EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Democrats eye a midterm wave, but three major political variables threaten their momentum ahead of November's crucial elections.
Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer is sounding increasingly bullish about his party's chances of riding a potential blue wave into November, declaring Democrats have "the wind in our sails" as national and battleground polling points to a favorable political environment in the midterm elections.
But beneath that confidence are three variables that could determine whether the Democratic advantage becomes a wave — or breaks before Election Day: a potential polling undercount of Republicans, persistent voter skepticism of the Democratic brand, and the GOP’s financial firepower advantage.