Congress Backs an Election Day Holiday, Predicts Democratic Wins in Michigan and Ohio, and Wants Teams to Share Stadium Costs
Week of November 6, 2026 · 5 questionsElection Day has passed, but the full picture of the midterm elections is still taking shape as votes are counted and closely contested races await final results. As Washington watches the balance of power come into focus, this week’s Capitol Pulse results offer a snapshot of congressional views on election access, two closely watched Senate races, public funding for sports stadiums, and Major League Baseball’s labor rules. Congress strongly supports making Election Day a national holiday, predicts Democratic victories in the Michigan and Ohio Senate contests, and says professional sports teams should help pay for publicly funded stadiums. More than four in five respondents (82.61%) support making Election Day a national holiday, while 17.39% oppose the idea.
Congress Predicts Democratic Wins in Both Chambers, Rejects Russian Diesel Imports, and Opposes D.C. National Guard Deployment
October 2026 results · 5 questionsOctober’s Capitol Pulse results reveal shifting expectations for the midterm elections, strong opposition to several Trump administration initiatives, and skepticism toward emerging technology. Congress increasingly expects Democrats to win both chambers, overwhelmingly opposes importing Russian diesel to lower fuel prices, and favors ending the National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C. Respondents also reject Meta’s Muse smart glasses and point to private insurers and corporate hospitals as leading drivers of health care costs. The Senate forecast has shifted. 53.47% now expect Democrats to win the Senate, compared with 46.53% who predict a Republican victory.
Past reports
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Week of October 30, 2026
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Congress Strengthens Its Democratic House Forecast, Shifts Toward Democrats in the Senate, and Sees Christian Influence in America
With the midterm elections approaching, this week’s Capitol Pulse results examine which party Congress expects to win control of the House and Senate. The survey also asks whether America is a Christian nation, how many children respondents want, and whether they plan to vote in their home state or from a D.C.-area address. The latest forecasts favor Democrats in both chambers, with the House prediction strengthening since March and the Senate prediction reversing an earlier Republican advantage.
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Week of October 23, 2026
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Congress Opposes D.C. National Guard Deployment, Rejects Medicare for All, and Blames Private Insurers for Healthcare Costs
This week’s Capitol Pulse results examine the National Guard deployment in Washington, congressional plans for the midterm elections, Medicare for All, and the rising cost of U.S. healthcare. Congress opposes keeping the National Guard deployed in D.C. and rejects Medicare for All overall, while the healthcare results reveal sharp partisan differences over what drives medical costs.
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Week of October 16, 2026
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Congress Rejects Russian Diesel Imports, Opposes Golf Course Renovation, and Splits on Union Contracts
This week’s Capitol Pulse results examine energy prices, federal workplace organization, a proposed renovation at East Potomac Golf Course, and Congress’s favorite caffeinated beverage. Congress strongly rejects allowing Russian diesel imports to address high fuel prices, opposes the East Potomac renovation, and remains divided over whether union contracts should become more common on Capitol Hill. Coffee, meanwhile, is the clear favorite.
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Week of October 9, 2026
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Congress Splits on AI Self-Policing, Backs License Plate Rules, and Rejects Permanent DST
This week’s Capitol Pulse results examine whether AI companies can police themselves, how Congress should regulate license-plate reader networks, trust in the news media, permanent Daylight Saving Time, and the Protect College Sports Act. The results show a narrow split over AI companies regulating themselves, broad support for some form of license-plate reader regulation, more trust than distrust in the news media, and little appetite for permanent Daylight Saving Time.
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Week of October 2, 2026
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Congress Says No to Meta Muse, Picks Talarico in Texas, and Finds No 2028 Democratic Frontrunner
This week’s Capitol Pulse results look ahead to the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination and Texas Senate race, while examining Congress’s views on sports gambling, prediction markets, and Meta’s new Muse platform. The results show no clear Democratic frontrunner, a Talarico advantage in the Texas Senate question, and broad skepticism toward both prediction markets and Meta Muse.
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Week of September 25, 2026
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Congress Rejects the Iran War, Grades the 119th Congress an F, and Rejects White House Press Restrictions
This week’s Capitol Pulse results examine Congress’s support for the Iran war, its assessment of the 119th Congress, White House control over press credentials, and the most important element of office culture. The results show strong opposition to the Iran war, a low assessment of congressional productivity, broad opposition to presidents choosing which outlets receive White House press credentials, and a preference for good coworkers as the defining feature of office culture.
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Week of September 18, 2026
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Congress Picks Rubio for 2028, Remains Pessimistic on AI, and Doubts Congress Will Regulate It
This week’s Capitol Pulse results look ahead to the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, examine Congress’s outlook on artificial intelligence, and ask how likely Congress is to pass substantive AI regulations. The survey also settles a more immediate workplace question: what makes the ideal soundtrack for a workday?
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Week of September 11, 2026
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Congress Sees Itself as More Moderate, Pushes Back on Data Centers, and Picks College Football
This week’s Capitol Pulse results look at how Congress views its own ideological positioning, attitudes toward AI data-center expansion, and the perennial football debate between college football and the NFL. The results show a majority describing themselves as more moderate than their member of Congress, strong opposition to data-center expansion, and a clear preference for college football.
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September 2026 results
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Congress Rejects the Iran War, Gives Itself an F, and Pushes Back on Presidential Power
September’s Capitol Pulse results put Congress’s views on war, institutional performance, presidential power, and artificial intelligence in sharp focus. Across the month, Congress delivered some of its strongest responses of the year: broad opposition to the Iran war, a failing grade for the 119th Congress, overwhelming resistance to presidential control of White House press credentials, and deep skepticism about the future and regulation of AI.
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July 2026 results
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Congress Critiques Its Own Performance, Sees Iran War Hurting GOP, and Rejects Ranch as America's Best Condiment
July’s Capitol Pulse results cover everything from Congress’s own job performance to the political fallout of the re-ignited Iran War — with a little ranch dressing debate mixed in. Congress also weighs in on the power of campaign fundraising and whether Daylight Saving Time will finally become permanent.
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June 2026 results
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Congress Backs Ukraine’s EU Bid, Picks Talarico in Texas, and Favors Republicans in the Baseball Game
June’s Capitol Pulse results show Congress narrowly backing Ukraine’s admission to the European Union, picking Democrat James Talarico over Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race, and predicting a Republican victory in the Congressional Baseball Game. On a potential 2028 presidential run, Congress expects Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run but fall short in the Democratic primaries.
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May 2026 results
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Congress Rejects Partisan Redistricting, Backs Lutnick’s Resignation, and Splits on Abortion
May’s Capitol Pulse results show Congress opposing mid-decade congressional redistricting for partisan advantage, supporting “most favored nation” pricing for prescription drugs with significant reservations, and backing Secretary Lutnick’s resignation over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Congress also narrowly favors suspending the federal gas tax, while abortion policy produces a much more divided set of positions.
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April 2026 results
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Congress Supports MAHA, Favors Reducing Ties With Israel, and Questions Its Handling of Misconduct
April’s Capitol Pulse results show Congress supporting the MAHA Movement, favoring a reduction in U.S. ties with Israel, and narrowly supporting the counting of late-arriving mail ballots. Congress also rejects allowing congressional staffers to participate in prediction markets, while the workplace results show that inappropriate behavior remains a reported experience on Capitol Hill and that confidence in Congress’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations remains low.
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March 2026 results
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Congress Backs Iran Strikes, Favors Democratic House Control, and Predicts a Republican Senate
March’s Capitol Pulse results show Congress supporting U.S. military strikes in Iran, overwhelmingly rejecting skyscraper development in Washington, and backing President Trump’s decision to replace Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary. Looking ahead to November, the results favor Democrats to win the House and Republicans to retain the Senate, while Congress remains divided over how long the war in Iran will continue.
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February 2026 results
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Congress Pushes to Unredact Epstein Files, Backs Citizenship Proof, and Draws a Line on Trump’s Iran Powers
February’s Capitol Pulse results show Congress taking strong positions on the release of Epstein files, proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting, and presidential authority over the Iran conflict. The results also show the job market leading as Congress’s preferred measure of the economy, while dating across party lines remains a minority position.
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January 2026 results
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Congress Backs Maduro Capture, Worries About Data Centers, and Puts National Security at the Top of the 2026 Agenda
January’s Capitol Pulse results highlight several clear differences between Republicans and Democrats in Congress, particularly on U.S. foreign policy, President Trump’s political future, and the pace of data center development. Other issues, including credit-card interest rates, show considerably more overlap between the parties.