Pollster Patrick Allocco told Newsmax on Monday that Republican incumbents remain well-positioned to hold Senate seats in Alaska and Maine in November, while Texas is expected to stay solidly red regardless of which Republican emerges from a competitive primary.
Speaking on "Finnerty," Allocco said Alaska remains a Republican state, even as Democrats believe they have a viable challenger in Rep. Mary Peltola.
"To be sure, we still believe that Alaska is a red state," said Allocco, founder of the Zoose Political Index.
He noted that Democrats view Peltola as competitive because of her past statewide win and her political presentation.
"In 2022, she beat Sarah Palin in a statewide competitive U.S. House race," Allocco said. "She's competitive today because she doesn't present herself to be a national Democrat. She comes across as an Alaska-first candidate ... non-threatening to independents and to soft Republicans."
Still, Allocco said the fundamentals favor Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan heading into November's midterms.
Turning to Texas, Allocco said Democrats are energized by a competitive primary field but stressed that the general election outlook strongly favors Republicans.
"[Rep. Jasmine] Crockett is certainly competitive," he said, adding that state Rep. James Talarico has excited Democrats because of his ability to build coalitions. "Think Charlie Kirk. He brings a faith-forward fluency, cultural relevance, relatable to Texans ... and that's something that Democrats are excited about."
But Allocco was clear that those dynamics do not change the overall picture in a general election.
"Not at all. We have Texas in the solid Republican category," he said. "Competitive? Yes."
Allocco said that even if Sen. John Cornyn were to lose his primary, Republicans would still hold the seat.
"We believe that whether it's [Attorney General Ken] Paxton or Cornyn ... Texas is solid Republican," he said.
In Maine, Allocco said incumbent Sen. Susan Collins remains well-positioned despite Polymarket odds indicating momentum for Democrat Graham Platner.
"Susan Collins is a five-term Republican," he said. "I think you've got to look at Sue Collins as fiercely independent. She can't be branded as a MAGA candidate."
"She's the all-powerful chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee," he added. "If she can make that connection ... that she brings money back to Maine, I think she'll emerge as the winner there."
He also pointed to Collins' history of winning close races.
"In 2020, when Biden won the state by nine points, she still won," Allocco said. "We've been tracking her since April ... she's already above even at this point."
He added, "If [Platner] actually beats [Gov. Janet] Mills in the primary, he'll make it loud, he'll make it expensive, he'll make it national. But in the end, [Collins] is used to winning close races."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.