Democrats lead ahead of US House elections — Asharq Al-Awsat
Midterm elections will be held in the United States on Tuesday, in which American voters will assess the first two years of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. Polls and independent analysts believe that Democrats have an advantage in the fight for control of the House of Representatives, while the outcome of the Senate races remains uncertain, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate are up for election. To win a majority in the lower chamber of Congress, Democrats need to gain at least three additional seats, while four are needed to control the Senate. About ten Senate races in states are considered competitive, with most of them taking place in Republican states.
Elections amid dissatisfaction with Trump
According to polls, voters are most concerned about the cost of living and do not approve of the president’s actions in this area. The publication links rising domestic costs to Trump’s sweeping tariff policy and his decision to attack Iran in February. The president’s approval rating has also approached its lowest levels due to dissatisfaction with the war with Iran and rising fuel prices.
Since early October, Trump has held more than two dozen campaign rallies, mostly in states where he won convincingly in the 2024 election. Republicans call Democratic Party candidates radical, while Republican candidates find it difficult to distance themselves from the president, who, according to the publication, demands loyalty and rarely admits mistakes.
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Competitive Senate races
In Michigan, progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is competing against former Republican House member Mike Rogers. An additional factor in the campaign was Rogers’ endorsement by Democrat Haley Stevens, who had previously lost to El-Sayed in the primary.
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico is running against the state attorney general, Republican Ken Paxton. According to the publication, Paxton benefited from nine-figure investments by Elon Musk in support of Republicans. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton, a megachurch pastor, held a slight polling lead over incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall.
In Alaska, the US Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation over allegations that Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign allegedly helped recruit a candidate with the same first and last name as her Republican opponent, Dan Sullivan. The New York Times reported this, and Peltola denied her involvement. The department also filed a lawsuit to block certification of the results, but the court dismissed it.
Separately, the Department of Justice went to court in California over ballots it considers potentially invalid. The US Supreme Court refused the administration’s request for an urgent ruling in the case.
