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

Michigan gubernatorial candidates Jocelyn Benson and John James used their final televised debate Thursday night to sharpen familiar attacks, each arguing the other was responsible for the state’s current challenges.

Benson, the Democratic secretary of state, blamed President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran for driving up costs for Michigan households. She accused James, a Republican congressman, of backing policies that have hurt working families.

James countered that years of Democratic leadership had left Michigan struggling with poor literacy rates, slow population growth, and declining income per capita.

Neither candidate strayed far from the themes that defined their first debate earlier this month, though both introduced fresh lines of criticism.

Benson again put James on the defensive over Trump’s trade policies, highlighting his failure to join a group of House Republicans who voted in February to curb the president’s tariffs.

The issue matters especially in Michigan, where the auto industry depends on cross-border supply chains with Canada.

During their Oct. 6 debate, Benson proposed an agreement with Canada to help protect Michigan businesses and workers from the trade dispute’s effects.

James has also called for resolving tensions with Canada, describing the neighboring country as an ally while arguing that any agreement must serve Michigan’s interests.

“Canada is our friend,” James said, emphasizing the need for a trade deal that benefits the state.

Iowa Senate Republican nominee Ashley Hinson solicited donations for “gas money” in front of a group of supporters as fuel prices remain high due to the war in Iran.

Hinson, who’s locked in a tight election for the open Senate seat against Democrat Josh Turek, recently embarked on a statewide bus tour for the final three weeks of the election cycle. She began the journey Wednesday and will tour the state during the home stretch.

“Use that anger about these lies that they’re telling about us on TV,” Hinson said about the more than $100 million of spending the Iowa Senate race has seen.

“Because if they’re willing to lie about me, they’re willing to lie about you. So I want you to channel that into action in getting your friends out to vote; help give us a little gas money for our bus; make sure we’re showing up at the polls, because there is more to do,” she added.

Gas is still expensive nationwide as the war in Iran continues. As of Friday, the national average was $4.33 per gallon, according to AAA. In Iowa, the cost was $4.16 per gallon.

Hinson in September called for an end to the war, but she has never voted to rein in President Donald Trump’s war powers on the House floor.

President Donald Trump changed up his walkout music as he greeted his fans in Dalton, Georgia.

WWE aficionados immediately recognized the Undertaker’s famous theme “Rest in Peace” before the music changed to Trump’s typical “God Bless the USA.” The Undertaker, real name Mark Calaway, is a Trump supporter, while his fictional half-brother, Kane, is now better known as Knox County, Tennessee Mayor Glenn Jacobs.

It’s not the first time he has used the ominous theme, as he occasionally trotted it out during the 2024 campaign.

But given the week he’s had, culminating in the loss of his new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, after just four days, the choice is notable. It usually signifies a “Dead Man Walking.” Perhaps it was a tribute to Mike Collins, who is 8 points behind Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in the Peach State’s Senate contest, per the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Perhaps he would have been better off opting for the Undertaker’s other famous walkout music, “American Bad Ass,” by Trump enthusiast Kid Rock.

President Donald Trump began a three-day campaign swing across the South with a rally in Dalton, Georgia, on behalf of U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins, gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson, and other downballot Republicans.

Collins is trailing incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) by nearly 9 points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, while Jackson maintains a slight advantage over former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee.

“Pretend I’m on the ballot. Get that 49% of the people, and if you have the 49, you’re going to have Rick,” the president opened his remarks. “You’re going to have Mike. You’re going to have every one of these people, and they’re going to do a job for you because they love you and they love your state.”

Republican candidate for Senate in Minnesota Michele Tafoya came out against President Donald Trump’s diesel deal with Russia during her debate with Democrat Peggy Flanagan on Friday.

“Folks are hurting at the gas pump. Diesel’s around $6.19 a gallon. Regular’s around $4.30 a gallon,” Tafoya said. “That’s not easy. That hurts. So I believe in pulling levers to bring those prices down, but I think this is the wrong way to go.”

“The analysis that I’ve seen shows that this doesn’t really impact Minnesotans at the gas pump, and it gives Putin a big impact — it gives him an advantage, and so I think the president missed the mark there,” she continued.

Tafoya’s comments come days after Trump announced a deal with Russia that he said would “supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter.” The deal has received pushback from some Republicans, as Trump simultaneously works to bring Russia and Ukraine to the peace table during their yearslong war.

Flanagan told the moderator that Ukraine is the U.S.’s ally and “needs to be treated as such.”

The two candidates sparred over Tafoya’s answer on abortion, as Tafoya called herself “pro-choice,” answering a question about what “reasonable access” means in Minnesota by saying, “Three months. I am — you know what? Reasonable access is reasonable access. In Minnesota, you’ve got access up to nine months [gestation].”

TRUMP SAYS RUSSIAN DIESEL DEAL ISN’T FOR THE US: ‘THAT’S A WORLD DEAL’

Flanagan pushed back on her answer.

“You cannot call yourself completely aligned with Donald Trump on abortion and then somehow call yourself pro-choice. It’s ridiculous,” Flanagan said.

A super PAC the GOP warns is linked to Democrats is funding third-party candidates in Iowa and other states, in a move that could be designed as a “spoiler” effort to take critical votes away from Republicans in tight races.

Principled Patriots PAC attracted scrutiny this week as it backs third-party candidates in a series of states with competitive Senate races between Republicans and Democrats, including Iowa, Texas, Alaska, Kansas, Ohio, and Michigan. Principled Patriots is also backing multiple third-party candidates in tight House races nationwide, including Colorado and North Carolina.

Principled Patriots has been accused of waging a dark-money influence campaign for Democrats because it garnered a $250,000 donation in late September from Building America, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Building America is a super PAC that is connected to Rapid Resist Action, a Democratic-aligned nonprofit organization. Rapid Resist Action donated $25,000 to Building America in June, according to FEC filings.

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President Donald Trump made two pieces of White House personnel news on Friday, opening the door to new press secretary Katie Zacharia’s departure and throwing his support behind chief of staff Susie Wiles.

Zacharia has been lambasted for the rocky start to her tenure, which began on Monday, following an awkward opening press briefing and revelations about her legal qualifications.

Trump, however, suggested that he is open to replacing his fledgling press secretary on Friday afternoon.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) announced on Friday she is sending a sizable donation toward Michigan Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed’s campaign, as Democrats fight to stave off Republican hopes of flipping the seat red in November.

After campaigning alongside el Sayed in the battleground state on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez said during an event in Pontiac the following day that she is transferring $1 million from her New York coffers to his Senate campaign. The funds will be directed toward the Abdul for Michigan Victory Fund, a joint effort between his campaign, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee. The New York congresswoman’s donation comes as she appears to be a prolific fundraiser, entering October with nearly $17.4 million in the bank, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

“The cavalry is coming,” Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd in Pontiac. “It’s going to be in all these places that need this investment.”

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Democrats are set to make gains this November in 11 additional House districts nationwide, a major election forecaster predicted Friday.

The Cook Political Report shifted 11 races, including three traditionally GOP seats that went from solid Republican to likely Republican. Five more GOP seats went from likely Republican to lean Republican, according to the election forecaster. The development comes days after the Cook Political Report, which predicted in late September that Democrats would reclaim a majority in the lower chamber this year, shifted 18 additional House races blue.

Cook’s U.S. House editor Erin Covey noted that Democrats appear to be competitive in seats that voted for former President Barack Obama, but swung toward President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Dan Sullivan tore into Mary Peltola’s use of notecards during their Alaska Senate debate on Thursday, accusing her of reading from a script or needing “cue cards” to operate.

Sullivan made half a dozen posts about Peltola’s notecard usage on X, including an attempt to turn the moment into a meme. His first criticism happened during the debate itself, when he suggested that the moderators may have given her the questions beforehand. The moderators denied as much, and Peltola said she was simply better prepared than her opponent.

He soon dropped the accusations of insider info and instead used the cards to trash her for a perceived lack of readiness.

“Really, Mary? Reading off a script?” Sullivan said in one post. “You can’t cue-card your way through the Senate.”

The Alaska Republican also used Peltola’s reading off notecards to suggest that she wasn’t genuine in her beliefs, criticizing her for looking at them during a question about fishing — a key issue in the Alaska Senate race.

“Why does she even need cue cards on fish?” he said. “So much for Fish. Family. Freedom.”

SAN MARCOS, Texas — Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico slammed his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, for not debating him amid reports of him partying with two fugitives in Dubai.

“Paxton showed up in London for the Fourth of July to party with the British,” Talarico said at a rally Thursday night. “He showed up in Dubai for New Year’s Eve to party with his fugitive friends. He will literally show up anywhere but a debate stage here in Texas.”

Just before Talarico called out his opponent, multiple rallygoers told the Washington Examiner voters “deserve” to see a debate between the two, as they remain locked in a tight race.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported Paxton attended a 2025 New Year’s party in Dubai with two fugitives who did not return to the United States. Photos also surfaced of the Texas Republican in London over the Fourth of July weekend.

The rally comes just a day after CNN hosted a town hall with Talarico, where he engaged in a debate with six voters from across the political spectrum after challenging Paxton to multiple debates.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) cited an unsuccessful effort to defeat the nomination of War Secretary Pete Hegseth when asked for a time her opposition to Republican policies determined the outcome of a vote.

“At one point, I had organized people to vote against Secretary Hegseth,” Collins said at Thursday night’s Maine Senate debate in Bangor. “As you undoubtedly have read, at the very last minute, one of our Republicans changed his mind. Otherwise, he would’ve been defeated for that job.”

Collins appears to be referring to retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), a Republican who revealed in a new book that he “regrets” his vote to confirm Hegseth at the outset of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Collins was one of three Senate Republicans to vote “no,” alongside Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), but Democrats needed a fourth for Hegseth’s nomination to be blocked.

At the debate, Collins proceeded to cite an unspecified report she said showed her vote changed the outcome of a Senate vote 56 times.

“I voted against my own party more often than any other senator on either side of the aisle,” Collins said, before taking a jab at her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson. “That is not something that Troy could ever say. He’s going to be an automatic vote for the Democrat position, no matter what.”

MONROE, Michigan — Republican voters gave Vice President JD Vance a warm welcome Thursday but expressed slightly less enthusiasm about the prospects of a Vance 2028 presidential bid.

Attendees at Vance’s midterm campaign rally for Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers and other down-ballot Republicans generally voiced favorable opinions regarding the vice president while speaking to the Washington Examiner, but two in particular weren’t dead set on him being the next president.

Rachel Dohring, a fitness trainer from the United Kingdom who moved to Michigan as a teenager, told the Washington Examiner that she was “ecstatic” that Vance was in the state supporting Rogers. Dohring said she was backing Rogers because she thought Abdul el Sayed would bring “absolute carnage” like other Muslim politicians have allegedly done in England.

Dohring, when prompted, added that she would vote for Vance should he be the Republican presidential nominee but told the Washington Examiner that she really wanted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to run, citing his lengthier political career.

Ferl Vornia, a retired Ford autoworker from Monroe County, told the Washington Examiner that he was voting Republican in 2026 and 2028 because “if we don’t get it right, the Republicans will get it wrong.”

Vornia offered that he would vote for Vance if he’s the nominee — “President Trump didn’t pick him out of a barrel of monkeys” — but similarly said he’d like to see what Rubio and other Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), have to offer in a primary election.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said she did not regret voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., telling moderators at Thursday night’s debate that she does not support his vaccine skepticism but said he’s been “helpful” as health and human services secretary.

“I agree among some issues, disagree with him on others,” Collins said in Bangor, citing his emphasis on chronic disease as something she supports.

When pressed on her vote, cast at the outset of President Donald Trump’s second term, Collins said Kennedy helped her expedite a lower-income home heating program in Maine.

A protester interrupted the final debate between Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, on Thursday night.

The protester was swiftly removed from Gracie Theater in Bangor, Maine, but not before shouting toward the stage at Collins, introducing himself as a young person who’s “terrified” about data centers he said were “destroying” the climate. He began by apologizing that he was “so sorry to interrupt.”

Collins responded by quipping, “This is obviously one of Troy Jackson’s supporters.”

Troy Jackson then told Collins to “shut up.”