The battle for the Senate in 2026 comes with some fascinating wrinkles: In a trio of races — Idaho, Nebraska and South Dakota — the Democrat has dropped out to help an independent try to win in a red state.
But this strategy has already been attempted in a handful of Senate races in recent years, and it has yet to actually work — at least at the federal level.
So … could it this year?
It remains unlikely. But history suggests it’s worth it to keep trying. It at least gives Democrats a better shot of depriving Republicans of seats in states where a Democratic nominee probably wouldn’t have a chance at winning.
In fact, when this setup has been tried, Republicans have had some of their worst Senate results in recent history in those states.
