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

Dozens of Iowans who spoke with the Washington Examiner ahead of Election Day said that Iowa “feeds the world,” a tagline that underscores agriculture’s importance to the state and is supported by the data. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Democrat Josh Turek, who are in a dead heat to replace outgoing Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), will need to court farmers’ votes to clinch victory.

Turek has been able to capitalize on dissatisfaction among farmers and agricultural workers with Trump’s tariff policies, which have dampened the state’s export markets, as well as the war in Iran, which has caused a spike not only in diesel prices but also in fertilizer and other inputs.

Hinson, like many other Republicans across the country, has had the difficult job of distancing herself from the Trump administration’s economic policies that have hurt farmers without compromising her partisan identity.

Turek said twice during the debate last week that Iowans are facing a “farmageddon” with the high rate of family farm foreclosures across the state. The situation for small-scale farmers, Turek said, has only been exacerbated by the 10% tariff on soybeans and the 50% tariff on Canadian goods, which affects fertilizers like potash.

“We produce more soybeans here in Iowa than any other state,” Turek said. “Our farmers are hurting, and it is because of the tariffs, which Ashley Hinson voted in favor of five times.”

Hinson responded to Turek’s accusation by saying she has already used her position in the House and the “R” beside her name to advance the interests of Iowans with the president.

“I’m listening to their concerns, and when they do have an issue, I’m advocating directly to the administration,” Hinson said. “I talked to President Trump just last Wednesday about soybeans and making sure we are getting that deal across the finish line.”

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The leading Democratic Senate fundraising political action committee, Senate Majority PAC, is taking its advertising funding out of North Carolina’s upper chamber race in a vote of confidence for Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper against Republican candidate Michael Whatley.

The Democratic PAC is moving its advertising funding away from Cooper’s “likely Democratic” seat while pouring money into Michigan’s Senate race, where Democrat Abdul el Sayed is in a toss-up race against former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, per CNN.

Senate Majority PAC’s money movement comes as Cooper leads Whatley by an average plus-9.6-percentage-point margin in polling, according to RealClearPolitics, while el Sayed leads Rogers by only a 2.6-percentage-point average margin.

Just three weeks away from the November midterm elections, Senate Majority PAC is also pumping money into Kansas’s Senate race to support Democrat Adam Hamilton as he challenges incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), while pulling money out of Georgia’s Senate race.

Both Democratic and Republican political action committees are redistributing their advertising dollars away from Georgia as incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) pulls strong polling numbers ahead of his challenger, GOP Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA).

Ossoff has led Collins above the margin of error in recent polling, with a plus-9-percentage-point average margin over his Republican challenger, according to RealClearPolitics. Cook Political Report pings the race as “likely Democratic,” with Polymarket odds favoring Ossoff 96% to Collins’s 6%.

As the polling headwinds sit behind Ossoff, the Republican’s upper-chamber powerhouse PAC, Senate Leadership Fund, and the Democratic version, Senate Majority PAC, each pulled advertising funds from the state last week. The Senate Majority PAC will also remain off the Georgia advertising airwaves this week, according to outlets including Politico and CNN.

Former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) is headed to Maine to stump for his friend and former colleague Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) as she campaigns for reelection.

Collins is facing Democrat Troy Jackson, the former state Senate president, in the toss-up race. Jackson has led Collins slightly in recent polling, mostly within the margin of error, according to RealClearPolling.

Manchin endorsed Collins in September, calling her an “independent, free-thinking” Republican. Manchin said he is going to the Pine Tree State to “debunk” the notion that she has been a pro-Trump senator, according to Semafor, which broke the news of Manchin’s travel.

“She is not a Trump senator,” Manchin told the outlet.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton over his opponent, Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.

“The choice is clear in Texas,” Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer of the Chamber of Commerce, which is the nation’s largest pro-business group, said on Sunday. “Attorney General Ken Paxton has been a defender of free enterprise and pro-growth policies that empower American businesses to thrive. He has pushed back against federal overreach, helped preserve a low-tax environment, and defended the energy sector from burdensome mandates. Paxton understands that true economic prosperity relies on a fair and predictable justice system. We look forward to working together on meaningful legal reform that shields job creators from lawsuit abuse and red tape.”

Both Talarico and Paxton held rallies Sunday evening, ahead of early voting beginning on Monday.

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Actor Matthew McConaughey made a petition to voters on Sunday, calling upon independents to make elections a “fair fight.”

“They’ve been telling us for years that an independent vote is a wasted vote,” McConaughey said. “Well, a great question for our time is: ‘How’s that unwasted vote been working out for you?’”

McConaughey lives in Texas, where Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton is facing opponent James Talarico in a competitive race in the historically red state. The actor did not endorse either Texas candidate.

“I am here endorsing two things: fairness and reality,” McConaughey said.

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Massachusetts Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Shawn Oliver was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol Saturday night, police said.

Around 11:40 p.m., the New Bedford Police Department responded to reports at 448 Dartmouth St. that a vehicle was overturned after striking multiple parked vehicles. Five parked vehicles were struck, with two sustaining “extensive damage,” police spokeswoman Holly Huntoon told the Washington Examiner.

Oliver, who also serves as a New Bedford city councilman, was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment. After an investigation, Oliver was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation, and speeding, according to police.

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Maine Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson on Sunday said he has no plans to apologize to his opponent, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), after telling the incumbent to “shut up” during a recent debate.

Speaking with CNN’s Dana Bash, Jackson was asked about an incident during the fourth and final Senate debate in Maine in which Collins referred to a protester as one of Jackson’s supporters, to which Jackson responded by telling Collins to “shut up.” Bash asked Jackson if he regretted using the phrase, and he did not mince his words.

“No,” Jackson said. “She said that it was a Troy supporter. I mean, she accused me of setting that up. I had no idea who it was. I mean, I was surprised whenever he jumped up out of there.”

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Trump on Saturday rallied Republicans in Kentucky, but ended up talking about candidates in Ohio and North Carolina more than the lawmakers he’s looking to boost in the Bluegrass state, as he embarked on his trademark lengthy riffs.

The president spoke at Highland Heights, where he urged voters to back House candidate Ed Gallrein and Senate nominee Andy Barr, who is running to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). But he quickly went off script to talk about critical Ohio and North Carolina races, joking to the candidates present at the rally that he was going to “talk about other people” because the Kentucky candidates are “so high up” in the polls.

During one anecdote, Trump praised Sen. John Husted’s (R-OH) past career, saying he never would have guessed the “meek” senator running for reelection in Ohio was an All-American as he helped lead the Flyers to the 1989 NCAA Division III National Football Championship. The president detailed Husted’s physique and his encounter with the candidate at a past rally.

“I would have had a fight with him, Andy, and it would not have been a good situation for me, right?” the president laughed. “I … patted him on the shoulder, and it was like a piece of steel. I sort of, I’m still recovering … I said, ‘This is unbelievable,’ and you know? He’s picked up like nine or 10 points since I talked about that.”

At another point, Trump spoke about the North Carolina Senate race, where Democrat Roy Cooper is challenging Republican Michael Whatley. The president attacked Cooper’s record during COVID, including an incident where North Carolina allowed the release of many prisoners from jail, leading Republicans to accuse the Cooper administration of fueling violent crime on the streets.

“Michael Whatley is running, and I, we got to get him in because he will be fantastic,” Trump said of Whatley. “He’s a fantastic man. He’s a little bit like John Husted, you know. He’s understated, but a killer … not in a physical sense. He’s a mental killer, and he’s a great guy. And I hope he does well.

Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) on Friday revealed she is the latest victim of a threatening letter claiming to be from the Democratic Socialists of America, condemning the “political intimidation” after a series of other lawmakers and election officials reported receiving similar warnings.

Scholten said the FBI is looking into the incident, and condemned the “threatening” letter sent to her Grand Rapids congressional office, saying it made a “direct and specific reference to an impending ‘civil war’ beginning after the election,” and contained unidentified white powder. The development comes as federal investigators are probing a series of suspicious letters sent to various officials in recent days, often targeting more establishment or centrist politicians ahead of the midterm elections, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

“Threats and extremism are not signs of strength—they are signs of a weak mind and weak character,” Scholten wrote in a post to X. “ Political intimidation has no place in our democracy, and leaders must condemn it, not excuse it. I’ll keep standing up to bullies on the right and the left.”

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AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) held a joint tailgate Friday night at the governor’s mansion ahead of the Texas vs. Florida game Saturday.

Event attendees trickled in — almost all wearing burnt orange — before Abbott and DeSantis took the stage touting their respective states.

“Tonight, I really am proud to be joined with the governor I’ve had the opportunity to work with for eight years now, done a tremendous job, not just for his state but also for the United States of America, and he does a fabulous job of repping his teams, whether it be Florida, Miami, Florida State,” Abbott said at the tailgate.

“But tomorrow, candidly, it doesn’t matter because we all know what’s going to happen, don’t we? The Texas Longhorns are going to bring home a victory tomorrow,” the Texas Republican continued.

From University of Texas cheerleaders and Silver Spurs to members of Congress such as Reps. Craig Goldman (R-TX) and Addison McDowell (R-NC), attendees mingled around open bars while listening to a live country band on the lawn.

While the event was scattered with Longhorn gear, the Gators had a corner in the back with their own bar.

The tailgate with the outgoing Florida governor comes as Abbott remains locked in a tight race with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa, with early voting opening Monday.

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.