US midterm elections put control of Congress on the line for Trump

Voters across the United States are heading to the polls to decide control of Congress midway through Donald Trump’s presidential term. The midterm election outcomes will determine whether Republicans preserve their legislative majorities or if Democrats regain power to limit the administration's policy goals and launch oversight inquiries.

Every seat in the 435-member House of Representatives is being contested, with Democrats requiring a net pick-up of four seats to capture the majority. Meanwhile, 35 Senate positions are on the ballot, including two special contests in Florida and Ohio alongside standard elections. Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats compared to 47 controlled by Democrats and aligned independents, leaving Democrats in need of four gains to take command of the upper chamber, where Vice-President JD Vance holds any tie-breaking vote.

Beyond the federal legislature, voters will decide 39 governorships across 36 states and three US territories, alongside thousands of state legislative seats, judicial positions and local ballot measures addressing taxation, abortion rights and voting procedures.

Historically, midterms pose severe challenges for the party occupying the White House, with the sitting president's party suffering House seat losses in 18 of the prior 20 midterm cycles dating back to 1946. Although generic polling averages compiled by RealClearPolitics placed Democrats ahead by 8.2 points in early October, redistricting and geographic polarization have narrowed the field of genuinely competitive House districts to an estimated 40 to 50 races.

Several Senate battlegrounds are central to the fight for the chamber. In Texas, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton faces Democratic candidate James Talarico in a race where Republicans have invested roughly $210m, despite Democrats not having secured a statewide victory there since 1994. In Maine, Republican incumbent Susan Collins is opposed by Democrat Troy Jackson. Other critical contests are underway in Michigan between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers, in Georgia between Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff and Republican Mike Collins, and in Ohio, where Democrat Sherrod Brown faces Republican Jon Husted. Alaska's Senate race between Republican Dan S Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola has also drawn national attention following legal challenges over candidate names.

Voter priorities have centered heavily on economic concerns, with Democratic candidates emphasizing the cost of living, housing, food, fuel and healthcare expenses. Key campaign issues also encompass immigration enforcement policies, tariffs, foreign affairs, artificial intelligence and democratic norms. Electoral administration has faced scrutiny as well, amid legal disputes concerning federal access to state voter records and administration claims regarding election procedures.