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

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) committed to accepting the results of the Alaska Senate election regardless of whether he wins the race against Democratic challenger Mary Peltola.

“I’m going to accept the election results,” Sullivan said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday when asked how he would proceed if Peltola wins on Tuesday.

The incumbent Sullivan is running against Peltola, Republican Gerald Heikes, and former forest service employee Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. in Alaska’s ranked choice Senate election. Republicans suspect Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who is listed on the ballot without a party designation, ran as a spoiler candidate in the race, as he has the same name as the incumbent.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that Peltola’s campaign recruited spoiler candidates named Dan Sullivan to confuse voters supporting Sen. Dan Sullivan. The story alleged that Peltola’s former campaign manager Elisa Rios said Peltola was aware of the initiative but did not participate directly and that a former campaign staffer was directed to “find as many people named Dan Sullivan as you can.”

The Department of Justice is investigating the ballot situation regarding the candidate Republicans have dubbed “Decoy Dan.” When CNN asked Sen. Dan Sullivan if the alleged scheme by Peltola’s campaign was legal or not, Sullivan said he would “let the lawyers figure that out” but added, “I think there’s some good arguments on both sides.”

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El Sayed, speaking to reporters after Stevens pulled her endorsement for him in favor of Republican Mike Rogers, brushed the reversal off as a distraction from what Michiganders care about.

“I have a sense that you all are here today because of the decisions of somebody who’s not here right now. But I’m just going to tell you, this is a state of 10 million people who deserve a lot better from their government. I’m a lot more focused on the 9,999,998 that are not the ones you guys are talking about,” he said.

“I’m not in the business of driving clicks for you. I’m in the business of trying to solve problems for the people of my state. … None of this matters,” he added.

A federal judge on Sunday dismissed the Department of Justice’s lawsuit seeking to delay certification of Alaska’s Senate election if incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) loses, halting its push for discovery into an alleged Democratic-backed spoiler campaign led by allies of Senate candidate Mary Peltola.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, found the DOJ lacked standing because it offered no workable remedy for the voter confusion it alleged. The push for discovery intensified just days after the department filed the lawsuit last weekend, following the midweek New York Times report that Democratic operatives helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., whose name resembles the senator’s, to siphon support from the incumbent.

The Trump administration’s DOJ incorporated those allegations into an amended complaint Thursday while retaining its request to delay certification if Sullivan loses and reallocating the other Sullivan’s votes could change the outcome. The DOJ is likely to appeal the decision to a higher court.

Gleason’s 20-page opinion and the reasoning behind her dismissal of the complaint centered primarily on ballot secrecy. She contended that already-cast ballots had been mixed together and could not be traced to individual voters.

“Those cast ballots have been commingled,” she wrote, explaining that investigators could no longer identify who cast them.

More fundamentally, the “United States provides no workable plan” for separating Election Day ballots and investigating voters’ intentions while preserving ballot secrecy, Gleason wrote. Without a remedy likely to address its alleged injury, the DOJ lacked standing. Legal experts largely echoed this issue with the lawsuit in recent days, given that the DOJ presented no conclusive method for gauging legitimate confusion when auditing individual ballots.

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Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Senate in Michigan on Sunday, bucking her support for Democrat Abdul el Sayed after a dayslong feud.

“Our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away. And he’s right, and that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today. I don’t belong in Abdul’s campaign. I do not stand with Hasan Piker, who gets trafficked on our college campuses,” Stevens said.

Just an hour before, Stevens appeared at a church service in Detroit with Rogers after sparring with Democratic candidate el Sayed over the weekend.

Stevens had originally announced on Friday that she had accepted an invitation from Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to appear at a church service in Detroit with el Sayed, but the plan fell through as Stevens and el Sayed continued to grapple over an advertisement that Jewish leaders have condemned as antisemitic. The ad, produced by Rebellion PAC, blames the high cost of groceries on U.S. financial support for Israel.

Stevens endorsed el Sayed after losing to the left-wing candidate in a heated Democratic primary, but the two continued to clash over their stances on Israel, with Stevens being staunchly pro-Israel and el Sayed supporting Gaza and criticizing Israel’s government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) appeared at a church service in Detroit with Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers after sparring with Democratic candidate Abdul el Sayed over the weekend.

Stevens had originally announced on Friday that she had accepted an invitation from Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to appear at a church service in Detroit with el Sayed, but the plan fell through as Stevens and el Sayed continued to grapple over an advertisement that Jewish leaders have condemned as antisemitic. The ad, produced by Rebellion PAC, blames the high cost of groceries on U.S. financial support for Israel.

Stevens endorsed el Sayed after losing to the left-wing candidate in a heated Democratic primary. The two have continued to clash over their stances on Israel, with Stevens being staunchly pro-Israel and el Sayed supporting Gaza and criticizing Israel’s government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Stevens, who endorsed el Sayed after her primary loss, hinted at a reversal in favor of Rogers, saying he would “take on” policies supporting black-owned businesses.

Over half of surveyed voters in a new poll would like to see Democrats take control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.

According to the last NBC poll ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, 52% of Americans want to see a Democratic-controlled Congress, while 45% want to see a Republican-controlled Congress. The margin increased by 2 points since the outlet’s last poll in early September, when 50% of those polled supported Democratic control, and 45% supported Republican control.

NBC’s Steve Kornacki compared this to the final NBC poll ahead of the 2018 elections, when 49% of surveyed voters supported Democratic control, and 43% of surveyed voters supported Republican control. In the midterm elections during President Donald Trump’s first term, Democrats flipped the House with a double-digit gain of seats, but Republicans expanded their majority in the Senate.

The final 2026 poll, conducted from Oct. 28 to Oct. 30, tallied that 51% of polled voters said they were dissatisfied with their personal financial situation, while 49% said they were satisfied. According to the outlet, this is the first time in the poll’s history since 2007 that more respondents were dissatisfied than satisfied with their personal financial situation.

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Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed will campaign Sunday in Detroit alongside Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) at a get-out-the-vote event, but one prominent Michigan Democrat will be missing: Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI).

Stevens, whom el Sayed defeated in the August Democratic primary, was also expected to attend. But el Sayed’s campaign asked her to stay away Saturday following an increasingly bitter public dispute over Israel and divisions within the Democratic Party.

The rift presents another challenge for el Sayed as he tries to unite Democrats ahead of Tuesday’s election. Stevens received significant support from Jewish and black voters during the primary, raising questions about whether el Sayed can consolidate those constituencies in his general election matchup against Republican Mike Rogers.

El Sayed is locked in a closely watched Senate contest that could help determine control of the chamber. He will spend the final day of campaigning Monday alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who endorsed the progressive physician during the primary. The two campaigned together three weeks ago in Traverse City.

Warren’s appearance will give el Sayed another prominent progressive ally as he makes his final pitch to Michigan voters.

Rogers started Saturday with a stop in Grand Rapids followed by a rally at Whitmore Lake alongside Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). Rogers will return to Grand Rapids on Monday evening alongside Michigan gubernatorial candidate John James for an evening rally.

Gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa (D-TX) is taking her pitch to a critical voting bloc days before Election Day: Hispanic men, who helped power President Donald Trump’s 2024 win.

Her campaign plans to air a 30-second ad titled “No Te Dejes,” Spanish for “Don’t let yourself be pushed around,” during Saturday’s fight between Mexican boxing star Canelo Álvarez and Christian Mbilli on DAZN, according to CBS News. The spot echoes her campaign slogan, “Fight back.”

The ad reflects a Democratic strategy of reaching Hispanic men through sports and culturally relevant programming, not just traditional political ads. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) used boxing watch parties and rodeos to court Latino men in his 2024 Senate race and won, even as Trump carried Arizona.

Hispanic residents make up about 40% of Texas’ population, and Hinojosa’s bid to become the state’s first Democratic governor in more than three decades could hinge on this electoral bloc.

A CBS News poll this month showed Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) leading by four points overall. Hinojosa led by 23 points among likely Hispanic voters.

Democrats are trying to win back Latino voters who shifted right. About 55% of Latino Texans voted for Trump in 2024, according to exit polls, turning Rio Grande Valley counties right-leaning.

Texas Democrats are arguing the shift is temporary, pointing to national polling that shows Latino voters souring on Trump and high primary turnout in heavily Latino areas.

Abbott has courted the same voters with a Spanish-language ad calling Hinojosa too liberal for Texas.

Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted two competitive Senate races toward Democrats Friday, citing late-cycle developments in Louisiana and Minnesota less than a week before Election Day.

In Louisiana, the forecaster moved the Senate race between Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) and Democratic farmer Jamie Davis from “Safe Republican” to “Likely Republican,” pointing to strong black voter turnout during the state’s now-concluded early-voting period. Trump is scheduled to hold a tele-rally with Letlow Monday to shore up GOP support.

In Minnesota, Sabato’s Crystal Ball also adjusted its assessment of the Senate contest between Sen. Tina Smith’s (D-MN) successor, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, and Republican former sportscaster Michele Tafoya, moving the race from “Leans Democratic” to “Likely Democratic.”

The forecaster cited doubts that Tafoya could overcome Flanagan’s advantage, despite polling showing a potentially narrower contest in other surveys. A New York Times/Siena University poll released Wednesday put Flanagan ahead 54% to 40%, though other polls have shown smaller margins.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is spending $450,000 to boost a trio of Democratic Senate candidates just days before the Nov. 3 election.

Ocasio-Cortez, who has been floated as a potential 2028 presidential or Senate contender, sent $150,000 a piece Friday to the campaigns of Maine Democrat Troy Jackson, Alaska Democratic nominee Mary Peltola, and Florida socialist candidate Angie Nixon.

Jackson, a former Maine state Senate president, and Nixon, a state representative, are both progressive Democrats who support “Medicare for all.” Jackson is running a neck-and-neck race against longtime incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for the Pine Tree State’s Senate seat. Nixon, meanwhile, is running as a long-shot candidate against Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL). Peltola, a former Alaska congresswoman and centrist Democrat, is running for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK).

“Mary, Angie, and Troy are three working-class Americans with a chance to transform the U.S. Senate,” Ocasio-Cortez told Axios. “Their elections would be consequential for the whole country, and I am proud to stand with them.”

Jackson and Nixon have both invited Ocasio-Cortez to campaign alongside them.

The donations follow Ocasio-Cortez’s earlier $1 million contribution to help Abdul el Sayed’s Senate campaign in Michigan, underscoring her financial involvement in Democratic Senate contests beyond her New York district.

President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that he recommitted to holding in-person rallies in Iowa and Kansas this weekend after officials from those states called him to visit one last time before the election.

Trump was planning to proceed with tele-rallies for the two red states before he changed his mind.

“I wanted to see if I could do tele-rallies,” he said at the White House. “I do them well, and it’s a great instrument, and it only seems to work for me because other people call and nobody gets on the phone.”

“I got a call from both states, Kansas and Iowa. We’re in good shape, I think, in a lot of states. We had a great rally yesterday, as you know, for Darline [Graham] in South Carolina,” he continued. “But I got a call from Iowa and from other people, and from my friends that are very, very good, and we have a couple of races that are very important. And they said, ‘If you could go, it would be better than a tele-rally.’ And I tried to talk them out of that. I said, ‘What about a tele-rally?’ But they asked me, so I’m going to do two on Sunday.”

Trump will travel to Iowa first, then to Kansas on Sunday. They will be his last in-person rallies of the election cycle. In the final days before the general election, Trump will be hosting tele-rallies across nearly 20 states.

The president explained his decision to move forward with the Iowa and Kansas rallies while hosting Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen recently freed from Russia, in the Oval Office.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg donated another $36 million to Democrats in a mix of House, Senate, and gubernatorial races in the final week before Election Day, according to Politico.

The contribution comes after Bloomberg already gave $80 million to candidates in his party last week.

The Democratic megadonor gave $16 million to the House Majority PAC and $12 million to Everytown for Gun Safety. He also donated $2.5 million to Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Keisha Lance Bottoms, $2.5 million to Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, $2 million to Kansas Senate contender Adam Hamilton, and $750,000 to Texas gubernatorial hopeful Gina Hinojosa.

While Bloomberg has been an influential donor to the Democratic Party for the midterm elections, he is far surpassed by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is considered the single largest donor this election cycle. Musk has contributed over $445 million to support Republicans.

Vice President JD Vance is set to return to his home state of Ohio on Monday, the day before the election.

Vance will be campaigning in Swanton to show support for Vivek Ramaswamy, who’s running for governor, and Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), who’s seeking his first full term in the Senate. Swanton is located about 20 miles west of Toledo.

The vice president’s appearance will mark the sixth rally that he or President Donald Trump has held in the Buckeye State over the past month.

Also on Monday, Vance will visit Rome, New York, in the final campaign push before Election Day.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) weighed into California’s general elections with three new, home-stretch endorsements against incumbent Democratic lawmakers.

According to a report from Axios, Khanna has endorsed against incumbent Reps. Doris Matsui (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), backing each of their Democratic challengers, Mai Vang, Eric Jones, and Angela Gonzales-Torres, respectively, calling them “new generation leaders.”

Each of the districts is ranked “solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report, with primary voters elevating two Democrats to the general election ballots in the open-primary state.

A new Washington Post-Schar School poll has Democrat Adam Hamilton leading Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) by 10 points. This has given the megachurch pastor a lead of 2.6 points in the RealClearPolitics average, up from 0.2 points just last night. Kansas hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932. But the outlet has its own concerns about the poll.

“After more than 85,000 phone calls and nearly 50,000 text messages, a potential problem emerged,” the Washington Post reported Friday. “Democrats were far more enthusiastic about taking the poll than Republicans were.” The story went on to note that “Democrats were more than twice as likely as registered Republicans to complete the survey” after taking the interviewer’s call.

We’ve seen big red-state Senate polling misses before, including in Kansas. Six years ago, polls showed a close race, but Marshall won by 11 points. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) was down by a small margin in 2014, but he also won by 11 points. In 2020, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was only leading by 6 points in the same poll currently showing his sister tied with her Democratic opponent. He won by 14.

Maybe we’ll see another big polling miss this time. Or maybe the polls are telling the GOP something. “We’re having problems just getting Republican voters to respond to polls,” a Republican pollster told Axios. “At what point do we think these guys aren’t showing up at the actual polls on Election Day?”

It’s hard to tell the difference between a polling failure and a rural revolt. Trump’s Kansas rally with Marshall is back on.