The campaign is entering its last weekend. With Election Day on November 3 now just four days out, control of both chambers of Congress remains up for grabs, and the candidates are making their final arguments to voters.
President Trump campaigned Thursday at a rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he told the crowd to think of the midterms as a referendum on him personally, saying in effect that he considers himself on the ballot given the administration's record. At the same time, he has pulled back from some previously planned stops, canceling red-state rallies in Iowa and Kansas this weekend in favor of tele-rally events, phone-based gatherings that let the president reach supporters in nearly 20 states without the logistics of an in-person rally. A rally in Daytona Beach, Florida and another in Salina, Kansas remain on the president's public schedule for Friday.
One of the most closely watched races is Alaska's Senate contest, where Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation into Democratic candidate Mary Peltola's campaign following a New York Times report. The Times said it had obtained texts, documents and interviews indicating people connected to Peltola's campaign were involved in efforts to recruit a potential spoiler candidate who shares a name with the Republican incumbent, Senator Dan Sullivan, in what the report describes as an attempt to confuse voters under Alaska's ranked-choice voting system. Peltola has said she knew nothing about any such effort involving a second candidate named Dan Sullivan. Separately, federal prosecutors have reportedly issued more than 30 subpoenas in a 24-hour period this week as part of broader election-related inquiries, according to Fox News sources, though the full scope of that activity has not been detailed publicly.
Beyond Alaska, both parties are treating these midterms as a pivotal moment. Analysts describe the election as a crossroads for both parties, with some Republican candidates in competitive districts choosing to distance themselves somewhat from the national party brand, even as Democrats, who have not fully shaken their own unpopularity in polling, try to capitalize on midterm momentum that has historically favored the party out of power in the White House. Races from Tennessee's Senate contest, where the incumbent is rated solidly favored, to closely fought House and Senate seats across the country will determine which party controls the chambers for the second half of President Trump's term.
Watch turnout and any late-breaking developments in contested Senate races, including Alaska, over the final weekend before polls close on November 3.
When is Election Day?
The 2026 U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for November 3.
What is the Alaska Senate controversy about?
A New York Times report alleges people connected to one campaign tried to recruit a spoiler candidate sharing a name with the Republican incumbent to confuse voters; the Democratic candidate says she was unaware of any such effort.