US midterm elections 2026: Important key facts you need to know
- Early voting is already underway ahead of the November 3, 2026, midterm elections, with over 100 million Americans expected to cast ballots
- A record $3.8 billion had been spent on political advertisements as of October 12, with Elon Musk alone contributing about $366 million to support Republicans
- Democrats are fighting to flip both the House and Senate, but polls and spending gaps suggest the outcome remains far from certain
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Early voting has been underway for weeks ahead of the November 3, 2026, US midterm elections, when Americans will choose members of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and governors in states across the country.
Turnout is expected to rival the 2022 midterms, which drew more than 100 million voters, though that still falls well short of the more than 155 million votes cast in the 2024 presidential election. As of October 12, a record $3.8 billion had been spent on political advertisements.
Source: Getty Images
According to Reuters, Elon Musk alone spent roughly $366 million to back Republican candidates, according to campaign finance records. Top advertising spending is concentrated in battleground Senate races in Texas, Ohio, and Michigan, according to AdImpact.
Control of Congress at stake
Republicans currently hold a 218-214 majority in the House, with two vacancies and one independent who caucuses with the party. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control. In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, meaning Democrats must again net four seats to flip the chamber. Ten Senate races, including those in Maine, Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa, and Georgia, are seen as the most consequential.
Can midterms affect the presidency?
Historically, the party holding the White House tends to lose ground in midterm elections. For 2026, that puts President Donald Trump and his Republican congressional majorities at political risk. Midterms can function as a public verdict on a sitting president's performance, and the results often push the White House to adjust course. They also provide early signals to potential candidates shaping their messages ahead of the next presidential race, which will be in 2028.
What the polls are showing
Trump's approval rating sits at 32%, an all-time low according to a September Reuters/Ipsos poll. Rising consumer prices are expected to weigh on Republican candidates across many races. Democrats also appear more motivated to vote than Republicans, and early voting trends point in their favour. Latino voters who shifted towards Trump in 2024 may be drifting back to Democrats, driven by frustration over the economy and immigration enforcement. However, Republican campaign spending advantages, scepticism towards Democrats, and anxiety over left-wing primary wins could still blunt any Democratic wave.
Recent midterm history
In 2010, during Barack Obama's presidency, Republicans gained 63 House seats, stripping Democrats of their majority. Obama called it a "shellacking." In 2018, with Trump in the White House, Democrats picked up a net 40 House seats but lost two Senate seats. Thirty-six states will also hold governor's races this year. Republicans currently control 55% of state legislative seats nationally, compared to 43.8% for Democrats, according to Ballotpedia.
Who will be speaker?
If Democrats win the House, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York is positioned to become speaker, which would make him the first Black American to hold the role. Jeffries has said Democrats would investigate what he calls "unprecedented levels of corruption" in the Trump administration and push legislation on healthcare, housing, grocery, and energy costs. A Republican House victory would keep the speakership in the party's hands, likely with current Speaker Mike Johnson or his replacement, with priorities centred on tax cuts, defence spending, and extending cuts to social programmes.
Marquee races
High-profile House contests include Republican Representative Mike Lawler's bid to hold a New York district that Kamala Harris won in 2024, and an open Nebraska seat in a swing district where farmers and truckers are feeling the pressure of higher fuel prices linked to the US conflict with Iran. Democrats are also targeting two Pennsylvania seats and one in New Jersey.
Looming over the entire election cycle are concerns about whether Trump will attempt to interfere in the results. Since 2020, he has repeatedly alleged widespread electoral fraud without evidence, and state officials alongside congressional Democrats are preparing for potential legal challenges.
Source: Getty Images
US admits misleading Nigeria, other African countries
Legit.ng earlier reported that the US State Department admitted a map shown at the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro misidentified every African country it highlighted.
The map, which carried an AI watermark linked to OpenAI tools, placed Nigeria, Mozambique and Cote d'Ivoire in entirely wrong locations on the continent.
A former State Department official linked the error to mass staff cuts under President Donald Trump's administration.
Source: Legit.ng
