Matthew Klein

On a night with thousands of data points bombarding viewers' screens, it can be difficult to piece together a clear picture of the overall results. That's why we compiled an hour-by-hour blueprint to help you follow along with what we're watching, and hopefully gain some valuable insight into national trends even before many votes get counted.

One week before Election Day, The Cook Political Report published a list of 13 swing counties to watch on election night that could give us some clues about the results as votes began rolling in. In the end, President-elect Donald Trump appears poised to carry 12 of the 13 counties we highlighted, with Vice President Kamala Harris ahead solely in Nevada's Washoe County — and by just 423 votes.

Children with disabilities (CWD) face a heightened risk of mental health challenges, demanding urgent attention. Despite the recognized significance of play for mental well-being, limited research explores the role of play, especially risky play, in CWD. This study investigates parental perspectives on risky play in CWD and its links to child playfulness, parent–child relationships, and problem symptoms. One hundred and five participants, parents of CWD (

Even as the media landscape undergoes rapid changes, there's still no more tried-and-true tactic than broadcast advertising. Television ads remained campaigns' biggest expense in 2024, and the thousands of spots that aired from Atlanta to Alaska met their typical range of success: Many were forgettable, some backfired and a select handful proved decisive.

Suddenly, the future of New Jersey's political landscape looks about as clear as the Hudson River.

Exclusively for CPR subscribers, the Editors Roundtable features Cook Political Report analysts discussing the most critical developments and trends driving political coverage.

The lengthy leadership standoffs and historic gridlock that paralyzed the 118th Congress have reinforced state legislatures' status as the nation's primary laboratories of public policy. That reputation has been especially well-earned since 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization returned the debate over abortion rights — perhaps the country's most charged political lightning rod — to the states.

With one particularly stark exception, this year's 11 gubernatorial races largely flew under the radar. It was the first presidential cycle in history in which no governorships changed partisan hands, reflecting an increasingly polarized landscape that only recently began to take a serious toll on the productivity of state governments.

Exclusively for CPR subscribers, the Editors Roundtable features Cook Political Report analysts discussing the most critical developments and trends driving political coverage.

Every year, the Census Bureau releases fresh data detailing patterns of migration within the United States. Since 2020, those patterns have pointed to trouble ahead for Democrats. Blue states like California and New York continue to hemorrhage residents to states in the Sun Belt, all but guaranteeing that both states will lose representation in the U.S. House and Electoral College next decade. That could close key Democratic pathways to an Electoral College majority, essentially forcing the party to win in large Sun Belt states in addition to sweeping the industrial Midwest.