As the United States government shutdown entered its third day on October 3, 2025, the nation’s political landscape braced for a battle that could shape not only the immediate future of federal operations, but also the outcome of the pivotal 2026 midterm elections. With control of both chambers of Congress hanging in the balance, Democrats and Republicans are staking out sharply contrasting positions—none more prominent than the fight over healthcare and the intensifying debate surrounding abortion rights, especially in battleground states like North Carolina.
According to Reuters, Democrats in Congress have rallied around healthcare as their top policy issue in the ongoing standoff with President Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Their focus: advocating for the continuation and expansion of healthcare subsidies for the 24 million Americans who receive coverage through the Affordable Care Act. With the shutdown dragging on, Democrats are betting that this stance will resonate with voters and bolster their chances in the November 2026 midterms, when the fate of the House and Senate will be decided.
“The American people understand clearly that Republicans forced a government shutdown because they are hell-bent on defunding Americans’ health care,” said Katarina Flicker, a spokesperson for House Majority PAC, as quoted by Reuters. “It will cost them at the ballot box in 2026.”
Republicans, for their part, have proposed a stopgap bill to keep government agencies funded through November 21, 2025. But the party’s thin 219-213 majority in the House underscores just how precarious their hold on power has become. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, enjoy a 53-47 edge and are defending relatively few seats in battleground states, positioning them as favorites to retain control—at least for now.
The political maneuvering is not confined to Washington. In several Republican-led states, lawmakers are working to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections, a move widely seen as an attempt to limit Democrats’ path to a majority. As Reuters notes, this redistricting effort comes at the urging of President Trump, who remains a central figure in the party’s strategy.
Public opinion, according to early October 2025 polls cited by Reuters, currently tilts against the Republicans, with Americans blaming them somewhat more for the shutdown than Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer seized on this sentiment, warning, “The longer they drag it out, the deeper the pain and that blame will grow.” Yet not all Democrats are convinced the shutdown will play to their advantage. Mark Penn, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton, cautioned on X (formerly Twitter) that “shutting down the government could well cost them the midterms even (if) it plays well to the base voters.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed concerns about the political fallout, telling Fox Business’ Larry Kudlow, “It’s very important for us to say who’s being hurt in this. This is real pain to real people, and Chuck Schumer and the Democrats in the Senate seem not to care.”
Healthcare may be the flashpoint in Washington, but on the ground in key states, the battle over abortion rights is heating up with equal intensity. On October 2, 2025, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out PAC announced a $4.5 million campaign to defeat Democrat Roy Cooper’s bid for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat in the 2026 election, as reported by Breitbart News. The campaign aims to reach one million voters by election day, deploying digital ads, voter contact mail, and aggressive early vote efforts concentrated in Charlotte, Raleigh, Fayetteville, and the Triad regions.
The effort is laser-focused on persuadable and pro-life voters who don’t consistently turn out for midterms—a demographic that could prove decisive in a closely contested race. “We’re more fired up than ever to fight for life. With the assassination of pro-life champion Charlie Kirk, it’s up to all of us in the pro-life movement to pick up the torch,” said SBA field director Cayla Collins, according to Breitbart News. “This terrible act of violence only strengthens our resolve to reach voters and win elections to save the lives of more unborn children.”
Roy Cooper, the former governor of North Carolina, is seeking to fill the seat vacated by Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who opted against a third term following clashes with Trump and slumping poll numbers. Cooper is expected to face Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee Chairman and a Trump endorsee, in what is shaping up to be one of the nation’s marquee Senate contests.
The pro-life campaign is not pulling any punches in its criticism of Cooper. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, stated, “Roy Cooper’s record is clear: he is a pro-abortion radical and must be defeated in his U.S. Senate bid. He even vetoed a bill simply requiring lifesaving care for babies born alive after an attempted abortion.” Dannenfelser added, “America’s premier pro-life field program is organized, energized, and ready to make 1 million visits to voters over the next 13 months to expose Cooper’s radical record and keep him out of the U.S. Senate.”
The organization’s track record is formidable. Since 2014, its program has reached 31 million voters in top battleground states, including more than 575,000 North Carolina voters in 2024 alone. In 2025, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America also announced $4.5 million investments in Senate races in Michigan and Georgia, signaling a broad, multi-state push to influence the balance of power in the Senate.
For Democrats, the stakes in North Carolina—and nationwide—could hardly be higher. Capturing the Senate would require holding seats in states like Georgia and Michigan, where Trump performed strongly, and flipping competitive races in places like Maine and North Carolina. That’s not to mention the uphill battles in Republican-leaning states such as Ohio, Iowa, or Texas.
With both parties sharpening their messages and mobilizing supporters, the 2026 midterm elections are shaping up to be a referendum not just on President Trump’s agenda, but on the future direction of the country’s healthcare and abortion policies. The government shutdown has only heightened the sense of urgency on both sides, with each party convinced that its stance will carry the day with voters—despite warnings from within their own ranks that the strategy could backfire.
As the shutdown drags on and campaign dollars pour into battleground states, Americans are left to wonder which issues—healthcare, abortion, or the broader question of government competence—will ultimately sway the outcome. With so much at stake and so many moving parts, the road to November 2026 promises to be anything but predictable.
