Matthew Klein

White working-class voters in the industrial Lehigh Valley, drawn by Donald Trump's glowing promise to revitalize the region's manufacturing prowess, powered the Republican's 2016 upset over Hillary Clinton. But in 2020, Joe Biden — who leaned into his own modest upbringing in nearby Scranton — lured just enough blue-collar workers his way to narrowly tilt the state back into Democratic hands.

Democrats in Washington have spent months trying to will a second Republican-held governorship onto the playing field, even though the vast majority of remaining targets lie on decidedly tough turf. With the finish line in sight, they’ve settled on the open race in Indiana as the most promising potential pickup.

The 11 races for governor this cycle are largely safe affairs. Republican incumbents will be reelected in Montana and Vermont, while Missouri, North Dakota and West Virginia are expected to easily elect new GOP governors. Delaware remains a Democratic lock, with New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer heavily favored to succeed term-limited Gov. John Carney. And two races we anticipated being more competitive, North Carolina and Washington state, have moved decisively toward Democrats.

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

Ohio's Akron-based 13th District, held by freshman Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes, began the cycle as one of the GOP's most promising pickup opportunities: Its electorate is 82% white, largely working-class and voted for Joe Biden by less than three points in 2020.

The race for control of the U.S. House remains as close as it's ever been. The battleground is confined to a few dozen seats, with neither party having a clear advantage in a majority of seats. And with several competitive races in West Coast states that take longer to count their ballots, it's highly possible we won't know which party has control on election night.

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.