50 Predictions for 2026
Let’s see which ones come true!
Politics:
Democrats gain 10-15 seats in the US House of Representatives, winning back the House, but Republicans hold the Senate.
The following Republican House incumbents lose reelection: Mike Lawler (NY-17), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Scott Perry (PA-04), Tom Kean (NJ-07), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), Monica de La Cruz (TX-15), Ryan Zinke (MT-01), Eli Crane (AZ-02)
The following Democratic incumbents win reelection: Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez (WA-03), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Gabriel Vasquez (NM-02), Susie Lee (NV-03), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Adam Gray (CA-13), Laura Gillen (NY-04)
Sleeper House flips: TX-15, MT-01, AZ-02
Jon Ossoff wins reelection by 4-6 points.
Roy Cooper wins the open Senate seat in North Carolina, but Republicans win the open Senate seat in Michigan and the Michigan governorship1.
Republicans hold the Georgia and Nevada governorships, but Katie Hobbs wins reelection in Arizona and Democrats win the open Wisconsin gubernatorial race with margins of all races <2 points.
John Cornyn loses his primary (as does Jasmine Crockett), and Ken Paxton becomes Texas’ next senator.
Michael Bennet becomes Governor of Colorado and appoints Rep. Jason Crow to replace him as senator.
Supreme Court rules against Trump on tariffs and against lower courts blocking state bans of transgender girls and women on female sports teams, i.e. will impose a national ban of transgender girls/women competing on girls/women’s sports teams.2
Gavin Newsom continues to lead Democratic presidential primary polls for 2028.
Kamala Harris announces she isn’t running for president in 2028.
Pete Hegseth is the first Trump Cabinet member to get kicked off the island.
A Republican Supreme Court justice dies.
Public Figures:
Timothée Chalamet wins the Best Actor Oscar for Marty Supreme and he and Kylie Jenner get engaged (he’s the dad that stepped up!!).
Travis Kelce retires, he and Taylor Swift get married, and she’s pregnant within <6 months but doesn’t bother revealing it, and instead moves about like Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope in season 3 of Scandal.
Sydney Sweeney quietly switches her party registration to Democrat (and then intentionally leaks it).
Bennifer Part III
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham reveal that they got married and divorced and are now married again.
Will and Jada Pinkett Smith (finally) get divorced, as do Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
Leonardo DiCaprio marries whatever 5’8” wannabe model he’s currently dating (who doesn’t not resemble his last several exes a la “your new girl is my clone”) because he feels the weight of his own mortality (which I’ve felt since birth but that’s neither here nor there).
Charli XCX announces her retirement on her Substack.
Olivia Nuzzi announces she’s pregnant (and doesn’t name the father3).
Trump pardons Diddy.
A member of One Direction gets married.
There’s a sex scandal involving one (or more) of the people in the Democratic Punditburo.
Deaths: Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, Prince Charles, Elon Musk, and *spins wheel* Britney Spears
Media:
The Off-Campus show (based on the novels by Elle Kennedy) on Prime breaks records.4
Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show is mediocre, but the real story is the surprise guest.
Erika Kirk gets her own reality show and it’s a flop, albeit one with lots of praying.
Wuthering Heights movie is a hit, the new Pride and Prejudice is a miss.
Frank Ocean releases his next album.
Grey’s Anatomy ends (finally).
Ariana Grande wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in Wicked: For Good (and promptly breaks up with Ethan Slater).
Pop-Punk Renaissance (Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! At the Disco, etc.)
Vanderpump Rules finally gets canceled.
Katseye breaks up.
The Chainsmokers have a hit single.
The Bachelorette crashes and burns this season because Taylor Frankie Paul can’t stop hooking up with Dakota, her baby daddy that keeps on cheating on her (or rather “cheating” on her given they aren’t officially together).
Barack Obama puts Heated Rivalry on his list of “Must Watch TV”.
Other:
At least one of the six still unsolved Millennium Prize problems will be solved.
There will be notable advances in AI regulation in the realm of deepfakes and child pornography.
There’s another bizarre animal story (Harambe, Tiger King, that goddamn squirrel that apparently predicted Trump winning the 2024 election, etc.).
An Alzheimer’s drug is discovered.
Historical romance novels, monogamy, and skinny jeans will make a comeback!! (And I’m not just saying that because I’m a huge fan of all of the above).
Playboy goes out of business (Inshallah).
Lane Kiffin tries to become a TikTok star and when that fails, starts posting daily Bible verses on his Instagram story.
A Category 5 hurricane will hit the United States and its name will be retired (see: Andrew, Katrina, Maria, etc.)
An animal that was previously believed to be extinct makes a shocking RVTRN.
A new self-driving electric car comes onto the market and gives Waymo a major run for its money.
I’m not commenting on Maine races because that entire state annoys me.
Republicans will breathe a sigh of relief at the former, and Democrats at the latter.
It’s probably Ryan Lizza but who knows (or cares).
I WILL be seated, just like I will for movie version of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
I might be taking this too seriously, but wouldn't the Supreme Court allowing state bans on trans women in women's sports not be the same thing as imposing a national ban? Because a state could choose not to ban it, right?