Week by week
Recap of the Year
Week 7
House Republicans pass election-related legislation sharply curtailing voting by mail and requiring stricter identification and proof of citizenship
Democrats celebrate the Supreme Court ruling that curbs presidential tariff powers.
Virginia Supreme Court allows Democratic-backed redistricting referendum to proceed which could lead to Democrats flipping multiple GOP-held House seats
Republicans retain agenda power in Congress heading into midterms
Democrats gain seven yards due to the Supreme Court ruling limiting presidential tariff powers.
Week 5
Democrat Christian Menefee wins a U.S. House special election in Texas narrowing the Republican majority in the House
Democrat Taylor Rehmet flips a Republican-held Texas State Senate special that President Trump had carried by a wide margin in 2024
Week 6
Democrats flip deep red Texas State Senate District
The U.S. House voted to rescind tariffs that President Trump imposed on Canada last year in a rare bipartisan rebuke of the White House's trade policy
Federal authorities announced an end to "Operation Metro Surge" immigration enforcement in Minnesota
The Republican-led House passed the "Save America Act" - a bill that would require stricter proof of U.S. citizenship and photo I.D. to register and vote in federal elections
No yardage game in week six by either team. A relatively quite week on the national stage with small victories on both sides.
Republican leaders in the House drove the effort to reopen the government by passing a large appropriations package that funded most of the federal government through September 30th and it included a temporary continuing resolution to keep the Department of Homeland Security operating only through February 13th
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a new California congressional map that boost Democratic chances of winning up to five seats in the midterms
A five yard gain by the Democrats over the Republicans in Week 5 due a number of Special Election wins even in typically red states as well as ongoing pushback on immigration policy remains in the forefront of news cycles getting in close to field goal territory.
Week 4
Assembly Republicans in Wisconsin proposed a state match for "Trump Accounts" to match federal with state funds - an expansion of a GOP policy initiative aimed at providing financial incentives tied to families and pro-growth messaging.
Minnesota Democrats win two State House Special Elections restoring the chamber to an even 67 - 67 partisan tie ahead of the 2026 legislative session
Strong backlash of immigration informant after the shooting death of U.S. Citizen Jeffery Pretti by Border Patrol Agents
Another ten yard gain by the Democrats after several Republicans question immigration informant tactics in Minneapolis, Minnesota. President Trump made public statements indicating he wanted to de-escalate tensions in Minneapolis related to the federal immigration enforcement operation.
Week 3
Senate Republicans, with Vice President J.D. Vance's tie-breaking vote, blocked a war powers resolution on Venezuela defeating a measure that would have limited President Trump's authority on Venezuela policy, preserving executive flexibility favored by GOP leadership
Special Elections yield Democratic victory in Virgina. Democrats Garrett McGuire won the Virginia House of Delegates District 17 Special Election holding the seat for Democrats
House Republicans passed targeted legislation to protect retirement savings from ESG-focused investment mandates, advanceding H.R. 2988 to restrict environmentally / socially driven investment decisions in retirement plans
A relatively slow week in the world of politics. No gains. No turnovers.
Week 2
Some Republicans cast key procedural votes extending the ACA subsidies
Connecticut Supreme Court Reinstates Democratic Counsel Candidate's Challenge reversing lower-court decision and sent case back to trial that could allow Democrat Harrison Amadusun to serve on the South Windsor Town Council
37 year old Reneee Nicole Good was fatally shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota by an ICE agent under disputed circumstances as she pulled her car forward toward and slightly striking the agent in the leg. The killing sparked national protests and multiple investigations.
With the national backlash to ICE informant, Democrats gain enough yardage in Week 2 for a first down.
Week 1
President Trump orders a brazen military operation to capture and detain Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and extradites them to New York City where they await trial on Narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices as well as conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. Not a single U.S. Military Personal life was lost in the operation.
One time Vice President Candidate Tim Walz announces he will not seek third term as Governor of Minnesota amid a sprawling fraud scandal involving state-administered social service programs including childcare, nutrition, housing support, autism therapy, and other public assistance programs.
Democrats kickoff the New Year. Republicans receive the ball on their own 20 yard line and run it in to the end zone in for the first score of 2026.