Upset Brief · VA-06 · Beth Macy (D) vs. Ben Cline (R), incumbent
A long shot on the math: it takes a 23.0-point national wave.
<1%
odds today
<1%
odds with the plan
70,444
net votes to find
37
days left, ballots already coming in
Where
- 01+198Eureka Park (Roanoke city)Starting line Macy +60. 4.2% split their ticket. About 836 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 02+192Lincoln Terrace (Roanoke city)Starting line Macy +58. 4.4% split their ticket. About 906 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 03+182Forest Park (Roanoke city)Starting line Macy +52. 2.6% split their ticket. About 957 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 04+177Highland (Roanoke city)Starting line Macy +39. 4.3% split their ticket. About 1,147 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 05+168Peters Creek (Roanoke city)Starting line Macy +40. 2.7% split their ticket. About 1,127 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 06+149Ward No 5 (Staunton city)Starting line Macy +32. 4.2% split their ticket. About 1,029 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
The top 12 precincts carry 22% of the plan.
How
- P+5,823Persuade5,823 voters who split their ticket in recent elections and lean Cline today.
- M+2,295MobilizeAt least 22,299 people who voted in 2024 but not in 2022, in precincts where Macy's side wins at least 55 percent.
- C+413ConsolidateVoters who went third party in recent races, in the precincts that lean Macy's way.
Plus a national shift of 23 points of margin (61,913 votes) that no campaign controls.
What has to be true
- Macy wins 50 percent of the ticket splitters now leaning Cline.
- In Lincoln Terrace (Roanoke city) and Eureka Park (Roanoke city), 35 percent of the people who voted in 2024 but skipped 2022 come back and vote.
- The national environment moves about 23.0 points toward Macy'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 regression275 precincts, R² 0.994, 35 crossover precincts identified
- 02Monte Carlo20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 7-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -92,982 to -30,972 votes.
- 03Money, FEC candidate totals through July 15Macy $847,470 cash on hand; Cline $711,442.
- 04Call program for this list24,237 households, 72,712 dials, about 3,810 live conversations: an estimated $8,405 at published rates.
Independent analysis by The Political Group from official Virginia Department of Elections precinct returns (2022, 2024 and 2025), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 26, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.