priorities and open investigations into him.
Along the way, candidates and party leaders will dissect the results as they prepare for the 2028 presidential race, which will be the first national election in 16 years without Trump’s name on the ballot.
Here are the key dates and contests they – and we – will be watching over the course of the next year:
