Upset Brief · MI-05 · Christian Vukasovich (D) vs. Tim Walberg (R), incumbent
A long shot on the math: it takes a 23.6-point national wave.
<1%
odds today
<1%
odds with the plan
87,818
net votes to find
36
days left, ballots already coming in
Where
- 01+513Bedford Township (Monroe County)Starting line Walberg +24. 6.4% split their ticket.
- 02+453JacksonStarting line Vukasovich +14. 6.0% split their ticket. About 3,709 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 03+416Summit Township (Jackson County)Starting line Walberg +16. 7.2% split their ticket.
- 04+330Frenchtown Township (Monroe County)Starting line Walberg +24. 7.3% split their ticket.
- 05+313Blackman Township (Jackson County)Starting line Walberg +13. 8.6% split their ticket.
- 06+277MonroeStarting line Walberg +4. 6.6% split their ticket.
The top 12 cities and townships carry 33% of the plan.
How
- P+9,808Persuade9,808 voters who split their ticket in recent elections and lean Walberg today.
- M+283MobilizeAt least 5,460 people who voted in 2024 but not in 2022, in cities and townships where Vukasovich's side wins at least 55 percent.
- C+778ConsolidateVoters who went third party in recent races, in the cities and townships that lean Vukasovich's way.
Plus a national shift of 23.6 points of margin (76,949 votes) that no campaign controls.
What has to be true
- Vukasovich wins 50 percent of the ticket splitters now leaning Walberg.
- In Jackson and Albion, 35 percent of the people who voted in 2024 but skipped 2022 come back and vote.
- It would take a national shift of about 23.6 points toward Vukasovich's side, larger than any midterm swing in recent memory.
- 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 regression322 precincts, R² 0.985, 42 crossover precincts identified
- 02Monte Carlo20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 7-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -115,411 to -38,776 votes.
- 03Money, FEC candidate totals through July 15Vukasovich $13,290 cash on hand; Walberg $993,833.
- 04Call program for this list18,837 households, 56,511 dials, about 2,961 live conversations: an estimated $7,002 at published rates.
Independent analysis by The Political Group from official Michigan Bureau of Elections precinct returns (2022 and 2024), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 27, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.