2026 midterm elections live updates: Latest news, results, and analysis

CLEVELAND — Gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton (D-OH) opened her remarks at a rally with former President Barack Obama by thanking the crowd for their support, particularly this week after the release of an ad by her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy with her estranged mother.

“My opponent has chosen to exploit my childhood to save his struggling campaign, but it is not going to work,” Acton told the crowd, booing to Ramaswamy’s name before chants of “Amy.” “It’s not going to work because compassion and decency still matter.”

Acton also borrowed from Obama’s 2008 message of hope and change.

“Hope is optimism plus a plan,” she said. “It’s time for change in Ohio.”

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico filled up the 1902 Nightclub Saturday afternoon with Election Day just over a week away.

A thousand rallygoers poured into the venue just 45 minutes away from Paxton’s rally earlier Saturday morning at Cooper’s Barbecue in New Braunfels, Texas.

In a series of interviews with the Washington Examiner, attendees expressed “hope” this will be the year Democrats elect a candidate statewide for the first time since 1994, as Talarico remains locked in a tight race against his opponent Ken Paxton (R-TX).

“On election night we will turn on MSNOW or Fox News or CNN or whatever channel you want to watch, and the announcers will say something that we did not get to hear in forever,” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) said at the rally.

Texas flags were handed out to supporters before the rally began. Democratic congressional candidate Johnny Garcia, who is running in one of the five seats redrawn in Texas’ gerrymander last year, joined Talarico at his rally.

“They will say that for the first time in a generation, the state of Texas is going to be a Democrat in the United States,” he continued.

The rally included time to “build community,” as Talarico’s team encouraged the crowd to meet someone next to them and ask what brought them to the rally.

“There’s that moment in every game, the last play, the last drive, when you have to leave it all on the field,” Talarico said.

The Justice Department is sending poll monitors to six Georgia counties, all of which are left-leaning districts, in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.

Georgia is a battleground state, featuring intense elections this cycle at the Senate and gubernatorial levels. The DOJ is sending election monitors to Bibb, Cobb, Chatham, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The development comes after Harmeet Dhillon, the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, announced in August that the DOJ would send 1,000 observers nationwide, in what she termed “the largest monitoring effort” in the agency’s history.

Monitoring elections is a normal part of the DOJ’s duties. However, the latest effort marks a substantial expansion of that effort. The department under former President Joe Biden sent roughly 400 monitors to 64 jurisdictions across around two dozen states on Election Day in the last midterm year, 2022. This year’s effort will more than double that number, while sending monitors to all 50 states.

CLEVELAND — Former President Barack Obama criticized President Donald Trump for his lack of focus on affordability and corruption allegations surrounding him, his family, and his administration.

“[Trump] seems very focused on home renovations,” Obama told a crowd in Cleveland. “What’s up with gold? … He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”

He added: “You remember that old thing about draining the swamp? The only thing that got drained was the Reflecting Pool.”

CLEVELAND — Former President Barack Obama told an energized crowd in Cleveland that the 2026 midterm elections feel different, and the country is “ready for change.”

“That’s why you have a chance to do in 10 days,” Obama told the crowd. “After two years of chaos, and cruelty, and corruption, and incompetence, you get a chance to say enough’s enough.”

Obama particularly criticized President Donald Trump regarding the Iran war and War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“How much time do you think this defense secretary spends looking himself in the mirror?” he asked. “They’re not serious people. 
And the problem is you end up having to pay the price.”

Obama also connected the war with Iran and Trump’s tariffs to affordability concerns.

CLEVELAND — A crowd gathered for former President Barack Obama’s rally in Cleveland with Democratic nominees Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton broke out into chants as Brown referred to President Donald Trump.

“Lock him up,” those assembled in the Cleveland Public Auditorium repeated.

Democrats criticized Republicans for chanting the same about the party’s 2016 presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton.

CLEVELAND — Ohio Democratic Senate nominee Sherrod Brown also opened with a message of thanks for his gubernatorial counterpart, Amy Acton.

“Thank you for your strength, your courage, your integrity,” Brown told the crowd after the release of an ad with her estranged mother by her opponent Vivek Ramaswamy.

Brown also criticized his own opponent, Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), over his corporate interests and response to demands for transparency regarding the federal Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

“Husted surrounds himself with utility executives and pedophile protectors in our state, is backed by the data centre companies, the big tech billionaires, and dark money from out of state — Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, [and] Donald Trump.”

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Angie Nixon’s (D-FL) bid to unseat Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) on Saturday, marking his support for the progressive insurgent’s uphill battle in the red state.

Obama’s formal backing comes after Nixon, who is black, alleged earlier this week that assumptions about Florida being perceived as racist had held back Democratic support for her campaign.

In a short video message released just days before voters head to the polls, Obama hailed Nixon’s fight against redistricting efforts favoring the GOP, and her support for a $15 minimum wage, saying that “Angie has spent her career standing up for you.”

Obama move comes as he was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Florida, which used to be known as a purple state. Nixon, a state representative and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, said she was “honored” by the endorsement in a post to X.

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) conversed with 25-year-old conservative content creator, Mason Lemme, on their differences in beliefs on Israel at a rally for Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton.

Lemme approached the senator after waiting in the post-rally photo line Saturday morning, where the two engaged in a polite conversation that lasted a few minutes.

“I appreciate the time that he gave me,” Lemme told the Washington Examiner.

Lemme went on to share his concerns with the Republican Party in relation to Israel and American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s involvement in elections.

“It’s just concerning because especially my generation, we’re seeing a bunch of people that were pro-Trump, pro-conservative movement going ‘okay, why are we not being transparent about the Epstein files? Why are we going to war in Iran for Israel? Why?’” the 25-year-old said.

While Lemme has made his stance on Israel’s involvement in U.S. relations evident, he said he’ll vote Republican despite the candidate’s views on Israel when asked by the Washington Examiner.

“I’m not going to be the guy that’s not going to vote,” he said.

Cruz has been one of Israel’s most staunch supporters and has taken over $1.8 million from pro-Israel groups up until 2024, according to Open Secrets.

“I consider Prime Minister Netanyahu a close friend,” Cruz told the Washington Examiner earlier this week. “I have worked hand in hand with the Prime Minister for more than a decade. I admire him deeply. He is the only world leader for whom I have used the adjective Churchillian because he has a clarity of vision, a strength, and a gravity unlike other leaders. He sees the existential threat to his nation, and he is focused with all of his might on defending the people of Israel.”

This comes as the debate over Israel has become an increasingly divisive issue for both parties, particularly among younger voters.

CLEVELAND — Lines wrap for blocks around the Cleveland Public Auditorium for former President Barack Obama’s rally with Ohio Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, Sherrod Brown, and for governor, Amy Acton, on Saturday.

An energized crowd, some of whom have been waiting to enter the building since before 7 a.m., chanted as they tried to keep warm against the winds from Lake Erie.

Obama’s return to the campaign trail before the Nov. 3 midterm elections includes stops starting in Cleveland before he heads to Detroit for an evening appearance and Atlanta next Friday.

Democrats, leaderless before the 2028 presidential nomination, hope Obama can turn out their voters between now and Election Day.

President Donald Trump announced a rollback of select Canadian tariffs on Friday, marking a strategic decision that could boost incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in a tight midterm election race just days before Maine’s voters head to the polls.

Collins, embroiled in a fiercely competitive battle against Democrat Troy Jackson, has long pressed Trump for release from the tariffs, as her opponent seeks to tie her to what he has described as disastrous economic policies for Maine.

On Friday, the senator touted that she had “secured” tariff exemptions for the state, with the Trump administration moving to lift some of its 50% tariffs on Canadian goods it placed on Ottawa this year. Collins said the tariff exemptions would apply to products crucial to Maine’s agricultural industries, including blueberry, potato, apple, and seaweed producers.

In a fact sheet on the latest action, the White House said the latest action reflects Trump’s continued efforts “to defend American workers and ensure fair trade, offsetting the burden and disadvantage on U.S. commerce from Canada’s discriminatory treatment.”

DETROIT — Former President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail Saturday in Michigan, where he will rally with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed, as President Donald Trump prepares to campaign Sunday in the state for Republican nominee Mike Rogers.

The appearances highlight the stakes of one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races, with control of Congress on the line and Michigan once again emerging as a pivotal battleground.

Obama will first campaign in Ohio before heading to Detroit, where he is expected to make the case for el Sayed and Democrats. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will campaign with el Sayed in Grand Rapids on Sunday, while Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is scheduled to campaign with Rogers on Oct. 28.

“Michigan is a fascinating race because we’re watching two very different political coalitions try to accomplish the same thing: energize their bases without scaring away the voters in the middle,” campaign expert Michael Fahey told the Washington Examiner. “Obama, Trump, Sanders, and Cruz are all descending on the same state, and that tells you everything you need to know about how important this Senate seat has become. Nobody is flying these people in because the race is comfortable.”

Natalie Bird, who works in Troy, MI, told the Washington Examiner she took the day off to attend Obama’s rally. Bird said she is not particularly political, but believes the Senate race has taken an ugly turn.

“Republicans have turned this race toxic and keep saying things like Abdul’s not American,” she said. “It’s such a weak thing to say. He was born and raised right here in Michigan.”

The rallies coincide with Michigan’s early voting period, which begins Saturday and runs through Nov. 1, giving both campaigns a major opportunity to motivate voters as Election Day approaches.

The Washington Examiner will be on the ground in Detroit for Obama’s rally and will bring you the latest details, including what Obama says about el Sayed, Rogers, and the increasingly consequential Michigan Senate race.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voiced her opposition to the Trump administration’s Thursday decision to file a lawsuit blocking certification of Alaska’s Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan doesn’t win.

“Alaskans don’t need any help voting for their preferred candidates, and the State of Alaska has already handled this by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year’s ballot. The Department of Justice should never have filed this lawsuit,” she wrote in a post after the news came out.

There are three candidates in the race, Republican Sullivan, Democrat Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK), and an independent also named Dan Sullivan. Republicans have accused the second Sullivan of being a Democrat plant who will take votes away from the Republican by confusing voters.

The DOJ’s lawsuit says the state should “not certify any election result that may be impacted by voter confusion.” Evidence of voter confusion include “(1) Senator Sullivan does not win the election; and (2) had all votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan been cast instead for Senator Sullivan and Alaska’s rank-choice process played out accordingly, Senator Sullivan would have won the election,” according to the filing.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), who is still a relatively fresh face in the Democratic party, is flexing her fundraising muscle for other Democrat gubernatorial candidates across the country.

In the last week, she’s raised over $500,000 for Democrat gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa in Texas, and Democrat gubernatorial candidate David Crowley in Wisconsin, according to CNN. Hinojosa faces more of an uphill climb than Crowley, as she hopes to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), who is running for his fourth term.

Sherrill raised the money partially through a major fundraiser in New York City last week.

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) encouraged Ohio voters to implore their friends to cast a ballot, even if they are “tired of all the negative ads and don’t really like politics.”

Husted’s comments, at a rally in Centerville, come after the state’s gubernatorial race was upended this week by the Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy receiving bipartisan criticism for an attack ad with the mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton.

“If they give you any backlash and they say, ‘Well, you know, I’m tired of all the negative ads, and don’t really like politics, and you know, I’m kind of worn out,’” he said. “You tell them this: If dead people can do it, you can too.”

Husted, who is in a tight race against former Sen. Sherrod Brown, criticized his Democratic counterpart’s record from half a century in public service.

The senator also remarked on President Donald Trump’s compliments regarding his physique.

“President Trump’s commented recently that I used to play football,” he said. “He said a few other things too.”

“All right, but here’s the deal. It’s like the fourth quarter of a football game. You get hit. You get knocked down,” Husted continued. “Are you going to get back up? Are you going to quit? Are you going to fight and win? And fight and winning means over the next 11 days you’re going to call people every day. You’re going to get them to the polls and you’re going to get out there and vote and you’re going to help us deliver a victory on Nov. 3.”