CNN Data Guru Warns Dems They Are ‘Way Behind’ in Lead Up to Midterms: ‘Hold the Phone!’

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten broke down some troubling signs for the Democratic Party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Enten compared current polling with two other midterm elections, 2006 and 2018. Both of these years saw a Republican in the executive and a subsequent “blue wave” wherein Democrats achieved huge gains in Congress.

Enten told viewers that a similar wave come 2028 is far from a lock.

“The bottom line is this: Democrats are behind their 2006 and 2018 paces when it comes to the generic congressional ballot,” said Enten.

The data expert used recent polls from Ipsos and others to show how Democrats are trailing behind their prior pace. While in the two earlier elections Democrats were up by seven points, they now lead by only two.

“Their lead is less than half, less than half of where it was in either 2017 or 2005 in July of those years– the year before the midterm election,” Enten told host John Berman. “Yes, Donald Trump may be unpopular, but Democrats have not come anywhere close to sealing the deal at this particular point.”

In studying the numbers, the analyst said that the current polls do mirror one previous election– just not one Democrats would wish to repeat.

“At this particular point, this election cycle looks a lot more like 2024 than it does than either 2018 or 2006,” said Enten, telling those expecting a blue wave next year to “hold the phone.”

“Republicans are still very much in the game,” he said.

Watch above via Harry Enten on X.