The midterm elections: What you need to know
The midterm elections: What you
Eric OrvietoThu, October 15, 2026 at 4:14 PM UTC
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What are the midterms?
The midterm elections are general elections held during even years in the middle of presidential terms that allow voters to decide who controls Congress. Up for grabs are all 435 US House seats, select US Senate seats —35, including special elections, in 2026 — and statewide and local races, such as for select governors and state and local legislators. Voters have the opportunity to vote on statewide and local ballot measures, as well.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
Get the latest headlines from the biggest races.
Key Senate races(Incumbent in italics)
Alaska: Dan Sullivan (R) vs. Mary Peltola (D)
Trump campaigns in Alaska, a conservative state feeling the pinch of high energy prices (Reuters)
Florida: Ashley Moody (R) vs. Angie Nixon (D)
New Stetson poll covers Donalds-Jolly, Moody-Nixon races (News-Journal)
Florida poll: Republicans lead in the races for governor and Senate (NBC News)
Georgia: Mike Collins (R) vs. Jon Ossoff (D)
Who won Jon Ossoff, Mike Collins debate? Key points, issues from Tuesday (Savannah Morning News)
Jon Ossoff says he won’t run for president in 2028 during heated Georgia debate (NBC News)
Iowa: Ashley Hinson (R) vs. Josh Turek (D)
Hinson, Turek clash on missed votes, stock trading in Senate debate (Des Moines Register)
Kansas: Roger Marshall (R) vs. Adam Hamilton (D)
‘It’s a toss‑up’: Political expert on how Trump visit could impact Kansas midterms (KSNW Wichita)
Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifts Kansas Senate to toss-up (The Hill)
Kansas Senate race heats up as Marshall, Hamilton clash in increasingly competitive contest (News 34)
Maine: Susan Collins (R) vs. Troy Jackson (D)
Collins, Jackson duke it out in third Maine Senate debate: 3 takeaways (The Hill)
Michigan: Mike Rogers (R) vs. Abdul El-Sayed (D)
El-Sayed and Rogers toss insults in Michigan Senate debate (CBS News)
Minnesota: Michele Tafoya (R) vs. Peggy Flanagan (D)
Flanagan leads Tafoya by 4 points in new Minnesota Senate poll (The Hill)
Sleeper GOP candidate puts blue-leaning state in play as fraud scandal shadows Dems (Fox News)
Midterms Appear Grim For GOP — But Michele Tafoya Within Striking Distance In Minnesota (Daily Caller)
Nebraska: Pete Ricketts (R) vs. Dan Osborn (I)
Crypto PAC, Republicans Reportedly Swooping In To Save Incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts In Nebraska (Daily Caller)
New Hampshire: John Sununu (R) vs. Chris Pappas (D)
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Democrat Chris Pappas says "we're taking nothing for granted" in N.H. race (CBS News)
North Carolina: Michael Whatley (R) vs. Roy Cooper (D)
Whatley campaign has no future TV ads reserved in NC Senate race; says it is only temporary (WNCN Raleigh)
Cooper leads Whatley by 7 points in new ECU poll (WNCT)
Ohio: Jon Husted (R) vs. Sherrod Brown (D)
Trump calls out hecklers during Ohio rally with Ramswamy, Husted (Cincinnati Enquirer)
South Carolina:Darline Graham (R) vs. Annie Andrews (D)
Election 2026: Graham polling tight with Andrews (The Center Square)
Texas: Ken Paxton (R) vs. James Talarico (D)
James Talarico touts record fundraising haul in Texas Senate race (NBC News)
James Talarico torches Biden border policies in stunning attack ad as progressive tries to flip Texas blue (Fox News)
Talarico, Paxton differ on courting Black voters in Texas US Senate race (El Paso Times)
Key House races (Incumbent in italics)
FL-27: Maria Elvira Salazar (R) vs. Eliott Rodriguez (D)
Salazar picks up Colombian president’s endorsement after breaking with Trump on immigration (The Hill)
IA-01: Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) vs. Christina Bohannan (D)
Top GOP group pulls money from Miller-Meeks' tough House race in Iowa (Des Moines Register)
KY-06: Ralph Alvarado (R) vs. Zach Dembo (D)
Alvarado, Dembo to debate ahead of Election Day in race for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District seat (WDKY Lexington)
New poll shows Democrats with 9-point lead in Kentucky 6th Congressional District race (News 34)
ME-02: Paul LePage (R) vs. Matthew Dunlap (D)
NC-01: Laurie Buckhout (R) vs. Donald Davis (D)
NY-17: Mike Lawler (R) vs. Cait Conley (D)
Cait Conley tells Rep. Mike Lawler not to ‘mansplain’ about domestic abuse (The Hill)
Tension erupts during House midterm debate as Lawler fact-checks New York Democrat opponent on immigration (Fox News)
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler hopes bipartisanship can hold his NY House seat (USA Today)
OH-07: Max Miller (R) vs. Brian Poindexter (D)
Democrat Brian Poindexter pitches workers' rights in Ohio race | Opinion (Akron Beacon Journal)
TX-34: Eric Flores (R) vs. Vicente Gonzalez (D)
TX-28: Tano Tijerina (R) vs. Henry Cuellar (D)
Trump reups beef with ‘ungrateful’ Cuellar for staying Democrat after pardon (The Hill)
TX-35:Carlos De La Cruz (R) vs. Johnny Garcia (D)
WA-03: John Braun (R) vs. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D)
KOIN 6 interviews Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, John Braun ahead of midterms (News 34)
Source: “AOL Breaking”
