Upset Brief · MD-08 · Cheryl Riley (R) vs. Jamie Raskin (D), incumbent
A long shot on the math: it takes a 54.0-point national wave.
0%
odds today
0%
odds with the plan
158,797
net votes to find
37
days left; voting starts October 22
Where
- 01+196Precinct 013-038 (Montgomery County)Starting line Raskin +50. 13.2% split their ticket.
- 02+185Precinct 004-020 (Montgomery County)Starting line Raskin +50. 14.8% split their ticket.
- 03+184Precinct 007-023 (Montgomery County)Starting line Raskin +63. 14.3% split their ticket.
- 04+168Precinct 007-019 (Montgomery County)Starting line Raskin +67. 12.2% split their ticket.
- 05+151Precinct 004-016 (Montgomery County)Starting line Raskin +51. 12.4% split their ticket.
- 06+147Precinct 007-015 (Montgomery County)Starting line Raskin +62. 13.5% split their ticket.
The top 12 precincts carry 14% of the plan.
How
- P+13,312Persuade13,312 voters who split their ticket in recent elections and lean Raskin today.
- M+0MobilizeThere are almost no precincts Riley's side carries, so turnout alone cannot help here.
- C+503ConsolidateVoters who went third party in recent races, in the precincts that lean Riley's way.
Plus a national shift of 54 points of margin (144,981 votes) that no campaign controls.
What has to be true
- Riley wins 50 percent of the ticket splitters now leaning Raskin.
- The national environment moves about 54.0 points toward Riley's side between now and November 3.
- No 2026 public poll exists for this race, so the starting line is a weighted blend of official recent results; the first real poll will move it.
The numbers behind it
- 01Crossover regression199 precincts, R² 0.946, 37 crossover precincts identified
- 02Monte Carlo20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 7-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -176,280 to -113,087 votes.
- 03Money, FEC candidate totals through June 30Riley $1,806 cash on hand; Raskin $7,893,447.
- 04Call program for this list19,363 households, 58,090 dials, about 3,044 live conversations: an estimated $7,197 at published rates.
Independent analysis by The Political Group from official Maryland State Board of Elections precinct returns (2022 and 2024), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 26, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.