On the eve of the 2026 midterms, MaddowBlog recounts how Republicans spent the spring and summer boosting Democrats they considered beatable — funding ads for Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota and backing Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, both of whom won their primaries. In the general elections, Flanagan beat Michele Tafoya by roughly 10 points and El-Sayed beat Mike Rogers by 7, and MaddowBlog judges the GOP scheme a bust.