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

President Donald Trump is reportedly slated to campaign for Republicans in Iowa on Thursday, Oct. 22, and Sunday, Nov. 1, in the lead-up to the midterm elections.

Jeff Kaufmann, Chairman of the Iowa GOP, posted on X Thursday afternoon that he spoke with Trump and said the president is “anxious for Iowans to hear his message before they vote.”

Republicans up and down the ticket are fighting stiff competition from Democrats in Iowa. According to the RealClearPolitics average, Democratic Senate candidate state Rep. Josh Turek (D-IA) has a 1-percentage-point lead over U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) for the state’s open seat. Democrat gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand has a more than 8-percentage-point lead over Republican Zach Lahn, per the RealClearPolitics average.

Iowa also has three competitive House seats currently held by Republicans. Early voting in Iowa started on Oct. 14.

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.

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.

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.”

“Still the one” blared on the speakers as a crowd welcomed Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) to the final debate of the Maine Senate race on Thursday evening.

The debate is one of four that have been held over the last couple of weeks, but this one will feature a live audience and be held in Bangor, Maine.

Outside the venue, the Gracie Theater at Husson University, Troy Jackson supporters also gathered with signage and a large banner that read “Let Them Eat Road Salt.” The phrase is a riff on Jackson’s “we can’t eat road salt” remark at a prior debate.

BANGOR, Maine – “Still the one” blared on the speakers as a crowd welcomed Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) to the final debate of the Maine Senate race on Thursday evening.

The debate is one of four that has been held over the last couple weeks, but this one will feature a live audience and be held in Bangor, Maine.

Outside the venue, The Gracie Theater at Husson University, Troy Jackson supporters also gathered with signage and a large banner that read “Let Them Eat Road Salt.” The phrase is a riff on Jackson’s “we can’t eat road salt” remark at a prior debate.

MONROE, Michigan — Vice President JD Vance drew laughs and middle fingers from a Republican crowd Thursday afternoon.

Vance took the stage at a Republican National Committee rally backing former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat.

“This is a lively crowd! What’ve y’all been drinking?” the vice president, a diehard Ohio State fan, joked before poking fun at the crowd. “It’s great to be in Monroe, right here in the heart of what folks used to call the Rust Belt, and now we are rebuilding it. No more rust here. We’re building gold, right here in the state of Michigan. And not too far, I might add, from Buckeye football.”

The crowd responded to Vance’s joke with boos and by flipping him the bird.

“Oh, man. A hardcore Republican crowd just gave me about 45 middle fingers, but that’s OK,” he joked. “You all can make fun of me on Buckeye football all you need, so long as we get out there and make Mike Rogers the next senator from the great state of Michigan.”

FLAT ROCK, Michigan — Vice President JD Vance traveled to Flat Rock on Thursday afternoon to take part in a CBS News town hall that will air this weekend, with just over two weeks until Election Day 2026.

Vance, who is pulling double duty this cycle as the Republican National Committee’s finance chairman, has been a top GOP surrogate, crisscrossing the nation in recent weeks in support of downballot Republicans as polls indicate a potential blue wave in November.

Following the town hall, Vance will deliver remarks in Monroe, Michigan, at an RNC rally, but at least one high-profile Republican candidate will not be in attendance. Rep. John James, the Republican nominee in Michigan’s gubernatorial race, announced Thursday afternoon that he would not attend the event. James currently trails Jocelyn Benson, the Michigan secretary of state and Democratic gubernatorial nominee, by 6.8 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average.

The pair will debate on Thursday evening.

White House officials declined to say if Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, will attend the event in Monroe. The RealClearPolitics average showed Rogers down 2.7 points to Democratic nominee Abdul el Sayed as of Thursday afternoon.

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) urged Republicans to prepare an ambitious budget reconciliation package for the lame-duck session after the November midterm elections, warning that the party could have a narrow window to advance its legislative priorities if Democrats take control of Congress.

“We will do a reconciliation bill — one way or the other we will,” Moreno said, referring to the fast-track budget process that allows certain legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the usual 60-vote threshold. “Obviously, if we lose control of Congress, it’ll be the Last Supper.”

Moreno said the package would be “giant” and include “all the Republican priorities that we can get done.”

The Ohio Republican called on lawmakers to remain in Washington through the end of the year if Republicans lose control of both chambers, arguing that they should use the weeks between the election and the new Congress to push legislation.

“If we lose the House and the Senate, we should be here from Nov. 9 until Dec. 31 with no break at all,” Moreno said. “Like, we’ll have turkeys here for Thanksgiving because we have to get this done.”