JD Vance Wants ‘Another Chance’ as Democrats Gain Edge Ahead of Midterms - Newsweek

Vice President JD Vance discussed the White House's message ahead of the midterm elections on the All-In Podcast, saying, "There’s a lot of good that’s been done, but there’s a lot of work left to do," adding that the American people should "give us another chance" in November.

Vance's remarks come amid challenges both Republicans and the White House have faced in recent polling less than 50 days before Election Day. Numerous polls have signaled a more favorable environment for Democrats, who lead the generic ballot and have shown improvement in battleground contests.

Prediction markets have also become increasingly favorable for Democratic prospects, potentially raising concerns for Republicans about turnout as both parties ramp up their midterm push. Prediction market site Polymarket posted to X on Wednesday afternoon, noting the Democrats' momentum, saying, "BREAKING: Democrats surge to record-high odds to sweep both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterms. 59% chance."

Similarly, prediction market site Kalshi shows on Wednesday afternoon that over 53 percent think Democrats will sweep both Congress and the Senate compared to over 13 percent for a Republican sweep. Wednesday marks a new high on the site for a Democratic sweep.

Meanwhile, midterm elections are commonly viewed as a test of the political environment facing the party in power, and the president's party has historically lost seats during midterm elections. Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in both the House and Senate.

Newsweek reached out to the White House and Vice President Vance's office via email on Wednesday for comment.

During the podcast, Vance continued on with his midterm message, saying, “The second argument I’d make is, even if you don’t agree with us on every issue, the other party is consumed by craziness. They’re consumed by people who want to steal everything, who want to give the country over to illegal aliens and criminals. They actively brag about it.”

"So, to the American people, I’d say, send these people packing, put them in the mental hospital, do not put them in Congress, because even if you don’t agree with us on every policy issue, at least we’re motivated by common sense and American interest," Vance later said. "They’re just motivated by left-wing interest groups and radicalism, and they’re going to do a very bad job if we give them power."

The midterm is viewed as consequential for both Democrats and Republicans, as the GOP hopes to maintain power and build on key legislative policies and the Democrats hope to take control back.

Vance's argument for saying give us another chance was rooted in him making a plea for Americans not to let the Democrats take control of either chamber. "Don’t give power to the people who cause the problems that we’re fixing," he said. "Give us another chance, or give us another couple of years, to continue to work on the amazing things that we’ve been doing for the past two years."

A new poll from YouGov/Economist this week shows that 44 percent of registered voters would pick the Democratic congressional candidate compared to 39 percent who said they would pick the Republican candidate in their district. Three percent said other, 10 percent said not sure and 4 percent said they will not vote.

The survey shows that 40 percent would pick the Democratic Senate candidate compared to 43 percent who would pick the Republican Senate candidate. Four percent said other, 7 percent said not sure, and 6 percent said they would not vote. This split is within the poll's margin of error.

The poll surveyed 1,461 U.S. registered voters from September 11-14, 2026, and has a margin of error of 3.3 percent.

Similarly, a New York Times/Siena poll released this week shows that 53 percent would rather see the Democratic Party control Congress compared to 42 percent who prefer to see the Republican Party in control. Four percent did not know or refused to answer.

The poll asked if the Midterms were held today, would you vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in Congress, and 51 percent said the Democrat and 43 percent said the Republican. Six percent did not know or refused to answer. The poll surveyed 1,503 likely voters from September 8 to 13, 2026, and has a margin of error of 2.9 percent.

Meanwhile, election forecaster The Cook Political Report has rated seven Senate races as toss-ups, with a recent move in New Hampshire favoring Republicans.

The recent shift comes as several Senate races have become more competitive. Cook currently rates these Senate contests as toss-ups: Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire and Texas. Five of those seats are held by Republicans, while Michigan and New Hampshire are open Democratic-held seats, giving Democrats several opportunities to make gains. Cook previously moved Texas and Iowa's Senate races from lean Republican to a toss-up, citing competitive polling.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump also vowed to hit the campaign trail in the days leading up to November's general election to rally for 35 critical seats. Trump said he intends to make numerous stops during the final stretch in the key House and Senate contests.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Gray R. Thomas