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

Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy is telling voters to “relax” in a new television spot after an ad featuring his opponent’s mother dominated much of the news about the race in the past week.

“Relax. This election’s almost over,” the narrator says in the 30-second spot released on Tuesday. “Everyone wants a government that works so we can get on with our lives. Vivek will lower property taxes, fight for seniors, and put more money in your pocket so you can afford groceries, gas, and your electric bill.

“Amy Acton had her shot,” he adds. “She failed us during COVID, then quit under pressure. When it gets tough, will Acton show up? Give yourself one less thing to worry about.”

The message is different from last week’s attack ad, which showed Acton’s mother calling her a prolific liar in making the case that the Democratic nominee is unfit for governor. The ad drew widespread bipartisan backlash, including from Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH), but the White House defended Ramaswamy.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — President Donald Trump praised Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) 2016 primary bid against him at a rally Tuesday, as the Texas Republican looks to a possible 2028 run.

“We had 18 of them [challengers], including Ted, who, by the way, was very tough,” the president said at the Port of Corpus Christi. “He was the last remainder. He was a nasty son of a gun.”

“Now we get along, I think, better than we’ve ever gotten along,” Trump continued.

Cruz was the last remaining candidate in the 2016 Republican primary before he dropped out that May and refused to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention later in the year. The two have since reconciled.

The two-term senator told the Washington Examiner in an interview earlier this month that while he’s not ready to make any announcements about another potential campaign, “that conversation is coming.”

“My focus today is 100% on the midterms, and I am spending every waking moment fighting to help save our Republican Senate, our Republican House,” Cruz said in a wide-ranging phone interview. “The conversation about 2028 will begin after the midterms. That conversation is coming. It’s coming for any potential candidate. But the right time to engage in it is when the midterms are behind us.”

Cruz is among the list of Republicans with widespread name recognition who are expected to launch a campaign to succeed Trump. And as he crisscrosses the country in a campaign blitz for Republicans, Cruz faces an early test of his abilities to turn out the base in what he warned could be a bruising midterm election cycle for the party, similar to that of two years into Trump’s first term in 2018.

Detransitioner activist Chloe Cole encouraged voters at a rally in Arnold, Missouri, on Tuesday to support Amendment 3 on Election Day to prohibit so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors in the state permanently.

Amendment 3 in Missouri, if passed, would also enshrine a prohibition on gender transition medicine for minors, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries such as mastectomy and genital reconstruction. It would also repeal the state’s reproductive freedom constitutional amendment that protects access to abortion until fetal viability at around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Cole, 22, underwent hormonal therapies for female-to-male gender transition, including puberty blockers and testosterone, in her home state of California starting at age 13. She received a double mastectomy at age 15 and began detransitioning at age 16. She said she would not have transitioned if Amendment 3 had been in place at that time in her state.

“Transgenderism in medicine violates the standard of medicine on every level because it is not care; it is medical abuse,” Cole said. “I’ve learned exactly what a child can lose in that operating room. I know that removing healthy sex organs from a child is an atrocity because I lived through it.”

The Missouri legislature in 2023 passed a law prohibiting transgender medicine for minors in the Show Me State, but the ban expires in August 2027. Passing a constitutional amendment would make it permanent.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on Tuesday he will commit to a peaceful transfer of power if Democrats retake the lower chamber, but he remains optimistic that Republicans will retain their narrow majority.

“It’s a little silly you have to ask the question,” Johnson told a reporter. “Of course, we’ll have a peaceful transfer of power. But it will not be transferring because we are going to keep the majority, and I’m going to be the speaker of the House, and I will keep steady hands at the wheel.”

“We’re going to follow the Constitution,” he said, citing his background in constitutional law. “The Constitution says when a state certifies the election of members of Congress, they’re administered the oath. That’s what I’ll be doing on Jan. 3 to everybody who’s there. I may not like some of those outcomes, but that’s our system. And for anybody to suggest otherwise is absurd.”

When the reporter asked the question, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) laughed as he stood beside Johnson.

While the House speaker is bullish about his party’s chances in the midterm elections, it appears increasingly likely that Democrats will gain a majority of at least 218 seats.

Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) joked that he has been working out ahead of President Donald Trump’s latest visit to Ohio.

“Don’t worry, I was in the weight room this morning working out,” Husted said Tuesday, drawing laughter from people in attendance. “I don’t want to let him down.”

The president has repeatedly complimented the 59-year-old senator’s body while campaigning for him ahead of the midterm elections. Husted has responded to the comments with humor and good nature, recounting how he told his wife that he needs to continue going to the gym to “keep up my reputation.”

Trump is visiting Ohio again on Wednesday, marking his third trip to the state within a month. The rally will be held in Chillicothe, located nearly 50 miles south of Columbus.

Montana prosecutors filed four charges against a man accused of forging petition signatures in support of independent candidates Seth Bodnar and Michael Eisenhauer.

The Cascade County Attorney’s Office announced the charges against Nathan Ross Harlan of Sun Belt Strategies on Tuesday, saying he “is accused of aiding deceptive election practices involving forged signatures and false signature-gatherer declarations.” State investigators are searching for Harlan, as his whereabouts are unknown.

The signature gathering occurred this spring for Bodnar, who is running for an open Senate seat, and Eisenhauer, who’s running for Montana’s 2nd Congressional District.

Neither candidate was found to have engaged in wrongdoing related to the case, according to the attorney’s office, and both cooperated in the investigation. Also, over 800 bogus signatures submitted by Harlan were not counted toward the candidates’ ballot qualification requirements.

President Donald Trump and Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico are set to hold overlapping rallies in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday night.

Trump’s remarks are set to begin at 6:00 p.m. CT at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, as Talarico’s is set for 7 p.m. CT. The president will be joined by Talarico’s opponent, state Attorney General Ken Paxton. They remain locked in a tight race just a week out from Election Day.

The president’s visit comes as the Texas Democrat has steadily stayed a few points ahead in polls, most within the margin of error, while Republicans in the state have been warning their party to vote early.

The president endorsed Paxton over longtime Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in the bruising primary that went to a runoff before Paxton eventually prevailed.

Trump will spend the next week traveling across the country in hopes of rallying the Make America Great Again base in states with competitive races.

Democrats are making gains in three Senate races as Election Day quickly approaches, according to the latest rating changes from Sabato’s Crystal Ball.

In Florida, the Senate race has shifted from “safe Republican” to “likely Republican.” Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) is seeking her first full six-year term in the election against Democratic nominee and socialist state Rep. Angie Nixon. Though Moody’s electoral chances have been adjusted, Sabato’s Crystal Ball says the incumbent “is still clearly favored” to win.

North Carolina’s competitive Senate race has changed from “leans Democratic” to “likely Democratic,” solidifying former Gov. Roy Cooper’s odds of beating former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. Both candidates are seeking to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).

Meanwhile, the Senate race in South Carolina has moved from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican.” This makes it less likely that Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC), who replaced her late brother Lindsey Graham over the summer, will defeat Democratic nominee Annie Andrews by a large margin.

With one week left before the general election, Sabato’s Crystal Ball categorizes 49 Senate seats as “leans Democratic,” 46 seats as “leans Republican,” and five as “toss-ups.”

Republican congressional candidate Carlos De La Cruz, as well as his sister Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), spoke ahead of President Donald Trump at his rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, just a week out from both of their uphill election battles.

The two spoke in front of an energetic crowd at the Port of Corpus Christi, where the president is expected to take the stage at 2 p.m. CT.

“On Nov. 3, the patriots of South Texas will write the next chapter of our history at the ballot box, and put this district from blue to red for once and for all,” Carlos De La Cruz said at the rally. “Not for us, but for our children, so they can remain safe at all times, in their sports, in their spaces. This fight is not for us, it’s for our children.”

Carlos De La Cruz is running for a San Antonio-area seat against Democrat Johnny Garcia in an effort to flip a redrawn district. Trump would have won the district by over 10% in 2024.

Monica De La Cruz is facing a tougher reelection fight after Texas Republicans redrew her district, leaving her with about 80% new territory. Latin Grammy-winning Tejano singer-songwriter Bobby Pulido gained ground in polling and brought in a significant fundraising haul in the third quarter. The seat is considered a “toss up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

“As a political outsider with no famous last name, I beat that machine, and I got to work,” Monica De La Cruz said at the rally of the Pulido family. “I worked with that president to secure the order, and now the days of the cartels running the Rio Grande Valley are over.”

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Republicans are “at serious risk” in this election, as he pleads with rallygoers to vote early.

“We have almost 2 million Republicans who have not voted yet,” Patrick said at President Donald Trump’s rally at the Port of Corpus Christi.

“It’s time to vote between now and Friday,” he continued. “This election will be one of the closest elections we’ve ever had. Why? Well, because the Democrats have gotten $400 million, 80% of it from out of state, to come in and take this day away from us.”

But despite pleading with voters, he expressed confidence in the party to maintain races across the state.

“I don’t care what the polls say,” Patrick said, as many Democrats are within a point or two of Republicans up and down the ballot. “Republicans across the state are going to come together and kick their ass on Election Day.”

The Cook Political Report shifted the gubernatorial races in Kansas and Nebraska toward Democrats on Tuesday, exactly one week away from Election Day.

The Kansas governor’s race rating moves from “lean Republican” to “toss up,” and the Nebraska governor’s race rating gets downgraded from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican.”

Cook Political Report analyst Jessica Taylor predicts Democrats will pick up between two and four governor’s seats this election cycle, potentially giving the party a majority of governors for the first time since 2010. Right now, there are 26 Republicans and 24 Democrats as governors nationwide.

In Kansas, Republican nominee Ty Masterson will face Democratic opponent Cindy Holscher next week to replace Gov. Laura Kelly (D-KS). Both candidates serve in the Kansas state Senate. Holscher celebrated the latest race update in her favor, saying the “momentum is clearly on our side.”

Meanwhile, Gov. Jim Pillen (R-NE) is trying to fend off Democratic challenger Lynne Walz, a former Nebraska state senator, as he seeks a second term in office.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he will respect the results of the midterm elections next week “if they’re honest elections.”

The president’s caveat echoes concerns he made on Monday about Brazil’s presidential election, in which incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated Trump ally Flavio Bolsonaro on Sunday after the nation’s highest court extended voting by two hours.

Trump said the Brazilian race “looked like another rigged election,” making an apparent reference to his loss in the 2020 presidential election.

Trump is confident about the Republican Party’s chances in next week’s general election, but it’s likely Democrats will gain a majority of 218 seats in the House. If Republicans lose control of the lower chamber, Trump said he will “figure a way” to work with Democrats while noting he has a “strong veto.”

Gov. JB Pritzker’s (D-IL) super PAC, Ready for the Fight, has dropped a total of $1.5 million on Senate races in Mississippi and Kansas.

The group has placed a $1 million ad buy in Mississippi and a separate $500,000 ad buy in Kansas. Both red states are looking to reelect their incumbents: Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Roger Marshall (R-KS).

Ready for the Fight, formed in September, has generally used its funds to support Democratic candidates in competitive House races before branching out into Senate elections. The super PAC launched with $20 million.

Pritzker appears to be using the super PAC to raise his national profile ahead of a potential 2028 presidential campaign. This year, he is seeking a rare third term as Illinois governor.

President Donald Trump is heading to Texas on Tuesday to campaign one week before the midterm elections, and he will be joined by football stars Johnny Manziel, Colt McCoy, and Danny Amendola.

Their appearance on the campaign trail seems to be a way to turn out young male voters who helped Trump win in 2024, Axios first reported on Monday.

Manziel last played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns in 2015, McCoy for the Arizona Cardinals in 2022, and Amendola for the Houston Texans in 2021. Each of the former players has roots in Texas, but Amendola is a two-time Super Bowl champion, winning with the New England Patriots in 2014 and 2016.

Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz posted a photo with Manziel and Amendola at the White House before the Texas trip.

The president will headline rallies in Lubbock and Corpus Christi as he starts the final week of campaigning for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for Senate against Democratic nominee James Talarico.

Vice President JD Vance argues there is nothing wrong with the Department of Justice suing Alaska to prevent voter confusion before the Nov. 3 election.

In the state’s competitive Senate race, incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) is facing a challenge from someone with the same first and last name. Vance believes the ploy amounts to electoral fraud.

“When you put a person on the ballot explicitly to try to confuse voters, I think that’s the definition of electoral fraud,” Vance said on Tuesday. “And I don’t think we should endorse it.”

“If we were running somebody whose name was Mary Peltola in the state of Alaska, the media would be accusing us of election fraud,” he added before making a direct plea to the media. “So I think that you guys should actually do your job and ask some difficult questions of the Democratic Party. Why are they trying to confuse people?”

Democratic nominee Mary Peltola is also running against the Republican incumbent. Peltola and Alaska election officials filed separate motions to dismiss the DOJ lawsuit over the state’s ballot controversy.

Asked by a reporter why Alaskans shouldn’t feel insulted by the administration’s view that voters don’t know how to distinguish between the sitting senator and the copycat candidate, Vance said, “People are busy,” and may not be aware of the difference.