Democrats overperform in Georgia, Wisconsin elections Tuesday : NPR

Key Points:

• Recent elections in Wisconsin and Georgia reveal a significant shift of nearly 20 percentage points away from the GOP compared to 2024 margins, indicating growing voter support for Democrats.
• In Wisconsin, liberal Chris Taylor won a Supreme Court seat with 60% of the vote, expanding the liberal majority to 5-2, outperforming previous liberal victories despite the state's narrow Trump win in 2024.
• Georgia's 14th congressional district, traditionally very conservative, saw Democrat Shawn Harris increase his vote share to 44% in a special election runoff, up from under 36% in 2024, with a likely rematch against Republican Clay Fuller in November.
• Analysis shows Democrats have improved their 2024 presidential margins by an average of 11-13% in special elections since 2025, with Democratic gains also evident in gubernatorial and municipal races nationally.
• Despite overall party unpopularity, Democratic voter enthusiasm is higher than Republicans', driven by dissatisfaction with current leadership and a historical tendency for Democrats to perform better in lower-turnout elections, suggesting potential challenges for GOP in the 2026 midterms.