Five sleeper races that could upend 2026 – from Pennsylvania’s Alleghenies to New Mexico

Democrat backtracks after calling National Guard shooting 'an unfortunate accident' 'Saturday in America' host Kayleigh McEnany joins 'Fox & Friends Weekend' to discuss a comment made by Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., calling the shooting of two National Guard members 'an accident.' As Clement Moore’s "‘Twas the Night Before Christmas" tells it, families sleep soundly as Santa approaches. As the new year nears, several election contests may prove just as quiet - until close results suddenly come into focus. Here are five potential sleeper races to watch in 2026: 1. MISSISSIPPI’S 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, has not often had to worry about a general election challenge since he won a special election on April 13, 1993. Predecessor Mike Espy, who recently unsuccessfully ran for Senate in a narrow runoff with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., had resigned to accept President Bill Clinton ’s appointment as Secretary of Agriculture. Thompson’s closest race was that one - against Republican Hayes Dent - at 55% to 45%. Since then, Thompson has never looked back, and instead made himself a nationally-recognized figure later in his tenure. He chaired the House Select Committee on January 6, and recently went viral for calling the shooting of West Virginia National Guardsmen allegedly by an Afghan refugee an "unfortunate accident." Thompson’s district , spanning from Jackson west to Yazoo City and Vicksburg on the Mississippi River, is one of the poorest in the country - landing at 3rd out of 435 with a median income of $37,372, according to data published by the office of Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS WIDEN 2026 BATTLEFIELD, ZERO IN ON NEW HOUSE REPUBLICAN TARGETS Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) speaks to Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania on Monday, July 22, 2024. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital ) Only Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. preside over a poorer population. Last week, an attorney and former counsel to Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., mounted a surprise primary bid against Thompson. Evan Turnage, 33, who has been alive just about the same time Thompson has been in Congress, made the idea of fighting the region’s persistent poverty paramount to his new campaign, according to Black Press USA . "I’ve dedicated my life to leveling the playing field so people can not only get by, but get ahead, and raise a family right here," Turnage said, according to the outlet. On the Republican side, retired Army captain and Vicksburg cardiothoracic surgeon Ron Eller will fight an uphill battle to unseat the winner of the Thompson-Turnage bout. 2. CONNECTICUT’S 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Connecticut is another state that is typically not in political conversation as hosting nail-biter partisan elections. During the Bush-Clinton years, however, the state was competitive if not outright Republican-favored. Former Gov. John Rowland was the first in decades to be elected to more than two terms. He ended up resigning in 2004 amid the threat of...

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